Graphene nanotubes bring a new impetus to the plastics market

TUBALL graphene nanotubes, also known as single wall carbon nanotubes, are extremely thin single-layer rolled-up sheets of graphene more than 5 µm in length and with a diameter of 1.6 nm. They have a number of exceptional characteristics, such as superior electrical conductivity and strength, high temperature resistance and flexibility, and they translate these properties by enhancing the characteristics of polymers at very low working dosages.

With its unique facility for industrial-scale production of low-cost graphene nanotubes, OCSiAl has transformed these nanotubes from being an interesting laboratory material into a highly competitive industrial technology. Together with its partners, the company has achieved a number of exciting results in applying graphene nanotubes in key thermoplastic compounds, such as polyethylene, ABS plastics, PVC plastisols, polyamide and polycarbonate.

Among the products containing TUBALL nanotubes that have already been successfully launched on the market, there are semiconductive compounds destined for medium- and high-voltage power cables with a volume resistivity below 20 Ω·cm at 23 ° C and below 100 Ω·cm at 90 ° C . Graphene nanotubes are also being applied in ABS plastics produced by injection moulding, resulting in a surface resistivity below 10^8 Ω/sq while maintaining high impact resistance.