CompSTLar Project Achieves Lab-Scale, Graphene-Enhanced Carbon Fiber UD Tape

The EU-funded CompSTLar project has reached a manufacturing milestone, with partner Aimplas (Valencia, Spain) successfully producing continuous graphene-enhanced unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber tapes at laboratory scale. The consortium sees this as a step forward in the development of multifunctional thermoplastic composites (TPC) for aerospace applications.

CompSTLar, coordinated by Aimen Technology Centre (O Porriño, Spain), is a Horizon Research and Innovation Actions project that is advancing the design, manufacturing, maintenance and recycling of high-performance composite aerostructures for next-gen aircraft (February 2025 – July 2028). Within that broader effort, Aimplas is developing the UD tapes using graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid nanofillers and a Victrex (Cleveleys, U.K.) LMPAEK matrix, with the goal of producing multifunctional composites with enhanced electrical conductivity and susceptibility to laser irradiation.

According to the project’s latest LinkedIn post, processing temperature proved to be a critical variable during manufacturing trials. At approximately 400°C, the material became too viscous for adequate fiber impregnation. Reducing the temperature to approximately 330°C yielded a stable process with acceptable fiber wetting. Partners note that elevated temperatures may affect the polymer matrix — particularly in the presence of graphene-based additives — and that understanding this behavior is considered key to eventual scale-up.

Now at technology readiness level (TRL) 3-4, the project’s next steps include evaluating higher nanofiller contents, assessing their impact on electrical performance and conducting automated tape placement (ATP) trials.

For more information, Pablo Romero Rodríguez, Aimen project coordinator, summarizes the last 18 months of the project in this Q&A. Also read more about the project on CW.