The American Carbon Society
The American Carbon Society Graffin Lecture Series
The American Carbon Society, supported by grants from Asbury Carbons, sponsors a lecture series at North American universities in honor of George D. Graffin, a pioneer in the natural graphite industry.
Each year, the Society selects a lecturer who has made distinguished contributions to carbon science and engineering. The lecture is available by direct arrangement with this year’s lecturer – Matthew C Weisenberger.
The 2023 Graffin Lecturer is: Matthew C Weisenberger from the University of Kentucky Center For Applied Energy Research (UK CAER).
Dr Weisenberger is Associate Director and leader of the Carbon Materials Group at UK CAER, where current work is focused on:
Dr Weisenberger also serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, at the University of Kentucky, and is a member of the graduate faculty. Additionally, he has served on the Executive Committee of the American Carbon Society (2010 – 2019) and is currently a member of the Advisory Committee.
The 2023 Graffin Lecture is: Carbon Fiber – Past, Present, & Future
Abstract
“Carbon fiber” conjures up images of advanced lightweight aircraft, fast cars, expensive sporting equipment… The most exploited aspect of carbon fiber is its mechanical performance per unit weight – which has propelled carbon fiber into newer, high-volume deployment in large wind turbine blade structures, commercial aerospace, and even into mass-manufactured passenger vehicles. In sum, lightweight, stiff, & strong, carbon fiber composite materials perform where no other materials can, offering extreme weight savings. In this talk, we will unpack carbon fiber from composites, focusing solely on the carbon fiber itself. How did this synthetic fiber come to be? How is it made? What governs its performance at the micro-structural scale? We will look into a brief history of carbon fiber and examine some of its present-day applications. Lastly, we will discuss some of the future directions of carbon fiber, including issues associated with cost, precursors, higher performance, and embodied energy of its production. Along the way, some recent and relevant work from our lab, and other facilities, will be briefly presented.
To Find Out More, Download the 2023 Graffin Lecture Informational Flyer.
To Schedule A Lecture, Please Contact Dr Weisenberger Directly At matt.weisenberger@uky.edu.
For information on additional Educational Opportunities in the Society, please contact
The Education Secretary:
Dr. Weiming Lu
Corporate Senior Fellow
Collins Aerospace
Raytheon Technologies
weiming.lu@collins.com
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