Performance Natural Fiber Composites

Devin A. Collins, Assistant Director Charlotte Research Institute

UNC Charlotte

Over 26,500 students

4th largest in UNC system Over 100,000 alumni

Over 5400 graduate students Programs: 92 undergraduate, 61 MS, 19 Ph.D. Over $30 Million in yearly expense of Research Dollars.

UNC Charlotte is the Research University for the Charlotte Region.

NSF I-Corp Team (10/10/2012)

Na Lu (Luna), PI

Shubhashini Oza, EL

High performance natural fiber composites for structural applications Lighter ; Stronger; Cheaper

Devin Collins, M

Technology Overview
Developed a natural fiber composite with mechanical strength competitive to fiberglass composites
Unique Because Unlike other Natural Fibers our product is Load Bearing
Composite Offers Weight Reduction Cost Savings Environmentally Friendly We are Seeking Uses for the Product

Technical Performance
Fiber
(1) Cellulose Fiber1 (1) Fiberglass2

Density g/cc) 0.9 2.6

Tensile Strength (GPa) 0.8 1.7 2.9 5.6 3.7

Tensile Strain to Specific Specific Modulus Failure Strength Modulus Diameter E / (%) E (GPa) m) 57 76 517 295 135 3.8 2.9 0.88 0.65 0.95 3 .1 2.1 63.3 29.2 264 164 93 16 13 7-8 7-8 12

Upper Use Temp (C) 180 350

(3) Carbon (high-stiff) 1.96 (4) Carbon(high-strength) 1.8 (5)Kevlar 49

0.38 1.8 8.1

600 500 250

1.45

(6)Aluminum

2.7

0.26

70

0.1

26

Specific Strength of Cellulose Fiber is 1.4 Times Higher Than That of Fiberglass Specific Stiffness of Cellulose Fiber is 2 Times Higher Than That of Fiberglass

NSF I-Corp Team (11/05/2012)

Na Lu (Luna), PI

Shubhashini Oza, EL
High performance natural fiber composites for structural applications Lighter; Stronger; Cheaper

Total No. of Customers Total no. of customers this week

72 13

Devin Collins, M

Automotive Customer Discovery

Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial Equipment Value Propositions Decreased Cost Low Maintenance Delivering Greener Material Increased Fuel Efficiency Increased Safety Customer Discovery Eco-system Consumers Distributors OEMs Raw Material Suppliers Tier 1 & 2 Suppliers Mass Merchandisers Competitors Start-ups Venture Capitalists R&D Centers

Construction Customer Discovery

Structural Components in Construction Industry Value Propositions Decreased Cost Low Maintenance Delivering Greener Material Increased Construction Productivity Customer Discovery Eco-system Consumers Distributors OEMs Raw Material Suppliers Tier 1 & 2 Suppliers Mass Merchandisers Competitors Start-ups Venture Capitalists R&D Centers

Were Looking For

We are currently putting significant effort into identifying a market segment where our value proposition represents a significant opportunity.

New Applications for our Natural Fiber Composite Research Partnerships (Early-Adopters) Connections

Contact Devin Collins at 704-250-5753