Credit: OCSiAl
OCSiAl, the world’s largest manufacturer of graphene nanotubes based in Luxembourg, has announced that Daikin Industries is now one of its shareholders.
The Japanese giant Daikin Industries has become a shareholder of OCSiAl, following three years of collaboration in developing graphene nanotube applications as a next generation additive. Together, the companies are determined to develop high-performance materials and establish new markets.
The signing of a share subscription agreement between OCSiAl and Daikin Industries, a global leading air conditioning company and a pioneer in fluorine technologies, was supported by prior joint developments and market evaluation. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the valuation of OCSiAl is circa $2 billion.
Along with the subscription agreement, the two companies have signed a cooperation agreement to develop, produce and market graphene nanotube solutions for next-generation Li-ion battery and fluoropolymers, which comprise a substantial part of Daikin business.
Graphene nanotubes, or as they are also called, single wall carbon nanotubes, are one-atom thick graphene planes rolled into tubes. This unique material, able to create products with a new set of properties, was historically observed and described for the first time by Japanese scientists. OCSiAl is the only company to have created a technology that allows production of graphene nanotubes for large-scale commercial applications.
OCSiAl plans to launch the first train of the world’s largest graphene nanotube synthesis facility and a centre for applied nanotechnology in Differdange in 2024. The project will create around 325 job opportunities, covering the full range from operational to scientific expertise.
