NANOCOMPOSITES | ADDITIVES
Nanoscale additives boost properties and are growing in use for thermoplastic compounds as suppliers gear up manufacturing facilities. Jennifer Markarian reports
Carbon nanotubes and graphene in perspective
Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene provide powerful performance at very low loadings for conductivity and mechanical properties. With proven benefits in thermoplastic nanocomposite applications, growing demand is driving industrial development and capacity expan- sion. Compounding technique is key for these additives, because dispersion is important for conductivity and the additives can be challenging to deagglomerate and disperse. “The conversation is shifting from nanotechnol- ogy to compounding,” said Alvin Orbaek White, founder of CNT producer TrimTabs, which can produce multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and nitrogen-doped CNTs for research, development and industrial applications. “The question is no longer simply what extraor-
dinary properties a nanotube has in isolation, but what useful function it can deliver in a real polymer system, at practical loading levels, without compro- mising processing or consistency,” he said. “Disper-
www.compoundingworld.com
sion, compatibility with the polymer, repeatability and ease of processing ultimately determine whether that performance survives into the finished component.” The company’s patented process is a low-cost,
low-energy, continuous method that is designed to run commercially in small-volume facilities to provide localized production. “We are continuing to develop a distributed manufacturing model designed to support sovereign CNT production, with compact produc- tion systems that could ultimately be deployed closer to where the material is needed,” said Orbaek. “The longer-term aim is to give manufac- turers and regions greater flexibility in where they produce their critical advanced materials.” The company is moving into a new, 15,000-sq ft
Innovation Centre in Neath, Wales. Orbaek said the new facility provides more space for CNT produc- tion, application development and customer engagement. SWCNTs – also called graphene nanotubes,
October 2026 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 17
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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