ARTP Press Releases & News ArticlesListed from newest to oldest.
Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. and the University of Arkansas Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Award Fayetteville, AR July 20, 2009 R&D Magazine announced today that Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. (APEI) and the University of Arkansas (National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission) are a recipient of the 2009 R&D 100 Award for their high-temperature silicon carbide power module. A joint development between APEI, the University of Arkansas, Rohm Company LTD., and Sandia National Laboratory, the APEI power module is the world’s first commercial high-temperature silicon carbide-based power electronics module. With application in hybrid and electric vehicles, renewable energy interfaces and electric aircraft, the APEI power module reduces size and volume of power electronic systems by an order of magnitude over present state-of-the-art silicon-based solutions while simultaneously reducing energy loss by greater than 50 percent, translating to significant potential energy savings. According to APEI’s President and CEO Alex Lostetter, “the performance increases developed from our power module are not incremental, they are revolutionary”. Power electronic modules are the core components of all power electronic systems. They are required to drive electric motors such as those utilized in all electric or hybrid vehicles, but are also necessary to convert energy from renewable sources such as solar arrays and wind generators. Power electronic systems convert electrical energy from one form provided by a source to another form consumed by a load. One byproduct of this energy transformation is heat, which can be destructive to some silicon-based electronics. Because the APEI power module utilizes silicon carbide, it can operate at much higher energy efficiencies and at temperatures up to 250 degrees Celsius, which are considered major breakthroughs in power electronics. Established in 1962, the R&D 100 Awards are presented to the most technologically significant new products of the year. According to R&D Magazine Senior Editor Paul Livingstone, “these are the cream of the crop in high-tech products from a wide spectrum of innovators”. Originally named the I-R 100’s, the R&D 100 Award is highly coveted because it provides the important initial push a new product needs to compete successfully in the marketplace. The 100 awards are selected by a panel of judges from R&D Magazine. The judges are looking for technologies that have a major significance or can be classified as a breakthrough. Processes or products that can change people’s lives for the better, improve the standard of living, promote good health or clean up the environment are the ones that win the award. Located in the Arkansas Research & Technology Park (ARTP) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, APEI is a small, but growing business dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art technology in power electronics systems, electronic motor drives, and power packaging. Over the past 10 years, APEI has placed itself among the world leaders in the advanced power electronics field that will advance hybrid and electric vehicular technology to the point of ubiquity in America. Contact: |
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Center for Nano-, Bio-, and Info-Technology Sensors and Systems at the University of Arkansas will benefit from a recent $9 million National Science Foundation grant to the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority. The university portion of the grant will allow researchers to create collaborative infrastructure for the design of arrays of nanosensors that can be integrated with wireless systems and fabricated with a specialized, yet low-cost, nanofabrication technology.
"This grant will enable our center to develop wireless sensors and networking technologies that will have a major impact on people and the way they live," said Vijay Varadan, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering. "For example, we will develop wearable chemical and biological hazard sensors for firefighters, police and security personnel. In addition, we will develop biosensors for human physiological and ambulatory monitoring, and the detection of pathogens in clinical, food, agricultural and environmental samples. These are only a few examples of the kind of devices our center will create."
Researchers at the University of Arkansas center have already developed and tested two similar but slightly different biosensors that can measure important physiological signs. Integrated into "smart" fabrics - garments with wireless technology - these sensors will monitor a patient's respiration rate and body temperature in real time and thus provide point-of-care diagnostics to health-care professionals and greater freedom for patients.
The $9 million grant, made through the NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, will establish the Arkansas ASSET Initiative (Advancing and Supporting Science, Engineering and Technology), which is designed to boost progress in two scientific research areas developing in Arkansas: plant-based bioproduction and wireless nano-, bio- and info-technology sensors. Both projects have potential for major economic development as well as regional and national commercial significance.
Each project has significant and integrated research on the campuses of Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, in addition to the University of Arkansas. As a co-principal investigator, Varadan will direct the wireless sensors project. Gail McClure, vice president of the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority, said that ASSET is the first strongly integrated, multi-university collaboration of three of the four graduate research institutions in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Science & Technology Authority was created by statute in 1983 with the mission to bring the benefits of science and advanced technology to the people and state of Arkansas. This mission is addressed by strategies to promote scientific research, technology development, business innovation, and math, science and engineering education.
