Credit: OCSiAl
OCSiAl, the world’s largest manufacturer of graphene nanotubes, has announced the opening of its state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and technical support centre in Foetz in south-western Luxembourg.
Focussing on the development of graphene nanotube technologies and products, the R&D centre will benefit from the country’s capabilities as a hub for advanced technology companies and a home to innovative research institutes and global manufacturers.
Being a leading supplier of graphene nanotube solutions for various industries, OCSiAl Group’s established R&D and technical support centres are located in Asia and Eastern Europe. The current decision to open a new centre in Luxembourg is related to the fact that Europe is at the forefront of developments in material engineering solutions, including the ongoing automotive industry revolution. Light-weight and smart car bodies, energy efficient and safe tires, are among the main focusses of OCSiAl’s European team of experts in nanotechnology and materials engineering.
The new centre covers an area of 350m2 and has more than 50 units of high-end equipment. The major part of all developments will be targeted towards elastomers and thermoplastic composites enhanced with graphene nanotubes that will be widely applied in the cars of the future.
Konstantin Notman, OCSiAl senior vice president and OCSiAl Europe CEO, commented: “OCSiAl’s product line is constantly growing. We have developed high-performance solutions for Li-ion batteries and various polymers, many of which have already been accepted as an industry standard. And in fact, one of the best demonstrators and drivers of most nanotube developments is auto industry. Graphene nanotubes significantly enhance and even grant new properties to all the materials that are being used in cars. We make it possible to make safer, lighter, smarter and more eco-friendly vehicles".
The company plans to launch the world’s largest graphene nanotube synthesizing facility in Luxembourg in 2023. Together with the R&D and technical support centre, OCSiAl’s new production facility will form a cluster for the most advanced developments in the field of materials of the future.
