Eden Energy produces first carbon nanotubes at Nano-carbon/Hydrogen Pyrolysis Project

Eden Energy (ASX: EDE) has achieved a significant milestone in its development as a clean energy company with the production of the first carbon nanotubes at its Nano-carbon/Hydrogen Pyrolysis Project in Denver, Colorado.

Production has begun through its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary Hythane Company LLC, in the smaller of its first two newly fabricated commercial scale reactors at its specially developed production laboratory.

Eden said the project is progressing well and the company remains confident that  suitable commercial applications will emerge for the potentially very large quantities of carbon nano-materials that Eden is now capable of producing.

This production unlocks the potential to sell the carbon in various commercial applications that reduce the CO2 content of cement and strengthen rubber tyres. Also the hydrogen produced will be used for Hythane® low-emission fuel and other applications.

Carbon impregnated concrete mixture testing has commenced by both Industry and academic research groups. Also the testing of tyre rubber compounds containing nano-carbon materials is nearing completion.


Carbon Nanotubes Production

For the first trial, only a very limited quantity of catalyst was used in the recently scaled up unit, and good performance and highly encouraging production levels were achieved.

The scale of production will now be increased to determine the maximum production capacity of the unit.

The second, larger reactor is also being readied for similar trials, to determine what is the most efficient sized unit for future commercial production.

The carbon production occurs in a self contained clean production room. The units are modular and several reactors will be integrated to produce large-scale future production models.

The present units are anticipated together to be capable of producing up to 100 tonnes of carbon nanofibres and 33 tonnes of hydrogen per year.

The actual production capability of each unit will be determined in trials over the next two-three months.

Significantly, these trials produce carbon that can be stockpiled, used for research or sold.

This success follows major breakthroughs during 2011 in the time and costs associated with the production processes and catalyst manufacturing used in the manufacture from natural gas of both hydrogen and super-strong, super-light, and highly conductive nano-carbon products.

These products have widescale emerging applications across many industrial and manufacturing sectors for a wide range of uses.

Carbon Loaded Concrete Research

Two world leading concrete research groups have received samples of Eden’s carbon nanotubes and fibres and will commence testing these in the immediate future in various concrete mixtures.

One is a research arm of a major international concrete manufacturer that operates in many countries, and the other, a leading Australian university that has an engineering research division that specialises in enhanced concrete mixtures and has already been working with carbon loaded concrete mixtures.

Eden said this test work is likely to take two-three months, and is hoped to open up a very large global market for the company's carbon nano-products.

Carbon Loaded Rubber Research

A US laboratory, which serves the tyre industry, is presently completing a series of process, physical, dynamic, and application-specific tests with various loading levels of nano-carbon materials in a representative tyre rubber compound.

Seven sample batches were mixed and cured for a range of tests including viscosity, hardness, tensile strength, elongation strength, and abrasion and tear resistance. Final data and reporting is now expected later in September 2011.

The advantages of using the carbon nanotubes or carbon nanofibres in place of the carbon black that presently constitutes about one third of the mass of a rubber tyre, are that the new carbon nano-products are much stronger and far more efficient conductors of heat than the existing form of carbon that is used.

This should keep the tyres significantly cooler, produce longer life and be far lighter than existing tyres, again potentially opening up another very large global market for Eden’s carbon nano-products.

Hythane® fuel and Optiblend® fuel kits in India

In another important part of Eden's business, the company recently completed the successful testing of a production ready 6-litre bus engine, achieving a 6.5% increase in efficiency and significant emissions reductions, that will enable India’s largest bus manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, to power buses with Eden’s low-emission Hythane® blend of hydrogen enriched natural gas.

With a growing order book for Optiblend® fuel kits in India and the U.S., Eden Energy is starting to build significant momentum as Optiblend conversion and use of Hythane fuel will cut both costs and emissions levels very substantially.

Originally published at: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/19395/eden-energy-produces-first-carbon-nanotubes-at-nano-carbonhydrogen-pyrolysis-project--19395.html