Applied Nanotech Gets Grant to Develop CNT Reinforced Improved Hydrogen Fuel Tanks for Vehicles

Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc., has announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant, in the amount of $149,426, from the US Department of Energy to develop ultra lightweight hydrogen fuel tanks using carbon nanotube reinforcement.

This grant was awarded for a 9-month program with an overall objective to significantly improve the mechanical properties of the carbon fiber/epoxy material used to construct the hydrogen fuel tanks using carbon nanotube reinforcement. The primary goal is to reduce the weight of the tanks by 20 to 30 percent. A weight reduction of this magnitude will not only significantly lower the hydrogen fuel tank costs but also increase the vehicle's fuel efficiency.

The International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles reported that sales of composite pressure vessels are expected to reach $250 million by 2013, and upwards of $560 million by the end of the decade; the adoption of nanotechnology enhanced resins in high pressure hydrogen storage vessels represents an immense opportunity for near term commercialization. Today, the price of carbon fiber is the main driver of the hydrogen pressure vessel's cost; by incorporating carbon nanotubes into the resin matrix, the resin itself can absorb much of the load currently absorbed by the carbon fiber reinforcement. Using carbon nanotube enhanced resins will undoubtedly decrease the carbon fiber required to construct a functioning hydrogen pressure vessel. The value of this decrease will not only be realized in lower material costs but also in lighter pressure vessels, enabling a more streamlined manufacturing and supply chain process and ultimately a more efficient vehicle.

Applied Nanotech has developed carbon nanotube reinforced epoxies, vinyl esters, and polyesters for carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced composites. These composites can apply to a wide range of products including: sporting goods, aerospace, automotive, renewable energy, ballistics, and many other applications.

"I am very pleased to see that our nanocomposite technology, first commercialized for sporting goods badminton racquets and golf club shafts with Yonex Corporation, is starting to gain traction in other commercial applications with very large market potential," said Dr. Zvi Yaniv, CEO of Applied Nanotech, Inc.

"Nanocomposite materials are a very important part of our business. We are currently working with a variety of companies across several industries to tailor our composite materials to improve the underlying products of our potential customers," said Doug Baker, CEO of Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc.