Birla Carbon acquires carbon nanotube manufacturer Nanocyl

Mumbai, India – Birla Carbon has completed the acquisition of Nanocyl SA, a Sambreville, Belgium-based supplier of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), the Indian group has announced.

The acquisition expands Birla Carbon’s presence in the energy systems market, providing material critical to lithium-ion battery performance as well as other conductive applications.

The move is one of “a number of innovation opportunities” Birla Carbon has been considering as part of its “multi-prong sustainability agenda”, Birla Carbon group managing director Dr Santrupt Misra.

In particular, he said, Birla expects to become a “significant player” in the emerging energy systems space.

The move is also aligned with a wider Aditya Birla group strategy to concentrate on investing in sustainability and circularity-driven initiatives, he added.

Nanocyl carbon nanotubes provide “unique performance characteristics” for a wide range of applications, most notably energy systems such as lithium-ion batteries, according to Birla Carbon president and CEO John Loudermilk.

MWCNTs, he added, offer the potential to further electrify the transportation industry and deliver environmental benefits.

Noncyl expects the acquisition by an industry leader to maximise synergies and the potential of the materials across end-uses, said CEO Laurent Kosbach.

“Birla Carbon’s R&D expertise, portfolio of products, and market experience will enable Nanocyl and our products to reach their full growth potential,” he added.

According to its website, Noncyl materials can be used for reinforcement of a variety of materials, including silicone and EPDM rubbers, as well as plastic materials.