Nanotecture plans to set up pilot manufacturing facility

Southampton-based nanoporous material developer Nanotecture today announced that it is to establish a pilot manufacturing facility in the UK.

The facility, which will be located at the company’s Southampton headquarters, will use Nanotecture’s liquid-crystal templating process to produce material from which it will create supercapacitors, which it will tailor it to different commercial applications for a variety of customers.

The supercapacitors will use the company’s unique nanoporous nickel hydroxide material to produce a non-carbon electrode for the supercapacitors. Test results have already shown significant advantages over conventional supercapacitors, both in energy and power density.

Speaking about Nanotecture’s manufacturing capability, Craig Lucas, applications group leader, said: ’Not only will we supply our customers with bespoke supercapacitors that meet their specific needs, but we will also learn invaluable lessons for full-scale production.’

Bill Campbell, chief executive officer of Nanotecture, said: ’Over recent months, we have been working with a number of potential customers across the globe who want to use supercapacitors. This has encouraged us to invest in a manufacturing facility on site so that we can support the design-in of our products into customers’ systems.’

First shipments from the facility to customers are expected before the end of 2010.