CFoam’s coal-based products showcased at US National Energy Technology Laboratory exhibition
US Senator Joe Manchin and Secretary Jennifer Granholm were “highly interested” in CFoam’s products and applications.
CFoam’s (ASX: CFO) exposure in the United States market has broadened after it showcased its technologies to US Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Senator Joe Manchin.
On behalf of CFoam, Touchstone Research Laboratory president and chief executive officer Brian Joseph attended the National Energy Technology Laboratory exhibition at The National Research Center for Coal and Energy in West Virginia.
Mr Joseph represented both CFoam and Touchstone at the event, which included other groups working to reinvent coal in a constructive way.
The CFoam and Touchstone booths at the event showcased how CFoam’s carbon products and Touchstone’s next generation inventions can have a major impact on the coal industry’s future, which includes “significantly” benefitting the environment.
Some of the CFoam applications highlighted were building materials, composite tooling and lightweight carbon aggregates.
A better future for coal
According to CFoam the event hosted groups, organisations and companies with a common goal of a more environmentally friendly future for coal.
CFoam said its coal-to-product applications were the main topic of conversation including CFoam’s unique characteristics of availability, price, and eco-friendly production processes.
The company describes its CFoam product as a “next-generation” material that provides a sustainable and plausible solution to problems anticipated in the near future.
It said this was of “high interest” to Senator Manchin and Secretary Granholm.
Construction boom
A key conversation topic at the event was the future of construction and the materials needed to meet the expected housing.
It is predicted the number of buildings worldwide will double within the next 30 years.
CFoam noted an eco-friendly solution was needed to support the forecast boom and that traditional building materials alone could not meet the anticipated demand.
“Wood is not abundant enough and concrete releases too much carbon dioxide,” the company stated.
“CFoam products present the potential for a low-emission, fireproof, mould resistant, low-cost and sustainable material for use in building construction,” the company added.
CFoam technology
CFoam’s namesake products are manufactured from coal, pitch or lignin feedstock.
The products have a rigid foam structure – similar in appearance to pumice stone, but with entirely different properties.
Developed to meet the mounting demand for ultra-high-end performance engineering materials, these products are currently used across a variety of markets including composite tooling for the aerospace sector, energy absorbing applications and in defence.
CFoam has identified additional markets such as automotive applications for energy absorption and fire resistance, which it believes will become significant over time.