Nanotechnology brings the future to manufacturing
Deakin’s cutting-edge research transforms boron nitride nanotubes into a global manufacturing success.
Ultralight, super strong, highly flexible, amazingly thermally conductive yet completely electrically insulating, and incredibly resistant to heat and radiation – boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are a wonder material with immense potential. From aviation and automotive industries to space travel, power generation, electronics, sporting goods and even dental implants, the possibilities for BNNT applications are extraordinary.
Until recent years, BNNTs were prohibitively expensive, costing around US$1000 a gram, and their production demanded a plasma furnace and immense energy consumption. These barriers restricted industrial-scale manufacturing and applications – until now.
Deakin University researchers at the Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) have developed a world-first, energy-efficient method to produce BNNTs in bulk quantities. This breakthrough has paved the way for affordable, large-scale production and unlocked the potential of BNNTs for industrial and research applications worldwide.
Transforming research into industry impact
With the assistance of $1.4M in funding from the Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund, BNNT Technology Ltd’s $3+ million plant at Deakin’s ManuFutures facility in Geelong began production in 2019. The company went on to scale up to meet global demand for BNNT products in a variety of applications.
Recognising the global commercial potential of Deakin’s nanotechnology researchers Professor Ying Chen and Dr Luhua Li’s work, Deakin Research Innovations (DRI) secured a worldwide patent for the BNNT manufacturing process. In 2018, the University licensed its technology to BNNT Technology Limited, a joint venture with the Australian Innovation Centre (AIC).
BNNT Technology Ltd is backed by ASX-listed PPK Group, which has acquired AIC’s stake and formed additional ventures to commercialise BNNT applications. Dr Luhua Li, Chief Technical Officer of BNNT Technology Ltd, continues to refine the production process and explore new material applications.
Breakthroughs in production capacity
In April 2021, BNNT Technology Ltd announced a breakthrough in equipment design and production methods that tripled production capacity. The new approach enables an annual production capacity of approximately 50 kilograms per module, maintaining purity levels above 95%.
This achievement positions BNNT Technology Ltd as the lowest-cost producer of pure BNNTs worldwide. PPK Executive Chairman Robin Levison said in an ASX announcement that the progress in developing the technology from producing 732 grams per year to 50 kilograms per year in just two years, ‘is nothing short of amazing’.
The team of world-leading scientists at Deakin working with our engineering team have done an outstanding job in developing the process to this level of mass production. This achievement confirms that BNNT Technology Ltd is well advanced in terms of producing BNNT in pure grade and commercial quantities, which places us in an excellent position to advance upstream applications.
PPK Executive Chairman
Supporting innovation through partnership
Gary Walsh – Director, Australian Innovation Centre (AIC) and General Manager of BNNT Technology Ltd – believes Deakin’s ability to produce validated results according to scientific standards is an important part of attracting investors when commercialising research.
Deakin’s long-standing experience and relationship with diverse industry sectors allows it to respond quickly to the needs of business and provide an environment that gives industry access to world-class researchers and facilities for testing and scaling-up commercial ideas.
The relationship benefits all partners and the community. For Deakin and its researchers, the benefit lies in technology developed at the University being brought to market, which has both reputational and financial benefits. The Geelong region benefits from the creation of jobs, and the commercial partners benefit in being involved in the creation of a viable manufacturing business, helping their own interests to grow.
Another ManuFutures success story
Gary Walsh believes BNNTs will remain a key material for global markets well into the future. ‘This technology places an Australian company at the very forefront in manufacturing advanced materials sought by governments and industry,’ he told stockhead.com.au in 2018. ‘It has the potential to initiate a multi-billion-dollar export business for Australia.'
Ben Spincer, Deakin’s Executive Director of Research Innovations at the time, highlighted the broader impact of BNNT Technology’s growth, noting its role in solidifying Geelong’s reputation as a hub for advanced manufacturing in Australia.
‘BNNT Technology has the potential to be one of the standout success stories of university commercialisation in Australia and has already led to three further spin-off businesses,’ Mr Spincer said.
As part of a strategic partnership between Deakin and PPK Group, joint ventures have been formed to explore innovative applications of BNNT composite materials. These include lithium-sulphur batteries (Li-S Energy Ltd), dental implants (3D Dental Technology Pty Ltd) and super-strong alloys (Strategic Alloys Pty Ltd), with more ventures expected to follow.
In 2021, Li-S Energy Ltd announced a breakthrough innovation using BNNTs to significantly improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. This advancement has the potential to make large-scale manufacturing of lithium-sulphur batteries commercially viable for the first time. The company’s first production plant is slated to be housed in Deakin’s ManuFutures 2 facility – a $20 million investment supported by the Victorian Government’s Higher Educational Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
Deakin’s unique ManuFutures facility continues to play a vital role in the success of BNNT Technology Ltd, providing access to world-class researchers, specialised equipment, and engineering expertise.
Find out how ManuFutures is building Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability.
