Zyvex develops nano tube in manufacturing mainstream

Tuesday, 04 Nov 2008

Carbon nano tubes are invisible to the naked eye but with strength a hundred times that of steel, companies like Zyvex Performance Materials in Columbus, want to make them part of the manufacturing mainstream.

Not only are they durable, nano tubes are lightweight and do well at conducting electricity and thermal energy. Problem is, by them nano tubes do not mix with polymers and resins so Zyvex developed its own technology to coat and adapt them. As an additional ingredient, other companies can use the coated nano tubes in products to shed weight or get better performance for the same weight.

Today, you will find Zyvex’s products at work in sporting goods like bicycles, baseball bats, hockey sticks and golf shafts, high end autos, such as Formula One racing cars and aerospace and defense. In the future, look for the company to put a stamp on industries like commercial aviation and autos where fuel economy is critical.

Mr Lance Criscuolo president of Zyvex Performance Materials said that "Really, any application where customers are willing to pay a premium for strength and weight you will eventually see our work."

Nano tubes are still relatively expensive compared to other materials but as they’re produced in greater volume, and companies like Zyvex get better at integrating them into products, prices should drop.

Zyvex is part of a wave of new companies dedicated to injecting nanotechnology, the design and building of materials at the atomic scale, into manufacturing. Estimates of nanotech’s potential vary widely, but industry observers put the impact at trillions of dollars in the coming decade. One report expects nanotech revenues to reach 15% of global manufacturing output in just six years.