Varadan holds the College of Engineering's Twenty-First Century Endowed Chair in Nano- and Bio-Technologies and Medicine and the college's Chair in Microelectronics and High Density Electronics. In addition to his position as director of the above center, he directs the university's High Density Electronics Center. Varadan is also a professor of neurosurgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Contact:
Vijay Varadan, distinguished professor, electrical engineering
College of Engineering (479) 575-2873, vjvesm@uark.edu
Matt McGowan, science and research communications officer
University Relations(479) 575-4246, dmcgowa@uark.edu
Chris Snider, communications manager
Arkansas Science & Technology Authority (501) 683-4405, Chris.snider@arkansas.gov
Nanowire Coating for Bone Implants, Stents
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas researchers have found a simple, inexpensive way to create a nanowire coating on the surface of biocompatible titanium that can be used to create more effective surfaces for hip replacement, dental reconstruction and vascular stenting. Further, the material can easily be sterilized using ultraviolet light and water or using ethanol, making it useful in hospital settings and meat-processing plants.
Wenjun Dong, Tierui Zhang, Lisa Cooney, Hong Wang, Yanbin Li, Andrew Cogbill, Vijay Varadan and Z. Ryan Tian of the University of Arkansas, Ying-Bing Jiang of the University of New Mexico, and Joshua Epstein of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences report their findings in an upcoming issue of the journal Chemistry of Materials.
The researchers used an alkali and heat to create titanium oxide-based ceramic nanowires that coat the surface of a titanium medical device.
"We can control the length, the height, the pore openings and the pore volumes within the nanowire scaffolds" by varying the time, temperature and alkali concentration in the reaction, said Z. Ryan Tian, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "This process is also extremely sustainable," requiring only that the device be rinsed in reusable water after the heating process.
Reconstructive bone surgeries, such as hip replacements, use titanium implants. However, muscle tissue may not adhere well to titanium's smooth surface, causing the implant to fail after a decade or so and requiring the patient to undergo a second surgery.
Tian and his colleagues created a nanowire-coated joint and placed it in mice. After four weeks, the researchers found that tissue had adhered to the joint.
"We saw beautiful tissue growth - lots of muscle fibers," Tian said. "We've added one more function to the currently-in-use titanium implant."
Because the researchers can control the size and shape of the pores in the nanowire scaffold, the material also could be coated onto stents used in patients with coronary artery disease and in potential stroke victims. Conventional stents sometimes become reclogged with fat after implantation. The most recent stent used to address this problem, called the drug-eluting stent, consists of a polymer coating mixed with the drugs, but the coating may be vulnerable to biodegradation, and may not function for long. The nanowire coating without the degradation problem could be used to carry drugs that would help keep the arteries clear over a long period of time.
"This drug release could be applied to the angioplasty catheter's surface," Tian said.
In addition to these biomedical applications, the nanofiber scaffold has a property that may make it useful in both hospitals and food processing plants: The material, when rinsed in water and exposed to ultraviolet light, kills more than 99 percent of bacteria on its surface. This effect occurs because photons from the light cause a charge separation on the material, splitting water molecules into free radicals that destroy the bacteria. Alternatively, immersion in 70 percent ethanol completely sterilizes the material, allowing growth of cells/tissues in the laboratory prior to implantation.
This property could prove extremely useful in bacteria-prone environments, performing such functions as sterilizing on-site surgery hospitals used during military actions or cleaning surfaces in meat-processing plants.
"You could just use water to rinse and UV light to sterilize surfaces," Tian said.
The researchers have applied for a provisional patent for the multifunctional nanowire bioscaffolds on titanium or titanium-containing alloys such as Nitinol.
Contact:
Z. Ryan Tian, assistant professor, chemistry and biochemistry
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
Cell phone: (479) 283-8245, office, (479) 575-2653, rtian@uark.edu
Melissa Lutz Blouin, director of science and research communications
University Relations (479) 575-5555, blouin@uark.edu
Step Toward Commercialization
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Groundbreaking research at the University of Arkansas is one step closer to commercialization. Intellectual Property Partners LLC, an Atlanta company that turns promising technologies into profitable ventures for the business world, now holds the global license for a multifunctional material developed by a chemist at the university.
When assembled into free-standing membranes, the material, a two-dimensional "paper" made out of titanium-based nanowires, provides solutions for a variety of applications, including chemical and water filtration, solar cells, drug delivery and non-woven textiles stable at high-temperature.
"It is unprecedented to have such a pure fiber," said James Throckmorton, president of Intellectual Property Partners LLC. "In addition to withstanding extreme temperatures, titanium-dioxide-based nanowires can be used in concentrated, strong chemical acids and bases. We're excited to offer this patent-pending technology to a company that can bring it to market."
