Trends and ideas, Solutions!, Online Exclusives, March 2003

TRENDS AND IDEAS

Nanotubes, a material of the near or not-so-near future? Business Communications Company, Inc. (BCC), Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, in a new report identifies carbon nanotubes as “materials of the future.” Nanotubes—cylinders of carbon atoms with diameters ranging from less than 1 nm to 300 nm—are some of the strongest, stiffest materials known. They are either conductors or semiconductors depending on their structure and environment and have some physical properties that have no counterpart in macroscopic materials. Interest exists in the commercialization of nanotubes for near and distant applications. Several applications will be successful shortly. Many published articles have presented wildly misleading information concerning the manufacture, markets, and applications for these materials.

BCC estimates of the total volume of research based on nanotubes produced worldwide to date including single-wall and specialty multi-wall nanotubes range from 10 to 20 kg with a value of approximately US$ 5–10 million. This report—Nanotubes: Directions and Technologies—estimates that 22.1 kg of research grade nanotubes with a value of US$ 11.9 million have been produced through 2002.

The currently accepted wisdom is that nanotubes are produced in very small quantities and cost more per gram than gold. This statement certainly has some truth, but the actual situation is somewhat more complex. The carbon nanotube market falls into two separate industries.

One industry concerns research materials. Like other research materials, carbon nanotubes are produced in small volumes at high cost. A second nanotube industry already well established involves multi-wall nanotubes. They have had use to modify polymers for more than five years. Sales of these modified polymers have reached the million pounds plus level. The modified polymers are conductive and have had use in ESD applications in several industries including the disk drive/computer industry and the automotive industry. These polymers also have possible use in electrostatic paint applications. The automotive industry has been producing exterior parts such as mirror housings with these polymers.

The high cost of nanotubes seems to be a barrier to commercialization for nanotube applications. In fact, the high cost is more a function of limited production, unproven processes, and the technical stumbling blocks that plague nearly all new materials. The value of long-term applications of nanotubes can easily exceed several billion dollars. Precisely when these applications will become available is debatable. While nanotubes have been touted as a replacement for silicon in transistors in integrated circuits, use of nanotubes is highly unlikely for this purpose within the next five years. Larger-scale applications of nanotubes include fuel cells, but this market is also not near to large-scale commercial development.

Some applications have already had limited commercial success such as probe tips for atomic force microscopes and cold cathodes in X-ray devices. Nanotubes might find wide use in military, consumer, and industrial products in less than five years.

For more information on nanotubes or to purchase the report, contact BBC at (203) 853-4266, ext. 309 or by email at publisher@bccresearch.com. They are on the Internet at (www.bccresearch.com) RGB-245R Nanotubes: Directions and Technologies,

Hydrogen peroxide and derivatives demand will reach US$ 845 million in 2006. This projection made by The Freedonia Group, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, includes an expansion of 3.6% for hydrogen peroxide demand reaching 985 million pounds valued at nearly US$ 500 million in 2006. Hydrogen peroxide derivatives will comprise an additional demand of US$ 360 million according to the report. Growth in consumption of inorganic derivatives—primarily sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate—will result from the increasing demand for non-chlorinated bleach alternatives in a wide variety of cleaning products. Perborate and percarbonate are strong oxidizers and efficient bleaching and antibacterial additives. Percarbonate will show better growth because cleaning product formulators prefer it over perborate. The Freedonia Group also projects that the demand for organic peroxides such as benzoyl peroxide, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP), and others will benefit from expected growth in plastics production and the development of improved products moderated by competition from other polymerization initiators. A full report, “Peroxides,” published in December 2002 is available for a fee by contacting Freedonia by telephone at (440) 684-9600, by fax at (440) 646-0484, or by email at pr@freedonia.com.

In other trend news offered by Freedonia: Demand for lawn, garden, and agricultural packaging will increase at a rate of nearly 4% per year to reach US$ 1.1 billion in 2006. Growth will result from changes in the product mix toward higher value products says Freedonia and by the increased use of packaging as a way to differentiate products that are primarily commodity in nature. Pouches and intermediate bulk containers will register the strongest growth, and bags and sacks will remain the leading packaging product type through 2006. For more information, contact Freedonia by telephone at (440) 684-9600, by fax at (440) 646-0484, or by email pr@freedonia.com. Ask for “Lawn, Garden & Agricultural Packaging,” a report published in January 2003.