OCSiAl opens new silicones lab in Serbia

Luxembourg – Nanotechnology company OCSiAl has opened a new laboratory in Serbia for the development of nanotube-based silicones, as the industry moves towards “smarter, safer, and more energy-efficient materials.”

The investment includes a laboratory for liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and room-temperature-vulcanising (RTV) systems as well as the addition of a graphene nanotube product line for silicones, said OCSiAl 17 Dec.

The facility is equipped for formulation, curing, moulding, and electrical testing and focuses on developing graphene nanotube solutions for silicone systems across industries.

According to the Luxembourg-based company, demand for graphene nanotubes continues to rise, and OCSiAl is “steadily and responsibly expanding its capacities in every direction.”

In the silicone industry, graphene nanotubes make it possible to create materials that are “permanently conductive” while still being flexible, soft, and coloured.

In automotive applications, OCSiAl said, this means “unlocking the whole conductive spectrum, from antistatic to EMI-shielding silicones that maintain elasticity and durability even under extreme mechanical and thermal stress.”

Beyond mobility, graphene nanotubes are used in robotics for their antistatic protection.

Using the materials, sensitive components, such as silicone finger prostheses can be made compatible with touchscreens, featuring electrical resistance between 5 and 200 Ω — without skin contamination and without releasing carbon onto the surface.

OCSiAl, which produces Tuball branded graphene nanotubes, expects to accelerate research and increase production capacity fourfold next year, targeted mainly for the European and US markets.