Developed by Z. Ryan Tian, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, titanium-dioxide - also known as TiO2, titania and titanium white - nanowires are extremely light, long and thin fibers. They have a diameter of 60 nanometers and are 30 to 40 millimeters long. A nanometer equals one billionth of meter. The nanowires can withstand temperatures up to 700 degrees Celsius. Their high thermal stability and chemical inertness ensure performance in high temperatures and other harsh environments.
In 2006, Tian and his research team published the findings in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B. They reported that the material could be folded, cut and shaped into three-dimensional devices. The researchers used a hydrothermal heating process to create long nanowires out of titanium dioxide. From there, they created free-standing membranes. The resulting material resembled regular, white paper. The researchers created tubes, bowls and cups with the material.
The technology was made available to Intellectual Property Partners LLC through the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation, an organization that helps transfer early-stage inventions from university laboratories to corporations and start-up organizations. Working with public and private business-development entities, the foundation strengthens the university's efforts to catalyze a technology-based economy in Arkansas. For more information about the foundation, please visit http://www.uark.edu/ua/artp.
Intellectual Property Partners LLC unearths promising intellectual property within universities, assesses market potential and validates technology. The company then provides early-stage investment capital and prepares the technology for full-scale commercialization. The final stage of the proprietary process is the sale of a technology license to a corporate buyer. For more information, visit http://www.ip2.biz.
Contact:
Z. Ryan Tian, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
(479) 575-2653, rtian@uark.edu
James Throckmorton, president
Intellectual Property Partners LLC (404) 961-3000, jt@ip2.biz
Matt McGowan, science and research communications officer
University Relations(479) 575-4246, dmcgowa@uark.edu
National Notice for UA Nanotech Firms
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Two University of Arkansas researchers and their nanotechnology companies will be presented with Recognition of Excellence in Innovation certificates by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology Robert Cresanti on Aug. 7 at the Bailey Alumni Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The certificates will be awarded at a luncheon before a roundtable discussion on "Overcoming Barriers to Nanotechnology Commercialization," hosted by Cresanti, in conjunction with U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), the University of Arkansas System and the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Xiaogong Peng, who holds the Charles E. and Clydene Scharlau Endowed Professorship in Chemistry, and his company, Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Laboratories (NN-Labs), will be recognized for pioneering the manufacturing and application of high-quality, nanocrystals in solution that can used in solid-state lighting, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and biomedical detection. NN-Labs and the University of Arkansas received a joint U.S. patent in 2006 for their specialized manufacturing process.
Ajay Malshe, a professor of mechanical engineering and the Twenty-First Century Professor of Materials, Manufacturing and Integrated Systems, and his company, NanoMech, will be recognized for developing nanoparticle-based coatings and coating deposition systems that have unique properties such as extreme wear resistance, corrosion resistance, bio-compatibility and other attributes important for military and industrial products and for medical implants.
NN-Labs and NanoMech are both spin-off companies based on technology developed at the University of Arkansas. The companies are housed in the Genesis Technology Incubator.
The certificate recognizes local and regional innovators who, within the last 12 months, have introduced a new product or service into the market, utilized a new manufacturing process, or received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The roundtable, the second of three meetings nationwide, will feature founders of nanotechnology companies that have emerged from university research, as well as venture capitalists, state and local economic development agencies, and other experts who will share their insights and experiences in overcoming barriers to nanotechnology commercialization.
Other confirmed participants from the University of Arkansas include Greg Salamo, who holds the Joe N. Basore Professorship in Nanotechnology and Innovation; Vijay Varadan, who holds the Graduate Research Faculty Endowed Chair in Microelectronics and High Density Electronics; and Ashok Saxena, who holds the Graduate Research Chair in Materials Science and Engineering and is dean of the College of Engineering.
Contact:
Melissa Lutz Blouin, director of science and research communications
University Relations (479) 575-5555, blouin@uark.edu
Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations
University Relations(479) 575-5555, voorhies@uark.edu
Point-of-Care Diagnositcs
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Working with an organic semiconductor, electrical-engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have fabricated and tested two similar but slightly different biosensors that can measure important physiological signs. Integrated into "smart" fabrics - garments with wireless technology - the sensors will be able to monitor a patient's respiration rate and body temperature in real time and thus provide point-of-care diagnostics to health-care professionals and greater freedom for patients.
"We're trying to move diagnostic testing out of the laboratory and directly to the patient," said Taeksoo Ji, assistant professor of electrical engineering. "Although there has been some success at this effort over the past decade, traditional materials are not suitable for manufacturing low-cost, large-area sensor devices. The advantages of organic semiconductors will allow manufacturers to produce devices that are light, flexible and easily integrated into biomedical applications such as smart vests and fabrics."
