HYPERION OFFERS FIVE NEW THERMOPLASTIC MASTERBATCHES WITH FIBRIL(TM) CONDUCTIVE CARBON NANOTUBES

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – April 11, 2002 – Hyperion Catalysis International, the world’s only tonnage producer of carbon nanotubes, announced today that it has added five resin families of commercial-quantity thermoplastic masterbatches containing FIBRIL™ multi-walled carbon nanotubes to the company’s product offering. This high aspect ratio, curvilinear form of graphitic carbon confers electrical conductivity at lower loadings than other conductive additives when compounded with otherwise-insulating materials such as thermoplastics. All masterbatches are supplied in pellet form, in either drum or gaylord quantities. Processors can vary the letdown ratio on the masterbatches to optimize the conductivity level of a molded plastic part to meet its end-use application requirements.

The five new masterbatch compounds are as follows:

 Polyetheretherketone (PEEK),

 Polyetherimide (PEI),

 Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS),

 Polystyrene (PS), and

 Nylon (Polyamide (PA)) 12.

The new masterbatches extend the existing FIBRIL masterbatch resin availability of polycarbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and nylon (PA) 6 and 6,6. Hyperion has more thermoplastic masterbatches under development, including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

Target areas for the new masterbatches include electronics, clean-room, business-machine, aerospace, and automotive-underhood applications. The masterbatches are well suited for use in molding compounds in which ductility, toughness, and/or resistance to sloughing (rub-off) must be combined with control of electrostatic charges.

“The new range of masterbatches significantly extends our market reach,” said Patrick Collins, marketing director at Hyperion. “They are a product of research conducted by our Plastics Technical Center staff working with customers to provide solutions to industry-specific challenges. They offer the same value-in-use as our polycarbonate-based products, which have become the industry ‘gold standard’ for conductive additives.”

“Compounds using Hyperion’s nanotube technology gave us the best performance we could find when sourcing conductive forms of polycarbonate for our slider-arm trays,” said Mr. Shigeshi Fukuda, general manager, Electronic Materials & Devices Department, of Yuka Denshi, Yokaichi, Japan. “We were very pleased that the compounds with FIBRIL nanotubes were so resistant to sloughing, because it helps our customers maintain the clean-room environment so critical for hard drive manufacturing. These compounds also provide excellent static dissipation, which helps our customers safeguard their sensitive magnetic media.”

FIBRIL Carbon Nanotube Technology

Carbon nanotubes are 10-12 nm in diameter – more than 5,000-times thinner than a human hair – and 10-15 microns (m) long. Due to their unusually high aspect ratio (1:1,000+), these submicroscopic tubes provide a highly effective, electrically conductive network when compounded with non-conductive materials, even at low loadings.

In the automotive industry, thermoplastic compounds using FIBRIL nanotubes are capable of producing Class A body panels and trim parts. Since the resulting parts also have conductive properties, they can be electrostatically painted, eliminating primer steps and making it easier to wrap paint around corners and into deep design details. Low loading levels mean nanotubes do not compromise important mechanical properties (e.g. low-temperature ductility), so parts can be used in large exterior panels as well as trim applications. FIBRIL nanotubes are also a key additive in nylon fuel lines where they prevent dangerous static discharges while preserving the low-temperature ductility of the nylon.

In the electronics field, the smooth, highly homogeneous part surface means minimal sloughing (rub-off) of surface particles, which can be a damaging contaminant in today’s ultra-clean, electronic production environment. Furthermore, FIBRIL nanotubes are nonreactive and chem

Reader enquiries

Hyperion Catalysis International, Inc.
38 Smith Place
Cambridge, MA 02138

United States
+1 617 354 9678
response@​HyperionCatalysis.com
www.hyperioncatalysis.com

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Notes for editors

About Hyperion Catalysis International

Hyperion Catalysis International, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., has 20 years of experience in nanotube technology. The company – which was the first to synthesize nanotubes in 1983 – is the world’s leader in tonnage production of multi-walled carbon nanotube products, which are sold under the tradename FIBRIL™. The nanotubes make normally non-conductive materials, such as thermoplastics, electrostatically conductive.

FIBRIL-brand based masterbatches are available for a wide range of plastic compounds, including:

 Polyetheretherketone (PEEK),

 Polyetherimide (PEI),

 Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS),

 Polycarbonate (PC),

 Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)

 Thermoplastic polyesters (PET and PBT),

 Nylon (Polyamide (PA)) 12; 6; and 6,6, and

 Polystyrene (PS).

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Hyperion Catalysis has sales presence in the United States (Massachusetts, Michigan, and California) as well as in Japan (Tokyo) and Europe (Belgium). The company’s Pacific sales and marketing Office is slated to open later in 2002.

For more information on the new plastics technical center or on FIBRIL nanotubes, call customer response at +1.617.354.9678 ext 2344; or send a fax to +1.617.354.9691; or e-mail response@HyperionCatalysis.com. The company’s website can be found at www.HyperionCatalysis.com.

™ FIBRIL is a Trademark of Hyperion Catalysis International.