he €300-million facility, which includes an associated R&D centre, is expected to be “the largest of its kind” and is scheduled for completion in 2025, OCSiAl announced 22 Feb.
OCSiAl did not provide further details on the production capacity of the facility, but the company had previously announced plans to build a 250-tonnes unit in Luxembourg.
The company expects the new facility to enhance the geographic accessibility of graphene nanotubes to the growing automotive components market in Europe.
To be positioned between Belgium, France, and Germany, the facility will OCSiAl to reduce logistics costs and work closely with car makers, chemical producers, and tire manufacturers across Europe.
A graphene nanotube is a unique form of carbon that can be imagined as a graphene sheet, with a thickness of one atom, rolled into a tube.
Graphene nanotubes are very strong electrical conductors and are claimed to be “100 times stronger than steel but lighter than aluminum.”
OCSiAl nanotubes are currently widely used by rubber and plastics manufacturers to reach higher efficiencies for applications in the automotive, electronics, oil & gas, healthcare devices, and other industries.
For instance, elastomers reinforced with the nanotubes can contribute to safety and energy-efficiency of tires.
In addition to tires, OCSiAl has recently co-developed a nanotube solution together with Daikin Industries to increase the durability and resistance to extreme conditions of fluoropolymer components.
Read the original article on Eurpean Rubber Journal.