The researchers - Ji and Soyoun Jung, a graduate student in electrical engineering, under the direction of Vijay Varadan, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering - worked with pentacene, a hydrocarbon molecule, and carbon nanotubes to develop the two types of sensors - a temperature sensor and a strain sensor. The addition of carbon nanotubes with pentacene increases sensor sensitivity. As an organic semiconductor, pentacene is efficient and easy to control. Both sensors were fabricated directly on flexible polymeric substrates.
The strain sensor, which would monitor respiration rate, consisted of a Wheatstone bridge, an instrument that measures unknown electrical resistance, and a thin pentacene film that acted as a sensing layer. The system would work when a physiological strain, such as breathing, creates a mechanical deformation of the sensor, which then affects the electrical current's resistance. The researchers found that the smaller the sensor, the more sensitive it was to current variations.
For the temperature sensor, the researchers used what is known as a thin-film transistor, which is a special kind of transistor that deposits thin film semiconductors on substrates. The thin-film transistor helped the researchers observe electrical current in linear response to temperature change. Most importantly, in low voltage areas, the current displayed the highest sensitivity to temperature changes.
The success of the research is promising for patients whose vital signs must be continuously monitored. Varadan said the sensors and wireless networks can fit on garments such as undershirts. With this technology, the smart fabric can monitor vital signs and collect and send data to an information hub in real time. The information can provide immediate detection of physiological abnormalities, which will allow physicians to begin treatment or prevent illness before problems reach an acute stage.
The research was done in the Organic Electronics and Devices Laboratory, which is part of the College of Engineering's Center for Nano-, Bio-, and Info-Technology Sensors and Systems. Varadan is director of the center.
Varadan holds the College of Engineering's Twenty-First Century Endowed Chair in Nano- and Bio-Technologies and Medicine and the college's Chair in Microelectronics and High Density Electronics. In addition to his position director of the above center, he directs the university's High Density Electronics Center. Varadan is also a professor of neurosurgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Contact:
Vijay Varadan, distinguished professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering (479) 575-2873, vjvesm@uark.edu
Matt McGowan, science and research communications officer
University Relations (479) 575-4246, dmcgowa@uark.edu
Breakthrough in Nanomachining and Organic Molecular Breakdown
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have discovered a novel nanomachining process that will help manufacturers produce superior nanoscale devices to perform important functions such as detecting DNA and precisely controlling drug release.
The research, to be published in the Physical Review Letters, focuses on the dielectric breakdown of liquid organic molecules introduced during the nanomachining process. Dielectric materials do not conduct electric current. The collaborative research was funded by the National Science Foundation's division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation.
"Understanding dielectric properties of very thin layers plays a critical role in next-generation electronic devices," said Ajay Malshe, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas. "In the past 10 years, the machining process in conductive materials for these devices has been scaled down to the micro level - between 3 and 10 micrometers. With this project, we demonstrated dielectric breakdown for the first time at the nanolevel."
A micrometer is a millionth of a meter, and a nanometer is a billionth of a meter. A human hair typically has a diameter of 70,000 nanometers.
"This understanding is an important step toward achieving reproducibility, reliability and repeatability when machining at sub-20 nanometer scales, which is vital for the realization of nanoscale active systems," said Kamlakar Rajurkar, professor of industrial engineering and management systems at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Using a scanning-probe microscope with additional features, Malshe, Rajurkar and Kumar Virwani, a recent engineering doctoral graduate and co-author of the study, devised an electric-discharge machining and manufacturing platform and discovered the breakdown of dielectric molecules across a gap less than 20 nanometers in length. The nano-electric machining platform allowed the researchers to position a cathode tip - a negatively charged electrode acting as a point - against an anode plane - a positively charged plane - and sandwich the organic molecules between them.
The voltage applied in the gap generated an intense electric field. After making the cut and ceasing voltage, the researchers observed the behavior of the organic molecules, which were confined in the gap. Rajurkar identified the above process as nanoscale electric discharge machining, or nanoEDM.
Organic molecular medium is an integral part of the machining set up, Malshe said. Understanding its dielectric and breakdown properties is critical to determining how the process of machining works and will lead to improving machining performance and speed.
Understanding the molecular behavior and breakdown of dielectric media during the machining of extremely resistant materials is also critical to developing commercial products with features such as nanopores for detecting DNA, nanojets for controlled drug release and nozzles for nanofluidic devices. There is great demand for such features in difficult-to-machine metals such as gold, titanium and platinum, silicon and ceramics such as silicon nitride, silicon dioxide and conductive polymers. The research also expands knowledge of organic and molecular electronics.
