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Production of nanotubes on an industrial scale

Tiny tubes, big impact

A material for new types of computer memories and displays that can improve turbines, car fenders and sports equipment: carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes have some fascinating properties. They can withstand higher tensile forces than steel and conduct heat better than a diamond. Yet they have not been able to live up to their potential in the 15 years since they were first developed because they are so complicated and expensive to produce. This could soon be a thing of the past: a research team at Bayer Technology Services has now developed a process with which the tiny tubes can be manufactured economically in large quantities and top quality.

Attractive applications

In order to produce the carbon nanotubes in a pilot plant, a process has been developed which enables chemists to feed in catalyst and gas continuously and remove the finished nanotubes without having to switch off the reactor in between, and there are no losses due to changes in temperature or pressure. Researchers at Bayer Technology Services and Bayer MaterialScience are also working to identify attractive fields of application for these nanotubes. The following article tells you how plastics can be made conductive and elastic and what other uses there are for nanotubes.