Carbon Fiber Recycling and James Cropper Advanced Materials Shortlisted for CAMX Innovation Award

Carbon Fiber Recycling and James Cropper Advanced Materials have been shortlisted for the CAMX 2026 Unsurpassed Innovation Award for their development of UNIMAT™, a high-performance composite material made from recycled carbon fiber. The nomination highlights the companies' efforts in creating a circular supply chain for carbon fiber, which has already been implemented on an industrial scale.

Carbon Fiber Recycling, based in Tazewell, Tennessee, operates a continuous-flow plant that recovers carbon fiber from dry fiber, prepreg, and cured composite waste. The recovered fiber is then aligned using VECTIS™ technology by James Cropper Advanced Materials, which produces UNIMAT™. This material is designed for use in high-performance composites and can also be used in concrete, milled grades, and nonwovens.

Doug Griffin, CEO of Carbon Fiber Recycling, expressed pride in the shortlisting, stating, "Shortlisting UNIMAT shows that recycled carbon fiber can be a specification material, not just a downcycle. Our facility in Tazewell TN produces consistent quality fiber for multiple markets, and we are honored to be recognized alongside James Cropper Advanced Materials."

The company's commercial product line includes various grades of recycled carbon fiber, such as rCF for plastic-shrinkage crack control in ready-mix and precast concrete, 24mm rCF for concrete, mortar, asphalt, and nonwovens, and 6mm rCF for composites and coatings. Milled rCF is also available for compounding, BMC, coatings, injection molding, and 3D printing.

According to Carbon Fiber Recycling, their process results in more than 99% CO₂ reduction compared to the production of virgin PAN carbon fiber, while also offering a lower cost than virgin fiber. The CAMX Unsurpassed Innovation Award, presented at the CAMX 2026 event, honors technologies that combine technical novelty with commercial viability.

The shortlisting of UNIMAT for the CAMX 2026 Unsurpassed Innovation Award underscores the companies' commitment to sustainability and innovation in the carbon fiber industry. Their work in creating a circular supply chain not only reduces environmental impact but also opens new possibilities for the use of recycled carbon fiber in various applications.