"The success of nanoEDM will allow industry to work on a variety of electrically conducting and semi-conducting materials in a non-vacuum environment," Virwani said. "It will be instrumental for a wide range of emerging applications."
Malshe is also an adjunct professor of electrical engineering and the Twenty-First Century Professor of Materials, Manufacturing and Integrated Systems. He is director of the University of Arkansas Materials and Manufacturing Research Laboratories.
Contact:
Ajay Malshe, professor of mechanical engineering and adjunct faculty of electrical engineering; Twenty-First Century Professor of Materials, Manufacturing and Integrated Systems; director of Materials and Manufacturing Research Laboratories
(479) 575-6561, apm2@engr.uark.edu
Matt McGowan, science and research communications officer, University Relations (479) 575-4246, dmcgowa@uark.edu
CSCE Programming Team takes Top Honors
The UA Computer Science and Computer Engineering Department is proud to announce that the CSCE Programming Team brought home another 1st place trophy after participating in the 2007 Collegiate Programming Contest held Feb. 27. The contest is sponsored by Acxiom Corp.~TresNet and hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Team members Andrew White, Josh McFarlane and Nathan Wetzler competed in the computer science division. The contest consisted of 10 problems to solve in a five-hour time limit. The team completed six of the problems in the allotted time. Second and third place (Hendrix and Harding) solved five of the problems. Congratulations to the team and to their coach Dr. Gordon Beavers.
BlueInGreen Addresses Need for Improved Ozone Treatment of Drinking Water
Fayetteville, AR – BlueInGreen, LLC (www.blueingreen.biz) has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research award for $100,000 from the Na¬tional Science Foundation to study the implementation of the company’s patent-pending ozone dissolution technology for improving safety and quality of drinking water. Beaver Wa¬ter District in Northwest Arkansas and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority are collaborators on the project. BlueIn¬Green’s Hyperconcentrated Dissolved Ozone treatment sys¬tem (HYDOZ™) delivers a concentrated stream of dissolved ozone in water. Traditional ozonation technologies are not efficient at dissolving ozone bubbles into water, resulting in hazardous ozone off-gassing that must be captured. This adds significant expense to ozonation treatment, which has limited its application in favor of chlorine pretreatment. BlueInGreen plans to resolve these issues by delivering ozone in solution, resulting in safe and high quality drinking water. Ozone quickly converts into oxygen following treatment, so it has no lasting impact on the environment.
The use of chlorine in drinking water pretreatment has been linked to the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The EPA has recently implemented a Stage 2 Disin¬fection Byproducts Rule to reduce their presence in the drink¬ing water supply. BlueInGreen’s HYDOZ technology may be applied at key steps within the drinking water treatment proc¬ess to improve disinfection of the drinking water supply, re¬move odorous and foul-tasting compounds, and to minimize the formation of DBPs.
The HYDOZ system will be installed at the Tulsa Metropoli¬tan Utility Authority A.B. Jewell pilot-plant facility. Based upon results of the first phase of this project, BlueInGreen will develop a full-scale prototype for the facility. Dr. Marty Matlock, Chief Scientific Officer of BlueInGreen, is excited about the potential of the HYDOZ system to solve drinking water problems, “The current need to minimize the use of chlorine in drinking water treatment facilities across the na¬tion gives high priority to the development of alternative dis-infection technologies. We feel that this collaborative effort between BlueInGreen, Beaver Water District and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority will provide advances in ozonation technology that will solve many drinking water problems,” Matlock said.
BlueInGreen, LLC provides affordable, high-performance oxygenation, ozonation, flotation and decontamination The company’s core technologies are exclusively licensed from the University of Arkansas. BlueInGreen’s first product line was unveiled in October at WEFTEC ’06 which is the largest North American water quality and treatment tradeshow event. BlueInGreen is a portfolio company of Virtual Incubation Company, which is an Arkansas-based technology venture development firm (www.virtual-incubation.com).
Vegrandis to Develop “Carbon Nanopipette” Technology
Fayetteville, Arkansas, Vegrandis, LLC (www.vegrandis.com) has received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $150,000 for development of a new technology termed carbon nanopipettes (CNPs). These devices were originally conceived at the University of Pennsylvania which will collaborate with Vegrandis on this Phase I project. The collaborative effort will demonstrate the unique capabilities of CNPs for combining ultra-sensitive detection of biomolecules with nano-fluidic delivery. Potential applications include medical diagnostics, high-throughput screening and life sciences research. Upon completion of the Phase I project, Vegrandis will be eligible to apply for additional research and development funding in Phase II and IIB of up to $1 million from NSF.
