News
Carbon-fibre frame famine could be ended by carrots
Carlton Reid Feb 16 2007, 4:00pm
A Scottish company has developed a composites materials made from carrots and is soon to roll out production of high-end 'biofibre' fishing rods. CelluComp of Fife said the material, called Curran, could also be used to make carbon-fibre style bicycle frames.
Dr David Hepworth of CelluComp said:
"We're extracting cellulose material from the cells, deconstructing them to pieces that are microscopic and bonding it with a special resin in a way that can be moulded together and is more damage resistant than carbon fibre."
Curran is currently being trialled on fishing rods. A rod, weighing just ounces, requires fibre pulp from up to 2kgs of carrots. It goes on sale next month and is made from half carrots, half carbon fibre.
Dr Hepworth sounds as though he might be a ideal delegate at 'Materials in Bicycles', a one-day conference to be held in London on the eve of the Tour de France opener in July.
Last year, Johan Museeuw's frame business introduced the bike world to carbon-fibre frames strengthened with flax.
Museeuw said carbon could be on the way out:
“It might not be too long before bikes made completely from flax are produced.”
He didn't say anything about carrots. However, a wag known to BikeBiz quipped:
"Will I need to keep a carrot-fibre frame in the fridge?"
There's clearly scope for many similar jokes, and ones featuring rabbits too, but Curran is no laughing matter, it could transform the composites industry. Carbon fibres used in modern composites are derived from oil, Curran's biofibres are Green.
Right now CelluComp is mixing the carrot-fibres with carbon-fibres – it's currently an 80:20 mix – but Dr Hepworth believes the technology can be developed so all the fibres used are bio-fibres. The technique isn't limited to carrots: there could also be composites made from turnips, swede and parsnips.
Dr Hepworth said:
"The potential is enormous and if we can replace just a small percentage of carbon fibres in products the effects on the environment could be significant and wide-ranging."
