Showa Denko KK and Professor Morinobu Endo or the Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University have agreed to set up a joint venture for the research of advanced carbon materials and their application to energy devices. The joint venture will be called MEFS Co. Ltd.

Specifically they will focus on the research and development of carbon nanofibres and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which have a range of potential applications.

Prof. Endo discovered carbon nanotubes around 1975 while working at the University of Orleans, France. Since that time he has continued to work in the field of carbon materials, such as carbon fibres and carbon clusters and their applications in high performance batteries for portable electronic devices, electric vehicles and other power sources.

Showa Denko and Prof. Endo have already been involved together since 1982, when they established the first volume production facility for vapour grown carbon fibres, a type of multi-walled carbon nanotube. This lead to the establishment of a 40 ton per year nanofibre plant.

MEFS will promote the research and development of carbon materials for fuel cells and capacitors. They will also look to acquire intellectual property to accelerate their development efforts.