New partnership for development of activated carbons for energy storage systems
Austiran Lenzing AG and NanoCarbons LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (USA) will collaborate in the future to develop and explore the use of new activated carbons in electrode technology. This technology will be based on a combination of Lenzing’s TENCEL® fibres and the technology provided by NanoCarbons
The jointly developed carbons should deliver optimal performance in the area of energy storage. It is supposed that these new carbons will accelerate the development of the already rapid growth in uses of electrical devices such as double layer capacitors (also known as ultra capacitors or super capacitors). These high performance capacitors are being increasingly used in hybrid vehicles as well with stop-start systems, uninterruptable power supplies and wind turbine blade orientation.
Peter Untersperger, CEO of the Lenzing Group comments: For Lenzing, the development of new, special applications in the technical segment comprises an important extension of the use of our fibres. And Friedrich Weninger, COO of the Lenzing Group with management responsibility for research and development, adds: We are continuing to invest in new areas of research to increase the range and reach of our product portfolio, both in-house and through external cooperation. The new carbons optimally complement our existing business with separator materials for the energy storage devices. We strongly believe in the future growth of this market. We are offering our customers a sustainable product with consistent quality to allow the industry to develop further.
The CEO of NanoCarbons LLC, Rud Istvan, states: I strongly believe that this development will allow the double layer capacitor market to make a significant advancement. With the combination of Lenzing’s technical understanding and infrastructure and Nanocarbons’ technology, we can expect in the market an acceleration of use and exploitation of double layer capacitors, from new automotive stop-start systems to uninterruptable power supplies. This could result into a breakthrough for electrode technology that will reap dividends for the designers of electrical components and the drivers of vehicles alike.