Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Knoxville Business News Tennessee Mountain Scenery Background
June 24, 2025 | Tom Ballard

Researchers at ORNL find a way to make carbon fiber even stronger

The team combined fundamental science with molecular dynamics simulations using the Frontier supercomputer.

Stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum, carbon fiber is a staple in aerospace and high-performance vehicles — and now, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have found a way to make it even stronger.

ORNL researchers simulated five million atoms to study a novel process for making carbon-fiber composites stronger and more cost efficient by incorporating a reinforced layer of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, or PAN nanofibers. Led by ORNL’s Carbon and Composites group, the team combined fundamental science with molecular dynamics simulations using the Frontier supercomputer to better understand how the reinforcement process works at the atomic scale. Their findings, published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, could lead to new, ultradurable materials for airplanes, vehicles, and a wide range of manufacturing applications that require stronger, more lightweight materials.

Carbon-fiber composites are made by embedding thin strands of carbon — each thinner than a human hair — into a polymer matrix. Carbon fiber strands are incredibly strong; however, their bond with the surrounding polymer is somewhat weak by comparison.

“When a carbon-fiber composite fails, it typically begins at the interface between the carbon-fiber strands and the polymer matrix,” said Tanvir Sohail, a Postdoctoral Researcher at ORNL’s National Center for Computational Sciences. “By incorporating a layer of PAN nanofibers at the interface, we redirect stress from the carbon fibers into the surrounding polymer, which improves load distribution and enhances the composite’s overall strength.”

Click here to learn more about the work.



Like what you've read?

Forward to a friend!

Don’t Miss Out on the Southeast’s Latest Entrepreneurial, Business, & Tech News!

Sign-up to get the Teknovation Newsletter in your inbox each morning!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


No, thanks!