The main objective of NEWSPEC is the development of CFs through promising low-cost polymers, such as polyethylene (PE).

PE presents interesting technical features like high carbon yield (around 70%), high processability and flexibility (many potential polymer modifications to examine) and very competitive cost (~2 euro/kg) with respect to PAN precursor which may result to precursor cost savings of up to 70%.

Final PE-CF production cost equals to 10 euro/kg compared to about 15 euro/kg of PAN fibres, thus reaching 30%.cost saving on similar production scales.