Japan's Showa Denko KK (SDK) has developed VGCF™-X, a new grade of SDK carbon nanotube (CNT) with an optimized design for resin composite applications. The company says it will begin construction of a 400 t/year plant to manufacture the new product at its Oita complex in March 2009. The plant, due to start up in 2010, will benefit from a cost-competitive position since it can fully utilize the existing utilities at the site.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Showa Denko develops new CNT grade, cooperates with Hyperion
According to SDK, VGCF-X, which has been developed using the company's catalyst and synthesis technologies, has very high electrical conductivity and dispersibility. Average nanotube diameter is 15–20 nm and length 3 μm, significantly smaller in both dimensions than the company's existing VGCF grades. The new product can impart stable conductivity to resins at low loading levels and is therefore expected to find applications in static-free plastic cases for the carriage of semiconductor/hard disk media parts. Because of increased production of semiconductors with fine structures and hard disk media with higher densities, these plastic cases are required to have higher antistatic levels to prevent contamination to parts and to ensure cleanliness of the air in a clean room.
SDK began developing VGCF products in 1982 under the guidance of Professor Morinobu Endo of Shinshu University, one of the pioneers of CNT synthesis. The company established a high-volume production technology in 1988 and started up a 20 t/year commercial plant in 1996. Capacity was expanded to 100 t/year in 2007. In September 2008, SDK and Endo jointly developed an ultra-high-performance composite rubber for oil exploration/drilling applications using VGCF-S, a finer grade developed for composites. SDK has been expanding its fine carbon operation, centring on VGCF, as one of its growth businesses. The company plans to achieve sales of ¥40 billion from this business in 2015 by developing new applications as well as battery and composite applications.
In addition, SDK has concluded a patent cross-licence and supply agreement with Hyperion Catalysis International, Inc (Cambridge, MA, USA), which owns many key patents pertaining to materials and applications in the area of CNTs, including for resin composites. In exchange for certain payments, royalties and other considerations, SDK will be able to sell CNT-based products for use within a defined field in plastics under Hyperion's extensive patent portfolio. The supply agreement provides that SDK will purchase Hyperion's FIBRIL™ conductive, multi-walled CNT-based products for resale alongside its own product line. According to SDK and Hyperion, these licence and supply agreements will help both firms to maintain and grow their leading positions in the manufacture of CNT-based products for the promising composite market. The two companies have also identified other areas of mutual interest and have initiated discussions regarding possible joint R&D projects.
Hyperion has been manufacturing and selling its FIBRIL CNTs since 1983. Pre-mixed in a range of matrices, they are used in a growing number of automotive, electronics and other applications.
(Additives for Polymers, Volume 2009, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 3-4 )
Contact: Showa Denko KK, 13-9, Shiba Daimon 1-Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8518, Japan. Tel: +81 3 5470 3235, Web: www.sdk.co.jp
Or contact: Hyperion Catalysis International, Inc, 38 Smith Place, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Tel: +1 617 354 9678, Web: www.hyperioncatalysis.com
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