A single ant is but a speck, but get enough of them working together and they can move mountains. That's essentially the secret of the success behind Nanocomp Technologies Inc. in Concord, which spins millions of molecular carbon nanotubes to form strong, durable, conductive, yet lightweight yarns and sheets that are used in airplanes, satellites and other applications.
Nanocomp's tiny technology has caught the attention of some big players, including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. It's really a who's who of prime contractors, says John H. Dorr, vice president of business development for Nanocomp Technologies. The U.S. Department of Defense named Nanocomp a Center of Excellence, and NASA has deemed the company's products space qualified.
Nanotechnology has also driven the company to big gains. Nanocomp grew from 18 people in 2007 to 47 in 2011, and it will double again in 2012 when it opens a new manufacturing facility in Merrimack.
With its new manufacturing facility, which will run three shifts, seven days a week, the company plans to expand its commercial applications. We can make a very novel material that has comparable performance to incumbents while also being stronger and lighter, Dorr says. If you look at the physics of carbon nanotubes tube by tube, it's the strongest structure in the world known to man.
Dorr says the opportunities are huge: Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has 61 miles of cable weighing 8,000 pounds. Carbon nanotubes can reduce that weight by up to 50 percent. Commercial satellites cost $30,000 to $40,000 per pound to launch into space. Nanocomp's sheets can also protect satellites from electromagnetic interference. The company has five patents, with 15 more pending.
The company produces 10 to 12 kilometers of yarn a week, and expects to produce 6 metric tons a year at the new facility. Today we measure everything in length. You know you're in the big time when you talk about poundage, says Dorr. For more information, visit www.nanocomptech.com.
Current Issue - May 2024