Bangalore- based NoPo Nanotube technologies is one of the world’s few manufacturers of one of the toughest and smallest materials. The diameter of a carbon nanotube (CNT) is commonly measured in nanometers.
This minuscule material is 10,000 times thinner than a single human hair and has a tensile strength greater than 100 times that of steel.
The startup has already received funding from Niti Aayog and the Indian Navy and ultimately intends to employ the technology for defence applications.
The structure of carbon atoms enables them to form networks that absorb and disperse incoming radar radiation efficiently. Carbon nanotubes outperform Kevlar, a material used in bulletproof vests, in terms of strength.
The Indian Navy may seek to include carbon nanotubes in new radar-absorbing coatings for naval warships.
When a novel material, the cost of carbon nanotubes is extremely high, but as the technology improves and production is scaled up, painting a whole fleet with carbon nanotubes could provide a significant advantage in modern combat where stealth is gaining ground.