European Precursor GmbH (EPG), a joint venture between SGL Group - The Carbon Company and Lenzing Group, received a Euro 1.5 million grant from the "Bavaria FIT" program under the Bavarian undersecretary of the state of Katja Hessel. EPG received the grant to fund the development of a novel precursor with revised properties.
Due to their unique properties, carbon fibers are in even greater demand as substitutes for traditional materials because of the rising cost of raw materials and energy. In the aerospace and defense industries, particularly high standards are placed on carbon fibers in terms of quality and processing.
This is why respective work stages spanning from base polymer to the raw material, to carbon fiber production and the final composite products have to be in alignment. Precursors comprised of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers are the raw material needed for carbon fiber production and important for determining quality.
EPG, based in Kelheim (Donau/Germany), was founded at the end of 2006 as a joint venture between SGL Group and Lenzing Group. The objective of the company is to develop and supply carbon fiber precursor exclusively for SGL Group and European production. Since the establishment of the joint venture, both parties have jointly invested approximately Euro 25 million in a production facility that serves industrial applications, particularly for use in the automotive engineering and wind energy sectors. This joint venture secures SGL Group's long-term supply of raw materials for carbon fiber production for these applications.