ADDITIVES | NANOCOMPOSITES
Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy of TrimTabs single-walled carbon nanotubes. Raman analysis shows characteristic radial breathing modes and a G/D ratio of 26.5, while SEM imaging illustrates the nanotube morphology.
Source: TrimTabs
which helps distinguish them from MWCNTs – are being used in thermoplastic compounds at ultralow loadings to combine permanent electrical conductivity with low weight, high durability, and good mechanical performance, while also main- taining processability, colour versatility and the ability to produce complex shapes, say experts at Luxembourg-based producer OCSiAl. The use of SWCNTs is driven by increasing demand for lightweight and energy-efficient solutions, ESD and ATEX safety, metal replacement, and more sustainable and recyclable materials, the company said. “These requirements are particularly strong in automotive and EVs, electronics, indus- trial equipment, aerospace, UAVs, robotics, AI infrastructure and other high-performance applica- tions,” they added.
Graphene production OCSiAl, which synthesizes Tuball single-wall carbon nanotubes, is expanding capacity to meet demand. The company announced that it would build a graphene nanotube production centre in Differ- dange, Luxembourg, which the company said will become the world’s largest graphene nanotube production facility, with SWCNT synthesis capacity of up to 320 tonnes per year. The planned investment is approximately $300m, and construction is expected to begin in 2027. Plans also include a research centre and facilities for students from technical schools and universities, the company said. The company currently operates a synthesis unit in Serbia, which started up in 2024. To meet growing global demand, the company is building a second nanotube synthesis unit at the site, which will double its production area and quadruple its SWCNT synthesis capacity to approximately 300 tonnes per year. The company provides its SWCNTs for polymer applications in powder, pellet, and nanotube-
18 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2026
based pre-dispersed concentrates in paste, flakes or pellet form. Graphene is another carbon-based nanomaterial used for its electrical and thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. While CNTs are tube-shaped, graphene is a flat sheet that can be single-layer or multi-layer. Multi-layer graphene forms like gra- phene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are used in commercial thermoplastic nanocomposites as well as in energy storage and electronics applications. Thermoplastics that provide electromagnetic
interference (EMI) shielding and electrical and thermal conductivity at lighter weight than metals are increasingly being used in multiple applica- tions. Hyperscale infrastructure spending on AI data centres is driving growth of engineering thermoplastics into servers, connectors, substrates, and thermal paths, where both EMI shielding and heat dissipation from the same component, reported Bruno Figueiredo, co-CEO and founder of Graphenest. As a result, companies are turning to additives like graphene that provide this multi-functionality. “A carbon-black-loaded com- pound provides conductivity and nothing else; a 2D or 1D nanofiller can be argued to provide shielding, thermal conduction, and mechanical retention simultaneously: three line items, one addition rate,” explained Figueiredo. Another growing area is automotive, where
radar housings are switching from metal to thermally conductive compounds, he said. In addition, the frequency used in communica- tions systems is increasing and enclosures are becoming more compact, which means the thickness of shielding must decrease, Figueiredo said. Graphene is one way to meet this challenge. The latest product from GNP producer NanoXplore is GnP D500, a high-purity graphene powder engineered for highly conductive applications. It is produced with NanoXplore’s proprietary dry-pro-
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