Michelman to join IACMI consortium

The Institute is a $259m public-private partnership that will help advance the state of knowledge and commercialization of carbon fiber composites.  

Led by the University of Tennessee and headquartered in Knoxville, IACMI will develop low-cost, high-speed, and efficient manufacturing and recycling process technologies to promote widespread use of advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites. 

A team of organizations from industrial manufacturers, material suppliers, software developers, government and academia will focus on lowering the overall manufacturing costs of advanced composites by 50%, reducing the energy used to make composites by 75%, and increasing the ability to recycle composites by more than 95% within the next decade. 

The Institute is the fifth in the network of innovation hubs created under the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) and will receive $70m in federal funding from the US Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office. 

Michelman will also be showcasing its flagship Hydrosize at the 2015 JEC Europe Composites Show in Paris, France from March 10-12.   

Hydrosize allows composite manufacturers to develop stronger, lighter, more durable and effective products including composite properties such as strength and color stability, low weight to volume ratio, impact resistance, oil and water resistance, heat and corrosion resistance, as well as food contact compliance.  

The company will also unveil fiber sizings that comply with the European Plastic Implement Measure (EC/10/2011), and are being used in composites destined for food contact applications such as coffee machines, plastic dishes, food processors and other appliances.