Carbon nanopipettes have a shape and structure that is unlike other nanoscale devices. CNPs can be applied for fluid handling in high-throughput, micro-titer assays with off-the-shelf 96, 384, and 1536 well plates. In addition, since carbon is conductive, the CNPs can act as individually addressable electrodes for electrochemical analysis at nanoscale. The nanopipette and nanoelectrode properties can be employed simultaneously for a complete fluid handling/electrochemical detection system.
There are numerous market segments in which Vegrandis can compete using the CNP technology. The micro-titer assay market is already a multi-billion dollar market. Other emerging markets could also provide a strong opportunity for the CNP technology. For example, drug discovery has been driving high throughput screening (HTS) methods to higher density formats and smaller assay volumes. The HTS market has been growing at about a 19% annual rate and is expected to be about a $540 million market by 2009.
Instruments in Space
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas researchers, in partnership with a local company will develop a probe for future planetary rovers that will help scientists study the history of the solar system by examining the properties of layers of material beneath the surface of the moon, Mars, comets and other planetary bodies.
Scientists at the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences and officials of Space Photonics Inc. received a $403,000 grant from the Planetary Instrumentation Development branch of NASA, which will allow them to create an optical probe that can be used to determine the composition and amount of ice beneath the surface of a planetary body.
"Our intention is to deliver to NASA hardware that is ready for a mission," said Rick Ulrich, professor of chemical engineering and principal investigator for the project. This particular instrument will help researchers answer questions that have been around since planetary bodies were discovered.
"When we look out at these places, we only see the surface, and we wish we could see what lies beneath," Ulrich said. "Those layers contain the timeline of the solar system's history."
To examine the layers, the researchers will build an Optical Probe for Regolith Analysis, an instrument they refer to as OPRA.
The instrument will operate at the base of a rover, driving a spike into the soil. The spike, which may be anywhere from one to four feet long, will contain several dozen quartz windows along its length with fiber optic cables connected to an infrared spectrometer back in the rover, which will provide spectral analysis as a function of depth. Because all the electronics will be isolated in the rover, there will be no heat source to alter the possibly frigid interior of the planetary body.
"OPRA will analyze these layers without disturbing them," Ulrich said. "We'll get composition versus depth at every layer." The infrared spectrum will provide information on the kind of rock, its chemical composition, the amount of water in the rock and how the molecules are arranged. By looking at the compositions of different layers, the researchers can peel back time and look at the geologic history of the planetary body.
"NASA wants simple, robust and effective hardware, and OPRA is all three of these," Ulrich said. The public-private partnership with Space Photonics strengthens the university's ability to attract major instrumentation funding.
Space Photonics has served as a research and development company for the Department of Defense and for NASA and has reported recent product sales to Honeywell, Lockheed-Martin and Orbital Sciences.
"The relationship with the University of Arkansas has been key for us," said Matthew Leftwich, a senior development specialist and lead engineer at Space Photonics, a University-based start-up company. Space Photonics will develop the fiber optic cable interface that will carry the infrared light signals to and from the alien soil, through the sub-surface probe. Infrared light sent to and reflected back from the alien soil into the probe's fiber-coupled interconnect system will deliver the data to the Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer for analysis.
SPI will be collaborating with the OPRA design team to determine the optimal methods of fiber-to-quartz lens coupling and fiber routing throughout the OPRA probe," he said.
"We envision that this will work on Mars, the Moon, comets and asteroids," Ulrich said. At the end of the project, the probe will be ready for NASA to consider for a mission, and it could be in space in 4 to 6 years.
Ulrich credits the work of the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Space Simulation and the multidisciplinary nature of the team for the success of the proposal - the researchers have expertise in materials science, geology, engineering, chemical engineering, fiber optics and space science. The team includes Ulrich; Larry Roe, professor of mechanical engineering; space center director Derek Sears, who holds the W.M. Keck Professor of Space and Planetary Sciences; Vincent Chevrier, a postdoctoral fellow in space and planetary sciences; and Leftwich with Space Photonics.
For information, please see http://spacecenter.uark.edu.
Space Photonics develops, markets and sells optical networking systems and components specifically designed to address the reliability and bandwidth limitations of military and commercial aircraft and spacecraft. For information, please see http://www.spacephotonics.com.
