Aditya Birla Group-led Birla Carbon, a global supplier of carbon black, on Wednesday said it has acquired Nanocyl SA, a Belgium-based manufacturer of multi-wall carbon nanotubes.
However, the company did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.
The acquisition will help Birla Carbon expand its presence in the energy systems market. The deal will further help the company create a leadership position in a material which is critical to lithium-ion battery performance along with other conductive applications, it said in a statement.
“Birla Carbon has been nurturing a number of innovation opportunities in its effort to realize its multi-prong sustainability agenda. The acquisition of Nanocyl is a clear step towards executing its strategy in that direction,” said Santrupt Misra, group director, Birla Carbon; director, chemicals and director, group HR, Aditya Birla Group.
Nanocyl was founded in 2002 in Belgium. It is one of the leading manufacturers of industrial multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Its industrial strategy focuses on the current challenges of the energy, transport, and electronic markets while developing sustainable solutions for the rubber market.
Nanocyl’s CEO Laurent Kosbach said that the company has developed and commercialized MWCNT’s successfully over the past 20 years as an entrepreneurial startup, with the support of its current partners and investors.
“However, with growing needs for our products, the time has come to join a global industry leader in order to maximize the synergies and the potential of these materials across many end uses,” he added.
“Kosbach and his experienced team have been pioneers in the field of carbon nanotubes that provide unique performance characteristics for a wide range of applications, most notably energy systems such as lithium-ion batteries,” said John Loudermilk, president and chief executive officer, Birla Carbon.
With the acquisition, Mumbai-headquartered Birla Carbon will add Nanocyl’s MWCNTs to its existing portfolio of Conductex family of conductive carbon black additives and active anode materials.
Birla Carbon, which is one of the flagship businesses of the Aditya Birla Group, currently operates across 12 countries, with 16 manufacturing facilities and two technology centres in Marietta (US) and Taloja (India).
