Carbodeon to Expand Nanodiamonds Business

Nanodiamonds have commercially joined the arsenal of thermally-conductive fillers, with applications underway.

 

Recent industry studies indicate that the thermally conductive plastics market is growing at annual rates of nearly 15%, driven by industries such as electrical/electronics, automotive, industrial, healthcare, and aerospace.

 

It was no surprise then to see that Finland’s Carbodeon, represented in the U.S. by SiliconSense, Nashua, N.H., has announced that it will accelerate its nanodiamond business and expand manufacturing capacity (read more here). This, enabled by $1.7 million funding it has received from Straightforward Capital, a Finnish venture capital firm. This funding follows major financing already received from biotech and advanced materials sector investor Enso Ventures.

 

As we reported in late 2015, the company was granted a U.S. patent for its technology which enables detonation-synthesized diamond particles –nanodiamonds (ND)—to be combined with polymers for use in fields such as consumer electronics, LED lighting, automotive and machine tools.

 

The earth’s hardest natural mineral is also one of the most thermally conductive materials known, so when NDs are mixed in with thermoplastics in controlled amounts, they can enable plastics to conduct heat at pre-determined rates, and/or to be highly wear-resistant.

 

Sources at Carbodeon confirm that its ultra-dispersed” Diamond ND fillers are already in commercial thermal management applications which involve electronic devices, but confidentiality agreement prevent the disclosure of further information.

 

Carbodeon’s patented technologies reportedly offer superior performance when used as additives in applications including thermal management materials, metal plating and selected polymer coating applications. There are now different easy-to-use and cost-effective grades in Carbodeon’s portfolio of NDs which are said to enable improved lifetime and conductive performance for electronic appliances and devices, automotive parts, and industrial manufacturing line components.

 

Available in powder or liquid dispersions, the ND is reportedly fully dispersed into its primary particles without agglomeration. As such, the compounder and end-user can benefit from the entire available ND surface area, resulting in better performance with less material and cost.  ND-impregnated polymers can deliver heat-conducting benefits for products such as LED lighting and mobile devices. The hard wearing properties also make them ideally suited for use in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

 

The new funding will be used to expand nanodiamond manufacturing capacity, recruit new talent and enhance customer support. Further investments in R&D will allow Carbodeon to continue to innovate and develop new products and applications. Says Carbodeon CEO Vesa Myllymaki, “This funding, combined with our innovative partnerships with customers and partners, will enable us to grow significantly within our key application areas.”