Novel Biosensor
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Researchers at the University of Arkansas have fabricated and tested a novel biosensor that detects glucose close to real time and with much greater sensitivity than other comparable, biocompatible sensors.
"To manage and control diabetes, patients must continuously monitor blood-glucose levels," said Jining Xie, research assistant professor of electrical engineering. "So they understand the importance of a device that provides rapid response."
The UA sensor, designed and developed by Xie and researchers in the department of electrical engineering, is made of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which are coated with platinum nanoparticles between 1 and 5 nanometers in diameter. The researchers tested sensors with and without the platinum nanoparticles, and discovered that the carbon nanotubes with platinum exhibited a substantially higher sensitivity than those without platinum.
"At this stage of the research, we believe that the improved electro-chemical performance is due to the platinum nanoparticles," Xie said. "We are currently investigating mechanisms to optimize this performance."
Conducted in the university's Nanomaterials Research Laboratory, the research was performed by Xie and Vijay Varadan, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering. Shouyan Wang, post-doctoral fellow, and Lavanya Aryasomayajula, graduate assistant, also contributed to the project.
Tests revealed that for every square centimeter tested, a typical platinum-coated nanotube-based glucose sensor had a sensitivity of around 50 micro Amps per mili mole. Micro Amps refer to levels of electrical current. In this case, mili moles are units that describe molecular concentrations of glucose. The sensitivity value of the researchers' device is among the best results reported for glucose biosensors.
Xie said their goal is to further increase the sensitivity value of 52.7 micro Amps per mili mole. Equally important, the UA biosensor has a response time of 15 to 30 seconds, which renders it capable of providing glucose screenings close to real time.
The researchers attributed the improved sensibility to various factors related to the application of platinum to the multi-walled nanotubes. Most importantly, the platinum nanoparticles created a larger electro-active surface area on the carbon nanotubes. Xie said the larger surface area allowed the carbon nanotubes to act as a glucose-oxidase reservoir, which helped create uniform immobilization and high loading of glucose oxides for sensing. In addition, the platinum nanoparticles enhanced electron transfer and facilitated better physical and chemical bonding between glucose oxides and carbon nanotubes.
The researchers' findings were published in the February issue of Nanotechnology, an Institute of Physics Publishing journal. An online version of the article is available at http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/-ffissn=0957-4484/-ff30=all/0957-4484/18/6/065503 .
Varadan said there has been no previous research on the use of platinum nanoparticles coated on carbon nanotubes to develop a biosensor capable of detecting blood-glucose concentrations. The research is sponsored by NeoPharma Industries, which hopes to develop a commercial product by the end of 2007.
In addition to his position as distinguished professor, Varadan holds the College of Engineering's Twenty First Century Endowed Chair in Nano- and Bio-Technologies and Medicine and the college's Chair in Microelectronics and High Density Electronics. He is also director of the university's High Density Electronics Center and is a professor of neurosurgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc
Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. (APEI, Inc.), located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is a small business dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art technology in power electronics systems, electronic motor drives, and power packaging. APEI, Inc. started its research and development efforts in 2002 with only one employee and $14k in annual revenue. Since then APEI, Inc. has grown to 23 employees with over $3 million in annual revenue. This growth pattern has been continuing and in the past three months, APEI, Inc. has been awarded four (Small Business Innovation Research) SBIR Phase I contracts and one SBIR Phase II contract from the federal government totaling $940,000.
APEI, Inc. specializes in developing extreme temperature power electronic systems and for high temperature applications; a semiconductor material called silicon carbide (SiC) is used. SiC electronics have a wide range of advantages over standard silicon devices, including high temperature operation, increased efficiency, and increased frequency of operation. While silicon is limited to approximately 150 °C as the maximum operational junction temperature, silicon carbide is theoretically operational to temperatures in excess of 600 °C (APEI, Inc. has experimentally demonstrated operation in excess of 500 °C). Therefore, the thermal management requirements needed for SiC devices are reduced thus reducing the size and weight of the overall system.
For a Navy Phase I contract, APEI, Inc. will be developing isolated bi-directional ac-dc Power Conversion Modules (PCM) for the Office of Naval Research. The US Navy’s need for improved reliability and survivability of the shipboard electrical power system can be met by the implementation of the Integrated Fight Through Power (IFTP) concept. This concept requires the development of megawatt-class PCM to divide the ship’s electric power distribution system into several isolated zones. These isolated and bi-directional ac-dc PCMs are connected to the ship’s three-phase 4.1kV-13.8kV power generation system on one side and to the 0.7kV-1kV dc power distribution system on the other side. APEI, Inc. will be subcontracting Power Electronics Leveling Solutions (PELS), another Fayetteville based small business, to aid in developing a 20 kW system by the conclusion of Phase I.
