Showa Denko ramping CNT output

March 24, 2010 – Showa Denko KK (SDK) has completed a new 400 tons/year plant for its new carbon nanotubes — what it claims is currently the world’s largest CNT factory — with commercial production slated to begin next month after a trial run.

The site will supply SDK’s new VGCF-X products, CNTs with very high electrical conductivity and dispersibility optimized for resin composite applications, the company says. Initial use will be in static-free plastic cases for electronic devices, including semiconductors and hard-disk media. The company also anticipates use in applications requiring CNT’s added strength, such as transport machinery parts.

SDK’s VGCF technology was first developed in 1982, with a 20 tons/year commercial CNT plant ramped up in 1996 in Kawasaki; capacity was expanded to 100 tons/year in 2007. A composite-grade version of VGFC-S was developed in 2008 targeting composite rubber for oil exploration/drilling applications.

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