#CarbonNanotube sheets for enhanced functionality and performance of #IndustrialComponents
Channel: TECNALIA
Date: 02/02/2022

#Buckypapers are continuous sheets that resemble black paper but are actually made up of carbon nanotubes. In this form we can introduce nanomaterials into a product in a way that can be easily managed and handled and avoids the problems traditionally found when handling nanomaterials.

Buckypapers can be used for a number of applications across a range of industrial sectors such as construction, energy, transport, water treatment and health. We can use Buckypapers as a heater element in aircraft for de-icing wings, or as an integrated heater in vehicles such as composite buses. Also, as an electrode in supercapacitors or in lithium-sulphur batteries. Buckypapers give us the option to provide solutions for a number of applications.

Tecnalia has developed a pilot plant that is unique in Europe, we have scaled up a laboratory scale process to a pilot plant that is now capable of producing buckypaper in quantities up to 100m lengths at scale that is suitable for uptake in a range of industrial sectors.

Tecnalia has used the Buckypapers for integration into a number of industries, particularly the aeronautical sector, where we have integrated 2m lengths into composite struts (omegas) for use in demonstrator fuselage sections. In addition, we’ve used Buckypapers to improve fire performance of composites where we’ve been able to improve fire performance by up to 20%. Similarly the integration of a buckypaper layer in the composite can improve electrical conductivity by up to 20x and mechanical performance by up to 60% over the standard composite structure.

The buckypaper provides us with an opportunity for lightweighting solutions so in applications such as aircraft we can reduce the weight of the composite aircraft thereby improving the fuel efficiency. In addition Tecnalia has developed this pilot plant using a safe by design process to identify “hot spots” in the process itself, to safe guard the operators using the equipment, and also taking into account environmental risks to minimise any contamination to the environment. We also use the safe by design method to help our clients in the use and safe handling of the buckypaper material.

For more information https://www.tecnalia.com/en