Most carbon fibers are made from non-renewable precursors, specifically polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which is derived from petroleum and accounts for over 95% of commercial carbon fibers. However, carbon fibers can also be made from a variety of other precursors, including biomass-based precursors, such as lignin. As a carbon fiber precursor, lignin is a renewable resource and is more sustainable than PAN, and is already polymerized, therefore is less energy intensive to process, which corresponds to fewer greenhouse gas emissions and lower cost [1 -4].
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