TechnoCarbonTechnologies® was founded in 2005 and has been developing entirely new material systems from the outset for sustainable industrial development.
The energy required to produce these materials is significantly lower than that needed for conventional building and construction materials. Moreover, they hold the significant potential to become carbon-negative, all while utilizing the unlimited material availability of hard rock. Like Mars and Venus, Earth is a rocky planet, with its mantle composed of igneous rock.
CFS® (CarbonFiberStone) represents the intelligent combination of stone and carbon fibers. Carbon fibers are a high-tech material and can now even be produced from CO2.
The stone component provides the compressive strength expected of building materials, while the carbon component ensures the necessary tensile strength—similar to reinforced concrete, but with the crucial difference that there is no rusting or cracking: the material does not fatigue, making it far more durable. Stones like granite, basalt, and gabbro are, contrary to common perception, only slightly heavier and, when combined with carbon fibers, achieve the same specific weight as aluminum. Currently, production is done by hand but will reach cost parity with traditional building materials like steel, concrete, or aluminum through automated methods. Thanks to the high compressive strength of stone, minimal amounts of high-performance carbon fiber are needed to ensure sufficient overall stability. Another critical feature is the minimal thermal expansion of stone, which can be completely suppressed by carbon fibers, as the stone undergoes a volume change under pressure. These mechanisms enable entirely new possibilities.
Equipped with these capabilities and features, the CFS material paves the way for transitioning industries to a CO2-negative economy, especially when combined with wood. This alleviates the pressure on wood as the only currently viable carbon-negative solution in the construction sector and helps prevent the alarming global loss of ancient forests, which are essential for maintaining natural CO2 sinks.
CFS was invented in Germany and developed in collaboration with Switzerland and Italy. The idea is now being disseminated globally by a growing number of national startups, like TCTF in France.