Russia has started producing another material for industry, which is currently largely purchased abroad. In Novosibirsk, the National Technology Initiative (NTI) Competence Center, together with the Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, launched the production of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Over three years, 680 million rubles were allocated for research, technology development, and equipment.
Nanotubes look like black powder, but inside they have a special structure — hollow carbon cylinders, thousands of times thinner than a human hair. To obtain the material, carbon-containing gas is passed through special reactors with catalysts.
Such additives are needed not only for the development of new materials. They are introduced into plastic, rubber, and paints to change the properties of finished products. For example, nanotubes are used to create electrically conductive components for batteries, polymer composites, and special coatings.
One of the possible applications is fire protection for industrial facilities. According to NTI representatives, nanotubes can be added to special coatings for structures and equipment. This can increase their resistance to destruction in case of fire.
Currently, production volumes are small. According to an NTI representative, Russia currently produces several tens of kilograms of multi-walled nanotubes per year. At the same time, industrial partners' requests are estimated at 1–2 tons of products per month. Most of the material, according to the fund, is still supplied from China and other countries — totaling up to several tons per year. The NTI representative estimated the volume of the Russian market at up to 50 million rubles annually.
One of the largest applications for nanotubes is the production of lithium-ion batteries
Alexander Khina, a researcher at the NTI Center of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, also names manufacturers of electrically conductive and antistatic polymers, rubber products, paints and varnishes, and building materials among consumers.
The new production differs from the OCSiAl project, which was developed in Novosibirsk with the participation of Rusnano. They produced single-walled carbon nanotubes under the TUBALL brand. In the new project, the NTI Center and the Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences are working with multi-walled nanotubes.
According to Vyacheslav Tselkovsky from Reksoft, nanotube production can be within the capabilities of medium-sized businesses. But this will require solving the issue of raw materials: according to him, they are currently supplied mainly by foreign companies, including ExxonMobil, Linde, and BASF.