OCSiAl is launching a graphene nanotube synthesis facility near Belgrade, Serbia, in the first half of 2023.
The company says the synthesis facility will become the core of the graphene nanotube industrial hub and will be accompanied by production lines of more than 40 nanotube concentrates for various polymers and nanotube dispersions to boost energy density of electric vehicle batteries.
According to the company, the new hub will further strengthen OCSiAl’s supply chain resilience and enhance the company’s leading position in the global graphene nanotube market. The facility is planned to have a 40 MT/y capacity. The company says the new synthesis plant will contribute to lowering supply chain costs and will make it possible to deliver European-produced nanotubes and nanotube industrial solutions to customers in Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Nanotube-based solutions grant a unique combination of previously unachievable properties to most types of elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, and lithium-ion batteries, which have gained rapid adoption in aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, packaging and consumer goods. Electric vehicle batteries drive nanotube technology development, as graphene nanotubes ultimately enable automotive industry transformation from internal combustion engines to batteries, by facilitating faster charge, longer range and lower cost of electric cars.
OCSiAl says to meet the growing demand for graphene nanotubes, the Serbian facility will be complemented by a larger nanotube manufacturing facility in Differdange, Luxembourg, in 2025.