---
title: "Smoltek Hydrogen achieves milestone with A4-sized CNF-growth"
canonical_url: "https://www.smoltek.com/smoltek-hydrogen-achieves-milestone-with-a4-sized-cnf-growth/7826/"
date: 2024-09-03
author: "Fredrik Liljeberg"
featured_image: "https://www.smoltek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/smoltek-2024-09-02-a4-cnf-growth-web.webp"
categories:
  - name: "News"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/category/news.md"
tags:
  - name: "carbon nanofibers"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/carbon-nanofibers.md"
  - name: "deeptech"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/deeptech.md"
  - name: "electrolyzers"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/electrolyzers.md"
  - name: "greenhydrogen"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/greenhydrogen.md"
  - name: "hydrogen"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/hydrogen.md"
  - name: "innovation"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/innovation.md"
  - name: "nanotechnology"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/nanotechnology.md"
  - name: "plasma"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/plasma.md"
  - name: "R&D-tool"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/rd-tool.md"
  - name: "shafiqkabir"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/shafiqkabir.md"
  - name: "smolGROW"
    url: "https://www.smoltek.com/topic/smolgrow.md"
---

# Smoltek Hydrogen achieves milestone with A4-sized CNF-growth

> We are the first in the world to achieve this. The accom­plish­ment is a sig­nif­i­cant mile­stone for us, and very valu­able as a proof to cus­tomers that our tech­nol­o­gy is scal­able. This also means that we now can pro­duce small A4-sized test series of the porous trans­port elec­trode, which cus­tomers can use when devel­op­ing next gen­er­a­tion of PEM electrolyzers.
> 
> Elli­nor Ehrn­berg, Pres­i­dent of Smoltek Hydrogen

> We are pleased to con­firm that we can now grow car­bon nanofibers (CNF) across a full A4-sized area. This mile­stone was achieved using the same tita­ni­um sub­strate that will be used in our future high-vol­ume pro­duc­tion line, where we plan to coat sur­faces of at least one square meter at a time.
> 
> Shafiq Kabir, Head of Vol­ume Process­es at Smoltek Hydrogen

**Back­ground to the achieve­ment of CNF in A4-size**  
In 2023 the founder of Smoltek, Shafiq Kabir, re-joined the com­pa­ny to scale up tech­nolo­gies to the sizes required in the hydro­gen busi­ness. Dur­ing the spring, Smoltek Hydro­gen upgrad­ed Smoltek’s pro­pri­etary PECVD R&D tool to grow CNF over a larg­er area. The improve­ments include a larg­er heater, a new top elec­trode, and a mod­i­fied growth process. As a result, the R&D‑team suc­cess­ful­ly expand­ed the plas­ma size from a 6‑inch diam­e­ter to an A4 size, tripling the cov­er­age area and achiev­ing sta­ble plas­ma across the entire A4 surface.

> By expand­ing our R&D tool’s capa­bil­i­ties, we gain valu­able knowl­edge that will pre­pare and accel­er­ate the trans­fer of our growth recipes, from lab­o­ra­to­ry tech­nol­o­gy in the R&D tool to indus­tri­al appli­ca­tions. Achiev­ing A4-sized car­bon nanofiber growth is an essen­tial mile­stone towards devel­op­ing a scal­able indus­tri­al process.
> 
> Shafiq Kabir, Head of Vol­ume Process­es at Smoltek Hydrogen

![Shafiq Kabir in the MC2 laboratory, in the remodeling of Smoltek's plasma tool.](https://www.smoltek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/a4-plasma-remodeling-shafiq-1200x675.webp)

Shafiq Kabir in the MC2 lab­o­ra­to­ry, in the remod­el­ing of Smoltek’s plas­ma tool.