Nanocyl seeks business in German auto market for its nanotubes, nanocomposites

into the German automotive market. Having taken effect Jan. 1, 2010, the agreement calls for NRC to serve as an extension of Nanocyl’s business development team, supporting Dieter Nienhaus, Nanocyl’s key account senior manager for Germany. Nanocyl, which has a division in the U.S. and is opening an operation in Korea, notes that the Asia-Pacific market for its nanotubes is covered through a network of partners in South Korea, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. NRC acts as distributor for a range of natural and chemical raw materials, additives, and chemical specialties, with subsidiaries representing globally active raw material producers in Germany, Austria, Central and Eastern Europe as well as Scandinavia, Switzerland, and Portugal.

Nanocyl’s NC 7000 series of multiwall CNTs is produced in multi-tons via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The company claims that the use of exclusive catalysts during production make the product the most electrically conductive carbon nanotubes available. The company’s Plasticyl range of CNT thermoplastic concentrates is used for applications requiring electrical conductivity or protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD). These concentrates, which typically contain 15-20% CNTs, are available in polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyoxymethylene. At last year’s JEC Composites show held last March in Paris, Nanocyl launched its newest CNT technologies—SiziCyl and PregCyl—with SiziCyl targeting infusion and resin transfer molding and PregCyl used as a range of pre-preg materials.

Nanocyl competes with large multinationals like Toray and Bayer MaterialScience, in the burgeoning nanotube, nanocomposite field. Toray, like Nanocyl, offers a line of nanocomposites, although theirs is a highly integrated alloy of two polymers. Bayer has been ramping up commercialization of its CNTs, dubbed Baytubes. In 2008, the company announced an agreement with Clariant to supply it with industrial quantities of Baytubes for the manufacture and development of Clariant compounds and master batches. —Tony Deligio