Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are to be used in an innovative safety technology that significantly reduces the risk of explosions in fuel tanks. MWNT (multi wall carbon nanotube) is use to manufacture the newly developed spheres designed to prevent the formation of explosive gas mixtures in fuel tanks. The spheres are soon to be introduced onto the global market under the name SAFEBALL. They offer considerable advantages over the extruded metal mesh or plastic foams used for this purpose to date. SAFEBALLS take the form of hollow spheres that are introduced into a tank and completely fill it. Despite this, the available volume of the tank is only reduced by approx. 8.5 percent.
Two of the advantages of SAFEBALLS are that they not only prevent an explosive mixture of gas and air in a tank from exploding, but also allow the tank to "breathe", so that significantly smaller quantities of hydrocarbons are released into the environment. In this way, the spheres can also make a significant contribution to environmental protection in the future.
Their special shape allows fuel to flow freely but prevents any dangerous surging. Surging occurs when large volumes of liquid are displaced, for example while a road tanker is in operation, thus affecting the vehicles stability and even potentially causing it to tip over. When a tank is to be cleaned, the SAFEBALL spheres can easily be removed and then replaced once the operation is complete. They are also treated with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents.
All these benefits are due not least to the exceptional properties of nanotubes MaterialScience. Nanotubes exhibit a high level of electrical conductivity and mechanical strength and are extremely light in weight.
"Without carbon nanotubes it would have been impossible to develop the technology so quickly” the inventor of the SAFEBALL concept, at the signing of the agreement. "Bayer Material Science was our first choice supplier right from the start, because we knew we could rely absolutely on the specified purity and quality of the CNTs and, even more importantly, on BMSs ability to deliver the raw materials we need to meet increasing order volumes."
SAFEBALLS can be provided with a range of additional functions for special applications. These include fire-extinguishing - for which a special gel is incorporated into the spheres - and the integration of active and passive transponders that enable vehicle data to be electronically stored to prevent theft or provide information on maintenance.
Gagandeep Singh
[Final Year]
