Smoltek achieves major hydrogen business breakthrough with A4-sized carbon nanofiber growth

This press release is an English version of the previously published Swedish version, which has interpretive precedence.

Smoltek Nanotech Holding AB (publ) (“Smoltek” or the “Company”) announces a significant technological breakthrough. The R&D team has successfully grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) over an A4-sized area, marking the first time such a large CNF-covered material sample has been fabricated. This breakthrough is a crucial step towards industrial scalability of carbon nanofiber coating, which is a key step in developing the porous transport electrode for PEM electrolyzers and similar solutions for fuel cells being developed by Smoltek Hydrogen. 

“We are the first in the world to achieve this. The accomplishment is a significant milestone for us, and very valuable as a proof to customers that our technology is scalable. This also means that we now can produce small A4-sized test series of the porous transport electrode, which customers can use when developing next generation of PEM electrolyzers,” says Ellinor Ehrnberg, President of Smoltek Hydrogen.

“We are pleased to confirm that we can now grow carbon nanofibers (CNF) across a full A4-sized area. This milestone was achieved using the same titanium substrate that will be used in our future high-volume production line, where we plan to coat surfaces of at least one square meter at a time”, says Shafiq Kabir, Head of Volume Processes at Smoltek Hydrogen.

Background to the achievement of CNF in A4-size  
In 2023 the founder of Smoltek, Shafiq Kabir, re-joined the company to scale up technologies to the sizes required in the hydrogen business. During the spring, Smoltek Hydrogen upgraded Smoltek’s proprietary PECVD R&D tool to grow CNF over a larger area. The improvements include a larger heater, a new top electrode, and a modified growth process. As a result, the R&D-team successfully expanded the plasma size from a 6-inch diameter to an A4 size, tripling the coverage area and achieving stable plasma across the entire A4 surface.

”By expanding our R&D tool’s capabilities, we gain valuable knowledge that will prepare and accelerate the transfer of our growth recipes, from laboratory technology in the R&D tool to industrial applications. Achieving A4-sized carbon nanofiber growth is an essential milestone towards developing a scalable industrial process”, Shafiq Kabir concludes.