Raymor Industries’ C-SWNT Plant Poised to Change the Game for Nanotech in Aerospace
This spring, Canadian-based Raymor Industries expects to go online with a high-volume, lower-cost production facility for single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT). Raymor’s C-SWNT plant opening may prove to be a true game-changer for nanotechnology.Leading aerospace manufacturers are already in discussions with Raymor and examining C-SWNT samples. C-SWNT’s strength-to-weight properties have long been appreciated -- up to 10 times higher than today’s polymer-based composite materials. But, C-SWNT supplies have not been available in qualities or pricing that make them useable in volume by manufacturers.
This is where Raymor come in. Raymor’s plant, slated to go live in May, will produce up to 10,000 grams/day using a new, more efficient plasma process. The result: high-quantities, lower prices, more predictable supplies, and, most importantly, a growing line of prospective heavy-weight customers.
On the eve of Raymor’s C-SWNT plant opening, Nano World News talks exclusively with Raymor President and CEO Stephane Robert and Raymor Business Development Manager Tom Whitton. Raymor executives will also be on hand at Nanotech2006 to discuss their C-SWNT project.
NWN: How will Raymor’s production of C-SWNTs differ from traditional CNT production/manufacture?
Robert: Our process uses high temperature plasma, which is really the only scalable approach to producing single-walled carbon nanotubes at high throughput. Other processes are really only designed for lab scale, or have very high capital costs associated with them.
Whitton: The plasma approach really is the difference in our ability to offer the marketplace a steady supply on reliable and lower-cost C-SWNTs. We have a lot of experience with these technologies is other parts of our materials business, and we saw the opportunity to bring it to C-SWNT [production].
NWN: While many engineering type firms, such as aerospace firms, have been interested in C-SWNT technology, it just hasn’t been economical. Could you explain a bit more about how Raymor is tackling that problem?
Robert: There are challenges for the full commercialization of C-SWNT into end-use products. First, our target markets are all seeking reasonable pricing. Competitors are currently selling their as-produced and purified products for anywhere from US$375-2000/g. The second challenge is to have enough single-walled carbon nanotubes available for incorporation into end-use products. The benefit of the Raymor process is that, to the best of our knowledge, it will produce single-walled carbon nanotubes at a lower cost and at higher volumes than any other process known at this time.
NWN: We also heard that your C-SWNT process is also ‘green’ manufacturing. Can you explain the ‘green’ elements of C-SWNT manufacture?
Robert: There are two “green” elements to our process. First off, our feed material is methane, which is a greenhouse gas. Thus the process consumes a greenhouse gas.
Second, a by-product of our process is hydrogen. In the coming “fuel cell society”, we could recuperate, bottle and sell the hydrogen, or, more likely, use the hydrogen as a fuel to run a turbine and generate electricity for our plasma-driven process.
NWN: What types of application do you think will be early adopters of C-SWNT thanks to your work? It seems that a lot of your work would be in the area of enhancing or replacing some high-strength composite materials?
Robert: Applications for our single-walled carbon nanotube span many industries, from defense to biomedical to energy to electronics. [But], the best opportunity we see for Raymor in the near future is for the enhancement of composite materials for aircraft.
NWN: Can you tell us a little bit about your work with your aerospace prospective customers?
Robert: From public information, Boeing has sold to date more than 380 of the new 787 Dreamliner. This aircraft is designed to have a 20% reduction in fuel consumption per passenger. More than 90% of the outer structure of this aircraft is being built out of lightweight, polymer-based composites.
However, to achieve their fuel economy targets, the aerospace industry is looking towards adding single-walled carbon nanotubes to these composites as a way to provide structural integrity as well as to provide lightning strike protection for the aircraft. We estimate a huge potential for single-walled carbon nanotubes in this industry.
Also, last month, Airbus announced their conversion of their A320 aircraft lines to composite structures, thus demonstrating the trend and the opportunity for Raymor
NWN: Many of these aerospace firms also use polymers and other petroleum-based composites. Given the recent price of oil, are we close to see C-SWNTs get competitive with petro-based materials?
Whitton: I would say we are coming close to that point, but we are not there yet. But, I can see that point coming if oil stays at these levels or goes higher.
NWN: How might Raymor’s 2006-07 plans change the image of industrial-strength nanotechnology?
Robert: C-SWNT’s impressive structural, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties [would suit] a tremendous number of applications. We will first start with aerospace, defense applications and other high tech applications (biomedical, energy).
Whitton: Also, we’re also looking at a whole range of consumer-type applications, like automotive, sporting good and so on. Even construction materials and other civil engineering projects would benefit from our single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Raymor is publicly-traded on Canada's TSX-Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol RAR.