Arkema, a global specialist in nanostructured materials, has announced the construction of a 400 ton/year carbon nanotube (CNT) pilot production plant at its Mont site in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.
The company has been involved in a research project to study CNTs and their applications for a number of years. The first pilot laboratory capable of producing 20 ton/year of CNTs was launched by the company in 2006.
Since then, the group has been involved in development programmes to advise companies looking to manufacture their products using nanostructured materials.
The group is currently involved in partnerships in a range of sectors including electronics and transport, renewable energies and energy storage, as well as for the development of applications requiring enhanced performance in terms of conductivity, temperature and strength.
The latest pilot plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2011 and will be the only production plant in the world to use bio-sourced raw material. The company hopes that the industrial investment will improve Arkema’s global standing among nanostructured material suppliers.
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