• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




LeMond, Tour de France champion, plans production in Oak Ridge, thinks area could be world hub for carbon fiber

Posted at 9:35 pm August 30, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Greg LeMond at the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility

Three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, right, chairman and co-CEO of LeMond Companies, which owns LeMond Composites, tours ORNL’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility. (Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

A new carbon fiber company that includes three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond plans to build a carbon fiber production line in west Oak Ridge to make composites for use in transportation, renewable energy, and infrastructure, and LeMond thinks the Knoxville area will become the world hub for carbon fiber.

The new company, LeMond Composites, has signed a licensing agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and it has purchased the former Theragenics building at Horizon Center, where CVMR, an international company that uses ore concentrates to create pure metal powders, had once planned to locate its headquarters and research and development.

LeMond Composites closed on the property, which includes about 21 acres, on July 21 for $5.4 million. It’s right next to ORNL’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, or CFTF, at Horizon Center. Renovations at the former Theragenics building are already under way.

Carbon fiber is light, stiff, and strong, a press release said. That makes it the perfect material for advanced composites in a variety of applications, including transportation, renewable energy, and infrastructure, the release said. It can be used to improve efficiency, save energy, and build or repair vehicles and planes, wind turbines and containers, and bridges and tunnels.

But the biggest obstacle to its widespread use has been its high cost.

Advertisement

Carbon fiber manufacturing pioneer Connie Jackson and a research team at ORNL’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility have invented a breakthrough process that will reduce production costs by more than 50 percent compared to the lowest-cost industrial-grade carbon fiber, the press release said.

“Incredibly, this new carbon fiber has the mechanical properties of carbon fiber costing three times as much,” the release said. “Until now, manufacturing carbon fiber was an extremely energy-intensive process. This new method reduces energy consumed during production by up to 60 percent.”

It’s the most significant development in carbon fiber production in more than 50 years, and LeMond Composites, which was founded this year and is based in Oak Ridge, wants to introduce it to the global marketplace, the press release said.

“We can provide the advantages of our carbon fiber to many industries by improving strength, stiffness, and weight reduction,” said Jackson, who is now chief executive officer of LeMond Composites. “If you imagine replacing steel, aluminum, and fiberglass with our carbon fiber, you begin to understand the scope of the potential market. Our process will have global applications, and we are ready to move forward with scaling the technology.”

The company’s licensing agreement with ORNL, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, will make LeMond Composites the first company to offer this new “industry-disrupting” carbon fiber, the press release said. Jackson and several of her ORNL teammates joined the company this year.

“We have assembled the only team in the world that has executed this proven technology, which uniquely positions us to deliver a successful outcome for our customers and stakeholders,” LeMond said. “From experience, I know that having the right team is a distinct business advantage.”

LeMond is chairman and co-CEO of LeMond Companies, which owns LeMond Composites.

LeMond-Composites-Building-Aug-30-2016-2-Web

A new carbon fiber company that includes three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond plans to build a carbon fiber production line at the former Theragenics building at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge to make composites for use in transportation, renewable energy, and infrastructure. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The press release said the new manufacturing process will allow high-volume, cost-sensitive industries around the world to reap the benefits of carbon fiber composites at a fraction of the cost while incorporating chemistry geared toward recyclability.

“The development of this new process demonstrates the value of coupling basic and applied research, which is a hallmark of ORNL, and it underscores the Department of Energy’s commitment to addressing our nation’s most pressing energy challenges,” said Thom Mason, Oak Ridge National Laboratory director. “The Department’s sustained investments in scientific research and development and in specialized facilities such as CFTF are enabling a variety of applications that will lead to improvements in fuel efficiency and position U.S. industry for global success.”

ORNL’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility began operating in 2012, supported by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing and Vehicle Technologies offices, to demonstrate the possibility of low-cost carbon fiber at a semi-production scale, the release said.

Growing demand from the automotive industry is due in large part to the global push to increase the fuel economy of nearly every vehicle produced, the press release said. In the United States, the demand is being driven by the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards. These standards demand a fleet-wide average fuel economy of 54.5 mpg by 2025. The single best way to improve fuel economy is to reduce the weight of the cars and their component parts, the release said.

“ORNL and Jackson’s remarkable breakthrough technology puts CAFE standards within reach, ensuring cost-effective weight reduction through the use of high-quality carbon fiber without sacrificing the strength and safety of the steel it replaces,” the press release said.

Advertisement

“We understand the growing demand from the automotive industry, and we are currently in negotiations with several of the world’s leading automotive brands and their suppliers,” LeMond said.

