SWeNT Receives EPA Consent Order Permitting the Manufacture and Commercial Distribution of SMW Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

SouthWest NanoTechnologies, Inc. (SWeNT) recently received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consent order, which will permit the company to manufacture and distribute multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for commercial applications. SWeNT’s multi-wall products are sold under the SWeNT SMW (Specialty Multi-Wall) trademark.

SWeNT is now the only U.S. manufacturer permitted to commercially distribute both single and multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Previously, the company distributed its SMW products via a Low Release, Low Exposure (LOREX) PMN exemption from the EPA.

The EPA granted this consent order under the Toxic Control Substances Act (TSCA), which requires defining each company’s carbon nanotubes as a new chemical substance. The EPA requires manufacturers who intend to distribute commercial quantities to obtain a consent order prior to CNT commercial production or distribution, although small quantities are permitted for R&D from suppliers with a LOREX exemption.

“SWeNT is now the only U.S. manufacturer with the permission, capacity and manufacturing personnel in place to satisfy the commercial demand for both single wall and high-performance multi-wall CNTs,” explained SWeNT CEO Dave Arthur. “This gives SWeNT and its customers a broader range of options as we tailor CNT-based solutions to customer needs. It is an important advantage as the cost and performance benefits for CNTs are facilitating more applications that will require a consistent, high-quality domestic commercial source.”

The consent order states that SWeNT’s SMW CNTs can be used as additives in resins, thermoplastics and elastomers for mechanical reinforcement and enhanced electrical properties. The SWeNT products can also be used commercially for coatings on metallic foils for batteries and for fabric composites manufacturing.