Over the past two decades, carbon nanotubes have been considered one of the most promising nanomaterials. From the perspective of material properties, it combines high strength, high conductivity, high thermal conductivity, and extremely low density, and is widely regarded as a key component in future advanced material systems. However, for a considerable period of time, the development speed of the carbon nanotube industry has been significantly slower than market expectations. The high production cost, difficulty in large-scale manufacturing, and lack of stable demand on the application side have resulted in this material remaining between scientific research and small-scale industrial applications for a long time.

Now, this situation is changing. With the continuous growth of demand for new energy vehicles, battery technology upgrades, and advanced composite materials, carbon nanotubes have gradually become a key material in multiple industry chains. From lithium battery conductive agents to lightweight composite materials, and then to flexible electronics and transparent conductive films, the application fields of carbon nanotubes are constantly expanding. According to predictions from multiple research institutions, the global carbon nanotube market is expected to maintain double-digit growth over the next decade, with the market size continuing to expand and the industry entering a true stage of scale.

Quick overview of conductivity data of carbon nanotube powder

Carbon nanotube type	Conductivity/resistivity
Multi walled carbon nanotubes (outer diameter 10-30 nm)	Conductivity>100 S/cm
Multi walled carbon nanotubes (outer diameter 5-15 nm)	Conductivity 8-10 S/cm
Single walled carbon nanotubes (low purity)	Conductivity 100 S/cm
Carbon nanotube conductive filler (composite with carbon black)	Volume resistivity<0.01 Ω· cm (converted to conductivity>100 S/cm)

1. Industrialization turning point: rapid expansion of carbon nanotube production capacity

Carbon nanotubes can be divided into two types based on their structure: single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi walled carbon nanotubes. Single walled carbon nanotubes are formed by curling a single layer of graphene, which has superior electrical properties, but is more difficult and costly to produce; Multi walled carbon nanotubes are composed of multi-layer coaxial tube structures. Although their performance is slightly lower, they are easier to achieve large-scale production, and therefore currently have a larger market application scale.

In the early stages, the production of carbon nanotubes mainly relied on arc discharge method and laser evaporation method. Although these technologies could obtain high-quality materials, the production was limited and the cost was high. With the gradual maturity of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology, the production efficiency of carbon nanotubes has been greatly improved, laying the foundation for industrialization.

In recent years, global carbon nanotube production capacity has continued to expand. Guided by the demand for battery materials, multiple chemical and material companies are expanding their production scale. For example, LG Chem in South Korea continues to increase its carbon nanotube production capacity and makes it an important component of its battery materials business. The CNT production line established by the company in the early days mainly served the conductive material market, but with the development of the electric vehicle industry, related products have gradually entered the power battery supply chain.

At the same time, European and American companies are also strengthening their carbon nanotube business layout. French chemical company Arkema has acquired Belgian nanomaterial company Nanocyl, gaining mature carbon nanotube technology and customer resources, enabling it to provide complete solutions in the fields of conductive plastics and composite materials.

In the field of single-walled carbon nanotubes, OCSiAl has formed a significant technological advantage. The industrial production technology developed by the company can achieve large-scale production of high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes and establish supply networks in multiple regions around the world. Due to the performance advantages of single-walled carbon nanotubes in battery conductive networks, their products are gradually entering the battery material system.

2. Battery material demand: the core growth driver of the carbon nanotube industry

The main driving force for the growth of the carbon nanotube market currently comes from the lithium-ion battery industry.

In traditional battery systems, carbon black materials are commonly used as conductive agents. But with the continuous improvement of battery energy density, electrode formulations have become more complex, and relying solely on carbon black is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of high power and high cycle stability. Carbon nanotubes have a very high aspect ratio and can form a three-dimensional conductive network in electrode materials, significantly improving electron transfer efficiency.