For the wind power industry, carbon fiber can be used to make turbine blades lighter and stiffer, thereby increasing efficiency. Previously, carbon fiber was too expensive for maximum use in this market.

Other sectors, including shipping, air travel, and marine, could see significant energy savings through the use of carbon fiber in the light weighting of their containers, planes, and ships, the press release said.

Carbon fiber composites can also be used to build, reinforce, or repair bridges, tunnels, and commercial and residential structures.

“As a result of the affordability of this carbon fiber, we believe that worldwide mass adoption will be inevitable,” LeMond said. “We are positioning ourselves to grow and meet this demand by locating our company in Tennessee—a state that through Governor Bill Haslam and Commissioner Randy Boyd’s forward-thinking programs like Tennessee Promise—will provide a steady stream of quality employees for our company. Our close proximity to ORNL adds a value beyond measure, and we are looking forward to future collaborations with them.

“Additionally, with the input of the University of Tennessee, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, or IACMI, and the emerging composites corridor, I believe the Knoxville area will become the world hub for carbon fiber in the future. On a personal note, the bike riding in this area is incredible.”

The new LeMond Composites building is at 103 Palladium Way. The company said the first commercially available product will be ready in the first quarter of 2018.

Carbon-Production-1

Carbon fiber production is pictured above. (Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Carbon-Production-2

Carbon fiber production is pictured above. (Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Advertisement



ORNLcarbonfiber

ORNL carbon fiber production is pictured above. (Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider subscribing to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Business, Business, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: advanced composites, Advanced Manufacturing and Vehicle Technologies, Bill Haslam, carbon fiber production, Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, CFTF, Connie Jackson, Greg LeMond, Horizon Center, IACMI, Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, LeMond Companies, LeMond Composites, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Randy Boyd, Theragenics, Thom Mason, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee

Advertisements

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Business News

SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-Slider-1

Regatta season starts next week

The 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today) This year's regatta season will start next week with the Cardinal Invitational … [Read More...]

ORNL FCU will lease space to Anderson County Family Justice Center

Pictured above are Melissa Miller, site coordinator for Anderson County Family Justice Center; Colin Anderson, president and chief executive officer, ORNL Federal Credit Union; and Dave Clark, district attorney general … [Read More...]

ORUD announces new president, general manager

Jeff Patterson ORUD has announced its new president and general manager, Jeff Patterson. Patterson has been an employee of ORUD for a long time, the natural gas provider said in a press release Wednesday. The … [Read More...]

Natural gas rates will rise, expected to drop when prices decline

Natural gas rates will increase for Oak Ridge Utility District customers because of weather-related price increases and higher transportation costs. Rates are expected to decrease when weather-related spikes … [Read More...]

Horizon-Center-Motorsports-Track-6-Feb-11-2020

Planning Commission to discuss district that would allow motorsports park

Part of the site where a test track and research facility or motorsports park could be built on the back side of Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (File photo by John … [Read More...]

More Business

More U.S. Department of Energy News

Granholm, a former governor, now energy secretary

Jennifer Granholm Note: This story was updated at 7:30 p.m. Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor, was sworn in as energy secretary on Thursday. Granholm was the first female governor of Michigan, and … [Read More...]

Hear from ORNL scientists who worked on Perseverance mission

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mV1sYjE-zMU Video published on YouTube by Oak Ridge National Laboratory Three scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss their work this afternoon on technologies for the … [Read More...]

Bienvenue named first executive director of Oak Ridge Institute

Joan Bienvenue Joan Bienvenue has been selected as the first executive director of the Oak Ridge Institute at the University of Tennessee. "The institute was established last year to align the expertise and … [Read More...]

ORISE report shows overall number of nuclear engineering degrees increases to highest level since 2016

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today) The number of nuclear engineering degrees awarded in 2019 were at the highest level since … [Read More...]

ORAU receives National Science Foundation grant to study greenhouse gases in Arctic

Praveena Krishnan The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs has awarded ORAU a collaborative research grant to study greenhouse gas emissions in the Arctic. The award is valued at $581,829. The grant … [Read More...]

More DOE

Recent Posts

  • Roane State helps with experiment to provide high-speed Internet access to rural communities
  • Parking at Melton Lake Park to be closed for regatta March 13 & 14
  • Regatta season starts next week
  • ORISE receives DOE silver award for GreenBuy program
  • Blasius to discuss Downtown Oak Ridge on Tuesday
  • Oak Ridge releases water quality report
  • Granholm, a former governor, now energy secretary
  • Gov. Lee lifts nursing home restrictions, extends state of emergency
  • ORNL FCU will lease space to Anderson County Family Justice Center
  • Basketball photos: Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today