OCSiAl, an industrial manufacturer of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), also referred to as graphene nanotubes, is on track to kick off its new European production facility in Serbia in October 2024 and hammers out further ambitious development plans, eyeing the coatings industry, among other promising business directions.

OCSiAl completed one of the parts of its facility in Serbia – the SWCNT dispersion production line – in June 2024. The dispersion line is designed primarily to support electric vehicles and electronics projects across Europe. The output has been contracted by the leading global EV producers and collaborations with the world’s largest Li-ion battery cell manufacturers, the company said in a statement on its website.

The complete facility will feature a nanotube synthesis unit as its core, along with dedicated production lines for nanotube dispersions and nanotubes concentrates for various polymers and electrodes. In addition, the site will comprise multiple laboratories focused on nanotube development and innovation, positioning it as a key hub for advancing nanotube technology.

OCSiAl stands as a leader in the single wall carbon nanotubes industry. According to the company’s estimates, the Serbian facility for single wall carbon nanotubes is planned to reach a capacity of 120 tons by 2026.

The past few years have seen a strategic pivot in OCSiAl’s production strategy. In 2020, the company launched its graphene nanotube synthesis unit, Graphetron 50, in Novosibirsk, Russia, with a capacity of 50 metric tons per year. However, OCSiAl later decided to halt plans for expanding local capacities into a 16,000 sq. meter industrial complex dedicated to producing various nanotube product derivatives.

According to the company’s news on its official website, OCSiAl’s next step is the launch of the largest SWCNT production site in Luxembourg by 2027. This strategic move aims to further strengthen the resilience and sustainability of OCSiAl’s European supply chain. The company plans to use the new site to meet the growing demand for its products in Europe and beyond.

As revealed by OCSiAl founders, the company’s headquarters has been located in Luxembourg since its foundation. Luxembourg was chosen because of its proximity to the R&D divisions of the world’s leading technology companies, as well as because of its high standards of intellectual property protection, as the ownership of the unique synthesis technology is the core of future business.

The company reinforces its standing on the Asian market. The dispersion laboratory opened in Shanghai in 2022 expanded its area by more than 50% in 2023 to accelerate the development of single wall carbon nanotube products and their industrial production, meeting the growing demand from the lithium-ion battery, elastomer, and coatings markets. State-of-the-art equipment will enable four times quicker pilot trials, product optimization processes, and adjustment of formulation prior to mass production.

In 2024, OCSiAl’s OEM in China, Nan Chang Xinsu Nano Materials, has more than doubled its SWCNT-based suspension production capacity. The ready-to-apply suspensions are primarily used in the manufacture of automotive acrylic and PU coatings, PET protective film coatings, ESD protective gloves.

Additionally, Shanghai Haiyi Scientific & Trading Co., Ltd (Shanghai Haiyi) and Shenyang Huijing Nano Technology Co., Ltd (Shenyang Huijing), licensed producers of OCSiAl nanotube dispersions for anodes and cathodes, have announced plans for a several-fold capacity increase by the end of 2025 to meet the demand from the leading battery cell manufacturers in China.

OCSiAl has already changed the face of the global carbon nanotubes market. When OCSiAl first entered the market in 2014, the price for single wall carbon nanotubes on the global market ranged between $150,000 and $500,000 per kg. By 2020, the average market price had dropped to around $2,000 per kg. The exact price varies depending on region, purchased volume, and application.

Wide Scope of Use

According to OCSiAl, single wall carbon nanotubes are a promising material for the global coating industry. They are able to enhance various coatings with ultralow dosages, providing the required electrical conductivity without compromising mechanical properties or color and requiring no change in standard processing and equipment, surpassing conventional additives.

A single wall carbon nanotube is a one-atom sheet of graphene rolled into a long tube, offering exceptional electrical conductivity, thermal performance, strength, and flexibility. These unique properties make SWCNT a game-changing additive with potential to impact up to 50% of global materials markets. Even in tiny amounts—just thousands of a percent—they form a 3D conductive and reinforcing network, similar to rebar in concrete, unlocking new capabilities for the final product.

The range of end applications available on the market from the leading coatings manufacturers is vast. According to company’s published industrial cases, it includes conductive gelcoats, tooling conductive gelcoats, polyurethane and PVC-plastisol coatings for ESD-sensitive areas, conductive tank linings, anti-static floors for ATEX areas, conductive and static dissipative powder coatings for electronic equipment.

For example, a self-leveling ESD-compliant floor with only 0.01-0.04 wt.% single wall carbon nanotubes above demonstrating the standard required safety possesses greater control over color and finish, avoiding dark shades in the final coating.

The new application includes advanced protective, functional, and aesthetic films for consumer electronics, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Single wall carbon nanotubes offer a unique solution combining permanent conductivity and high transparency in coatings for 3C products without changing standard technological processes or equipment. They also grant an anti-dust effect and touch-screen compatibility to the film, as detailed in the company’s recent press release.

As the company noted, smart textile coatings are another rapidly developing use. The resulting electrical conductivity not only complies with international ESD standards but also allows for highly valued functionality for medical fabrics, protective workwear, automotive textiles, and heating fabrics for construction. Empowered by nanotubes, the textiles gain smart properties such as ESD protection, thermal control, dust repellency, and touch screen compatibility.

The coating industry is gradually embracing this new technology. For instance, BÜFA reported that it had developed resin formulations for gelcoats and GRP composites based on OCSiAl nanotubes. A concentration of just 0.05% of single wall carbon nanotubes enabled the company to adjust the surface resistivity of a gelcoat to 10^4 Ω/sq, while preserving mechanical properties and maintaining the existing formulation and processing methods.

As the company indicated, OCSiAl partners use above 0.03 wt.% of SWCNTs in their production to replace 4-12 wt.% of carbon black in light-colored lining coatings, making visual inspections quicker and easier, and reducing maintenance costs.

This tiny amount is enough to provide stable and permanent surface resistance of 10^4–10^8 Ω/sq and preserve high bond strength and adhesion, high resistance to wear, abrasion, and impact, making it possible to avoid time consuming and costly remedial maintenance. These anti-static linings, used in storage tanks and various industrial applications, maintain their conductive properties throughout their lifespan, regardless of environmental conditions.

Another application approved by leading global manufacturers is self-leveling floors, OCSiAl noted. By incorporating just 0.01-0.04 wt.% of single wall carbon nanotubes instead of up to 4% of chopped carbon fibers or 30% mica, floors gain permanent, homogeneous resistivity to ground and surface-to-surface resistivity of 10^4–10^11 Ω without hot spots or black dots, regardless of humidity. This ultra-low dosage outperforms standard additives, maintaining the mechanical strength and resistance properties of the original epoxy floors.

Unlike chopped carbon fibers, which require a thicker base layer and can create installation challenges, OCSiAl nanotubes are compatible with various anti-static flooring systems and thicknesses, ensuring compliance with key industry standards.

Given the performance and relative uniqueness of single wall carbon nanotubes, the addressable market for their application in industrial coatings is estimated to be around 1.5% of the total market by 2025, the company estimated.

OCSiAl’s SWCNTs are expected that to supply the addressable market it requires 3 tons of single wall carbon nanotubes in 2025, with growth anticipated to reach up to 28 tons by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 40%. This expansion is fueled by the growing industrial coatings market, including sectors like industrial resin floor coatings, which are forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 5.8%, reaching $1.5 billion by 2030.