Birla Carbon acquires Belgian nanotube manufacturer to drive growth in lithium battery materials

Carbon black solutions company Birla Carbon has completed the acquisition of Nanocyl SA, a multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT’s) manufacturer based in Sambreville, Belgium. The acquisition expands Birla Carbon’s presence in the energy systems market by providing it expertise in materials critical to Lithium-ion battery performance along with other conductive applications.

Nanocyl, founded in 2002 in Belgium, is a leader in the development, manufacturing, and sales of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and MWCNT-based formulated products. Its products are used for electrical conductivity or dissipative behavior in electronic, transportation, energy storage, and industrial applications.

Nanocyl’s carbon nanotubes provide unique performance characteristics for a wide range of applications, most notably energy systems such as lithium-ion batteries.

Laurent Kosbach, chief executive officer of Nanocyl, stated that Birla Carbon’s R&D expertise, portfolio of products, and market experience will enable Nanocyl and its products to reach their full growth potential”.

Along with the Conductex family of conductive carbon black additives and active anode materials, the inclusion of Nanocyl’s advanced MWCNTs provides Birla Carbon with a remarkable range of solutions for conductive applications.

In November last year, Birla Carbon announced  its collaborative project to develop biocrude-derived graphite for lithium-ion batteries. The company collaborated with NC State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Ensyn, The Battery Innovation Center (BIC), and Yale University to develop and scale up the production of biocrude-derived graphite.