TOKYO, June 20, 2011_ Ube Industries, Ltd. today announced that it will launch commercial production of proprietary AMC(multi-walled carbon nanotubes-MWCNT). The company is currently proceeding with the construction of production line for AMC within the Ube Chemical Factory located in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The production capacity will be 20 tonnes that complete in October 2011.
Ube Industries manufactures fine chemicals (C1 chemicals) such as dimethyl carboxylate (DMC) made from carbon monoxide gas. The company commenced research and development for AMC based on carbon monoxide gas in 2005, producing successive development samples mainly for battery applications and polymer.
AMC utilizes a proprietary catalyst and manufacturing process developed by Ube Industries, to realize temple bell structure optimized dispersion and electroconductivity. Normally MWCNT is not easily handle, but AMC is resolved diversity of issues, such as dispersivility and low absorption. AMC supply style will be in powder, solvent and pellet form.
Ube Industries developed AMC by leveraging technical expertise and experience gained from manufacturing electrolytes and separators for lithium-ion batteries, to create a new functional material for battery applications. The company anticipates growing demand for AMC as a way to enhance the conductivity of anode and cathode electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.
AMC can also be mixed with thermoplastic resins such as nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate to give the resins electrical conductivity.
Ube Industries is targeting net sales of ¥5–10 billion by fiscal 2015 from the AMC business.
