Birla Carbon acquires carbon nanotube specialist, Nanocyl

Carbon-Black. Image for representation purpose only.

Birla Carbon, a global manufacturer, and supplier of carbon black additives on Wednesday (Oct.11) said it has completed the acquisition of Belgium-based Nanocyl SA – a global leader in multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT).

The acquisition is aimed at expanding Birla Carbon's presence in battery materials required for the energy systems market critical to lithium-ion battery performance along with other conductive applications.

"We are thrilled to welcome Nanocyl into the Birla Carbon family. Laurent and his experienced team have been pioneers in the field of carbon nanotubes that provide unique performance characteristics for a wide range of applications, most notably energy systems such as lithium-ion batteries," said John Loudermilk, President, and CEO of Birla Carbon.

"Birla Carbon's commitment to driving growth through innovation in sustainability aligns well with the potential for MWCNTs to enable the electrification of the transportation industry, deliver enormous environmental benefits, and prevent climate change," he added.

With the expanded carbon material portfolio of products and technologies, Birla Carbon is looking to emerge as a leader in the energy systems space.

Along with Birla Carbon's Conductex carbon black products and active anode materials, the inclusion of Nanocyl's advanced MWCNTs is expected to provide Birla Carbon with an excellent range of solutions for conductive applications.

"We are proud of our journey to develop and commercialize MWCNT's successfully over the past 20 years as an entrepreneurial start-up, with the support of our current partners and investors. However, with growing needs for our products, the time has come to join a Global industry leader in order to maximize the synergies and the potential of these materials across many end uses,' said Laurent Kosbach, CEO of Nanocyl.

"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.