Carbon Nanotubes in the Automotive World, Carbon Nanotube Solutions For Industry From Nanocyl

Topics Covered

Background

Applications and Nanocyl Solutions

Properties

Automotive Safety Legislation

Surface Resistivity, Conductivity and Impact Resistance

Background

Carbon nanotubes are known for exhibiting unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties, useful for a wide range of applications in materials. The combination of unique properties and various product forms compatible with modern processing technologies, offers unseen possibilities of creating new engineered materials for automotive applications.

Applications and Nanocyl Solutions

Today, the products are used as electrically conductive additives in automotive plastics for automotive fuel systems requiring antistatic properties. They can also be used for imparting conductivity to plastic exterior parts subjected to electrostatic painting processes: fenders, mirror housings, door handles and other parts in-line and alongside metal exterior parts.

Properties

In order to meet these various requirements, Nanocyl’s carbon nanotube products provide the following characteristics to the plastics materials:

•        Precise control of electrical conductivity and therefore volume and surface resistance

•        High retention of mechanical strength at room and very cold temperatures

•        Smooth surface finishing due to extremely low loading vs. alternate conductive fillers

•        High flow properties enabling complex large body parts

Automotive Safety Legislation

Carbon nanotubes from Nanocyl also contribute to meeting the new automotive safety legislation according to SAE-J1645 guidelines, when used in conductive automotive fuel lines and connectors, avoiding potential sparking and subsequent fire or explosive event.

Surface Resistivity, Conductivity and Impact Resistance

They have a targeted surface resistivity of 10E6 ohm/sq to plastic parts. The conductivity of Nanocyl carbon nanotubes remains stable to long-term exposure to fuel, sour gas and diesel and low loadings maintain a high percentage of the virgin polymer strength, including impact resistance at very low temperature.

Source: Nanocyl

For more information on this source please visit Nanocyl