September 29, 2008: Norman, OK-based SouthWest NanoTechnologies Inc. (SWeNT) has dedicated a new 18,000-square-foot, $3.9 million facility .

“Our mission is to make single-wall nanotubes a commercial reality, and we have overcome all of the barriers that previously prevented that: inconsistent quality, inability to scale up and high production costs,” said CEO David Arthur. “Since moving into the plant in June, we have increased production capacity for high-quality single-wall carbon nanotubes by 100-fold at one-tenth the cost.”

Single-wall carbon nanotubes consist of a hollow cylinder of carbon with a diameter equal to approximately one nanometer — a billionth of a meter. Due to their unusual structure, they exhibit extraordinary optical and electronic properties, tremendous strength and flexibility, and high thermal and chemical stability. These remarkable properties make them suitable for a wide range of applications in the automotive, aeronautics, electronics, displays, energy and healthcare markets.

In July, SWeNT announced that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will use SWeNT SG65 single-wall carbon nanotubes as the starting material for a Standard Reference Material. SRMs are used to perform instrument calibrations, verify the accuracy of specific measurements and support the development of new measurement methods. Industry, academia and government use NIST SRMs to facilitate commerce and trade and to advance research and development.