Tokyo, Japan and Taoyuan, Taiwan – Zeon Corporation, a global leader in specialty chemicals based in Japan, and Sino Applied Technology (SiAT), a Taiwan-based manufacturer of advanced nanomaterials, have announced a strategic partnership focused on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) conductive paste.
This material is crucial for developing next-generation battery technologies, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs).
As part of the collaboration, Zeon will lead a $20 million USD Series C fundraising round in SiAT. This significant investment is aimed at supporting SiAT’s efforts to expand its production capacity for the SWCNT conductive paste.
The global demand for lithium-ion batteries is rapidly increasing, driven by growth in EVs, drones, and other applications like AI servers and renewable energy storage. This trend is boosting the need for materials like SWCNTs, which can improve battery performance by enhancing energy density and cycle life. Unlike traditional conductive agents, SWCNT paste offers superior conductivity, strength, and stability, making it increasingly vital for advanced battery formulations.
Producing SWCNT powder in large quantities is challenging due to the complex high-temperature process required to achieve high yield and purity. Zeon was reportedly the first company globally to achieve mass production of SWCNTs in 2015 using its proprietary “Super Growth” technology, resulting in their high-purity ZEONANO® product.
Another hurdle in using SWCNTs is dispersion; they tend to clump together, making it difficult to integrate them uniformly into battery electrode slurries. SiAT brings over 20 years of expertise in battery nanomaterials, possessing know-how to disperse SWCNTs effectively into stable conductive pastes.
Zeon and SiAT have already been working together, successfully introducing two well-dispersed SWCNT conductive pastes, LSC2102 (NMP-based) and LSC1101 (water-based). These products have shown promise in evaluations by battery manufacturers, indicating that even a small amount of SWCNTs can enhance the energy output and cycle life of lithium batteries, which is particularly important for high-performance applications like those using silicon anodes.
With the $20 million funding, SiAT aims to significantly scale its annual conductive paste production capacity to 25,000 tons by 2030, with Zeon serving as the primary supplier of SWCNT powder.
Beyond batteries, SWCNTs have potential in various other industries, including composites (metal, rubber, plastic), semiconductors, and high-performance membranes, enabling innovations in conductivity and material strength. SiAT will continue working with Zeon to explore these broader applications. The partnership aims to contribute to environmental sustainability and technological progress towards a global green transition.
Zeon Corporation, with over 75 years in business, is a world leader in specialty elastomers, polymers, and specialty chemicals, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
SiAT (Sino Applied Technology), established in 2018, is a Taiwan-based manufacturer focused on advanced nanomaterials to improve battery performance and accelerate the green transition, holding patents in nanomaterial production and operating a manufacturing facility in Taiwan.
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