MATERIALS | NANOCOMPOSITES
Right: David Ryan (left) and Alvin Orbaek White (right) from TrimTabs standing by the company’s new carbon
nanotubes production unit at its facility in Bridgend, Wales, UK
efficiency, but have retained precision,” he said. Preliminary results show that TrimTabs CNTs are similar quality to those made by Rice University, which Orbaek White sees as a benchmark. TrimTabs is currently making MWCNTs. Some experiments with the company’s process have also produced SWCNTs, including some with 9,6 chirality, and the company is working towards optimising a process for SWCNT production. TrimTabs has also demon- strated the ability to make carbon nitride nanotubes in a one-pot method, which is more efficient than the existing, multi-step processes used. TrimTabs CNTs are designed for use in multiple
Each of these factories will be able to produce up to 60 tonnes of carbon nanotubes per year. “Having a secure supply is a significant concern
for CNT users,” said Orbaek White. He explained that localised or “onshore” production would provide this security by avoiding shipping disruptions, with the added benefit of reducing shipping costs. “Conven- tional wisdom says you need to be big to be efficient, but supply-chain concerns make smaller-volume, localised production attractive,” he added. Orbaek White reported that TrimTabs’ commer- cial-scale process makes high purity, high crystallin- ity CNTs, similar to the quality of CNTs grown in lab scale equipment. “Labs can make high purity CNTs, but on a large scale of several hundred tonnes, this purity is typically not seen. We’ve found a ‘sweet spot’ of scaling up to commercial quantities with
application areas, including thermoplastics. In automotive thermoplastics, for example, CNTs can be used to make lighter, stronger parts with electrostatic dissipative properties. Other thermo- plastic applications are looking for EMI shielding properties or for both electrical and thermal conductivity. The company currently supplies its CNTs as powder but has made masterbatches on a research scale. Birla Carbon acquired Belgium-based MWCNT
producer Nanocyl in October 2023. “Birla Carbon’s commitment to driving growth through innovation in sustainability aligns well with the potential for MWCNTs to enable the electrification of the transportation industry,” John Loudermilk, Birla’s President and CEO, said in the announcement. Israeli company Nemo Nanomaterials has intro- duced several series of NemoBlend SWCNT masterbatches. The PA6000 series offers electrical conductivity and EMI shielding in PAs, for enclo- sures, for example. The PE1000 series offers electrical conductivity for PE extrusion applications,
IMAGE: TRIMTABS
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