This characteristic gives carbon nanotubes a significant advantage in high-energy density batteries. Especially in high nickel positive electrode material systems, electrode conductivity and structural stability become key issues, and carbon nanotubes can effectively improve electrode conductivity pathways and enhance cycle life.

In addition, carbon nanotubes also play an important role in silicon-based negative electrode materials. Silicon materials undergo significant volume changes during charge and discharge processes, which can easily lead to electrode structure damage. Carbon nanotubes can construct stable conductive networks and enhance structural strength, thereby improving the cycling performance of silicon anodes.

With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the demand for power batteries continues to grow. Several battery material companies have incorporated carbon nanotube conductive agents into their product systems. For example, Cabot Corporation's conductive material solution combines carbon nanotubes with traditional carbon black to improve conductivity while controlling costs.

In the Chinese market, SAT NANO is one of the important suppliers in the field of carbon nanotube conductive agents, and its products are mainly used in lithium battery conductive pastes. With the increasing demand for new energy vehicle batteries, the market size of such materials is also continuously growing.

3. Lightweight and composite materials: the second largest application growth point

In addition to the battery industry, carbon nanotubes also have broad market prospects in the field of composite materials.

The aerospace, automotive, and wind power industries are constantly pursuing material lightweighting to reduce energy consumption and improve structural performance. Carbon nanotubes can significantly improve the strength and conductivity of polymer materials, and are therefore widely used to enhance resin, plastic, and fiber composites.

In the aerospace field, carbon nanotube reinforced composite materials can be used for applications such as structural components, electromagnetic shielding materials, and conductive coatings. Compared to traditional materials, its composite materials can reduce weight while maintaining high strength, and have better conductivity and anti-static properties.

The automotive industry is also an important application market. With the development of new energy vehicles, the demand for lightweight and electromagnetic shielding in vehicles is constantly increasing. Carbon nanotube reinforced plastics can be used for battery casings, electronic component casings, and vehicle structural components to enhance structural performance and reduce weight.

Nanocyl, a subsidiary of Arkema, has developed a series of carbon nanotube masterbatch products that can be used to enhance polymer materials. These materials have been applied in automobiles and electronic devices, providing new solutions for the composite materials industry by improving conductivity and mechanical properties.

With the continuous expansion of the composite materials industry, carbon nanotube reinforced materials are expected to become an important component of advanced structural materials in the future.

4. Flexible Electronics and Transparent Conductive Materials: Potential New Markets

In the field of electronic materials, carbon nanotubes are also considered as important candidates for the next generation of transparent conductive materials.

Traditional transparent conductive materials mainly rely on indium tin oxide (ITO). However, ITO materials have problems such as high brittleness, high cost, and resource dependence, which limit their application in flexible electronic devices.

The carbon nanotube network structure has good flexibility and conductivity, which can achieve stable conductivity while maintaining high transparency. This makes it a potential material for flexible displays, wearable devices, and touch screens.

With the rapid development of the flexible display and wearable device markets, the research and application of carbon nanotube transparent conductive films are gradually increasing. Research has shown that carbon nanotube transparent conductive networks can maintain stable conductivity under bending conditions, making them suitable for flexible electronic devices.

Japanese material companies also maintain strong technological strength in this field. For example, Showa Denko (now Resonic Holdings) continues to conduct research and development in the field of carbon nanomaterials, and applies them to the fields of electronic materials and battery materials. Toray Corporation has a deep technical accumulation in the field of high-performance materials and is also laying out in the direction of nanomaterials.

In the next decade, with the continuous advancement of production technology and the expansion of application scenarios, the market size of carbon nanotubes is expected to continue to grow. From battery conductive materials to lightweight composite materials, and then to flexible electronics and advanced manufacturing, carbon nanotubes are building an industrial system that spans energy, electronics, and structural materials.

SAT NANO is an excellent supplier of carbon nanotube powder, and we can provide high-quality materials with different particle size, if you have any enquiry, please feel free to contact us at admin@satnano.com