OCSiAl gets green light for Luxembourg graphene nanotube facility project
OCSiAl has been granted approval by Luxembourg authorities for a production plant, together with an associated R&D centre, in Differdange, Luxembourg.
The facility would further cement OCSiAl’s strategic advantage as the leading supplier of the ‘supermaterial’ and enhance the geographic accessibility of graphene nanotubes to the growing automotive components market in 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. One of the best electrical conductors on earth, graphene nanotubes are 100 times stronger than steel but lighter than aluminum. When added to a material, nanotubes create a strong, conductive skeleton inside the material that results in a substantial improvement to the material’s targeted properties.
Today OCSiAl nanotubes are widely used by rubber and plastics manufacturers to reach higher efficiencies for crucial elements needed in the automotive, electronics, oil and gas, healthcare devices, and other industries. Elastomers empowered with nanotubes enable safer and more energy-efficient tyres. Recently announced commercial projects include graphene nanotube technology for optimisation of the painting process of the exterior thermoplastic automotive parts, and a nanotube solution developed together with Daikin Industries to increase the durability and resistance to extreme conditions of fluoropolymer components.
Konstantin Notman, Chief Executive Officer of OCSiAl Group, said: “Our state-of-the-art graphene nanotube facility in Luxembourg will be positioned between Belgium, France, and Germany, and will allow us to reduce logistics costs and work closely with leading automakers, the largest chemical producers, and large tire manufacturers across Europe.”
OCSiAl’s headquarters and one of the company’s three graphene nanotube development centres are already located in Luxembourg. The new facility will expand the company’s global footprint and is expected to increase its headcount by 300 across research and production. Over 1,500 industry players in more than 50 countries are developing technologies and products based on OCSiAl’s graphene nanotubes. Two of the five largest global tire manufacturers are at an advanced R&D stage with OCSiAl’s nanotubes. According to third-party analysis, the total addressable market for OCSiAl’s graphene nanotube products and technology is expected to surpass $400bn (~€352bn) by 2035.