TUBALL™ nanotubes are a unique anti-static agent that provides electrical conductivity at low dosages not achievable with any standard conductive additive. Textiles with improved electrical conductivity are used to avoid the hazards of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and can achieve the anti-static performance required by safety regulations.

TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes are available in various forms depending on the industrial application: the easy-to-use additive TUBALL™ MATRIX, which is a line concentrates based on polymer carriers and pre-dispersed TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes, and TUBALL™-based liquid-phase suspensions with properly dispersed and stabilized graphene nanotubes.

TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes: Good performance on all key parameters

In contrast to other conductive agents, TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes are a versatile conductive agent offering good performance on all key parameters.

Note: this diagram provides average trends compared with other additives, based on OCSiAl data. Product performance may vary depending on product type and formulation.

Parameter	Ammonium compounds	Carbon black	TUBALL™ nanotubes
Working dosage, wt.%	0.2–4.0	4–12	0.01–0.1
Surface resistivity range, Ω/sq	10⁸–10¹¹	10³–10¹¹	10³–10¹¹
Influence on mechanical performance	small negative	strong negative	none
Influence on rheology	none	strong negative	comparable
Color opportunity	yes	none	yes
Dust formation during production	none	high	none
Resistivity independent of humidity	no	yes	yes
Stable resistivity over time	no	yes	yes

Key benefit 1: Compliance with industrial safety regulation

There is a number of standards related to regulations for ESD protection in safety wear. Graphene nanotubes can be used to achieve all these requirements.

EN ISO 18080, EN 1149, EN 61340, EN 16350, ANSI/ESD STM2.1, Directive 1994/9/EC and ATEX Directive 95, GOST 19616, GOST 12.4.124 and others
Depending on the relevant standard, the textile type and the final application, generally, the resistance needs to be in the range of 10⁵–10¹¹Ω
Applications: oil and gas, chemical facilities, pharmaceutical and medical areas, electronics manufacturing, automotive industry, etc.

Key benefit 2: Colored anti-static compounds

The extremely low dosage required of graphene nanotubes creates the opportunity to produce colorful solutions where desired.

0.25–1.5 wt.% of TUBALL™ MATRIX 814 for 10⁵-10⁹ Ω/sq with maintained color. OCSiAl internal PVC-plastisol formulation. Sample thickness: 2 mm. ASTM D257

Colored anti-static nitrile film with 0.06 wt.% of TUBALL™

Surface resistivity of 10⁷ Ω/sq

Key benefit 3: Standard processing and mixing equipment

TUBALL™-based products can be processed with standard equipment widely used by textile manufacturers.

Other benefits

No carbon release on surface
Permanent and stable level of resistivity
No negative influence on mechanical properties
Minimally affects density, viscosity and other rheological properties of formulations
Resistivity is independent of humidity