Another Navy Phase I contract involves APEI, Inc. developing high-voltage, high-power density Solid-State Fault Current Limiter (SSFCL) technology for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The fault current detection and limitation technology will be more efficient, have a higher power density, and be more cost effective for US Navy applications. For this project, APEI, Inc., with expertise in silicon carbide (SiC) based power electronics systems and SiC power packaging, will partner with the congressionally funded University of Arkansas’ National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT), with expertise in the design and testing of transmission and distribution components / systems (such as SSFCLs).
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded a Phase I contract to APEI, Inc. to develop highly efficient lightweight DC/DC power converters with an order of magnitude size reduction utilizing now emerging silicon-carbide (SiC) power switching technologies. Power electronic converters are essential in every MDA vehicle, with use in critical systems ranging from electric power management applications, to power distribution, to on-board servo motor/actuator drivers. Advancing state-of-the-art power electronics technologies through the use of SiC semiconductors will produce significant savings across the board in almost all areas of MDA power management and distribution operations. By utilizing the high efficiency and high temperature potential of SiC power switches, future power electronics systems will be reduced in size and weight by a factor of ten over today’s state-of-the-art converters. Reduction in size and weight means dollar savings in cost to launch and greater capacity for on-board payload systems.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a Phase I grant to APEI, Inc. to develop and commercialize silicon carbide (SiC) based radio frequency (RF) transmitters for high-temperature environments. APEI, Inc. will prove the feasibility of the concept and design through the successful demonstration of a prototype SiC RF transmitter operating in excess of 450 °C at the end of Phase I. Exploiting the high temperature capabilities of SiC opens up extensive possibilities for developing new electronics for advanced high performance systems, such as jet turbines, rocket engines, and combustion engines. Imbedding wireless electronics into these systems would allow for real time monitoring and operational adjustments that simply are not achievable with silicon technology. The capability to adjust timing, fuel injection and burning ratios, or cylinder operation in real time (which is only achievable with embedded high temperature sensors and electronics) could significantly improve the performance, efficiency, and reliability, all while reducing overall operational costs. The costs savings through improved performance and fuel savings could realistically exceed beyond hundreds of millions, or even billions of dollars.
Finally, APEI, Inc. obtained a SBIR Phase II contract from NASA to develop and deliver a complete DC-motor drive that is fully functional over the entire temperature range required for lunar and Martian extreme environment exploratory robotic missions (-230 ºC to +130 ºC). Ultra-wide temperature power electronics systems will have a profound impact on deep space exploration craft enabling greater mobility and mission lifetime. The use of ultra-wide temperature power electronics will allow increased payload capacity of Lunar and Mars exploratory craft, while improving reliability through reduced system level complexity. To achieve this goal, APEI, Inc. is working with an extreme low temperature semiconductor material called silicon germanium (SiGe). The advantages of SiGe for low temperature operation have been widely analyzed and proven. In addition, SiGe is also particularly attractive because of (a) its high frequency of operation and (b) its compatibility with current silicon fabrication technology, thus making it inexpensive while also being constantly innovated and improved.
For more information about these projects, please contact Sharmila Mounce at (479) 443-5759 or smounce@apei.net .
Final Fayette Junction plan shown to residents in 3-D
BY KATE WARD Northwest Arkansas Times Posted on Friday, February 6, 2009
Area residents watched their ideas take shape Thursday during a 3-D presentation of the Fayette Junction Master Plan.
"It's all so impressive," said Mike Ehrig, who's lived in the Fayette Junction area since 1973. "I can't decide what I like best - it's all beautiful." Karen Minkel, the city's interim director for long-range planning, presented a summary of the proposed master plan to a roomful of local residents Thursday night during a community forum at the Biobased Cos. building in Fayetteville.
"Because this is a vision, we like to think big," Minkel said, pointing to a 3-D model of the finalized concept. Pocket parks, a light rail hub and various types of residential housing were among the ideas depicted in the plan. The presentation also featured extended boulevards lined by sidewalks, clean technology industries and retention ponds.
Located along the Razorback Road corridor, between I-540 and 15th Street, the Fayette Junction area is the focus for the city's second neighborhood master plan. The site was dubbed Fayette Junction because it encompasses a centrally located railroad spur of the same name. The junction used to be the center of Fayetteville's lumber industry in the 1800s.
"I'm excited because this area used to be the leader in technology and development, and now it's becoming the leader in new technology, green jobs and sustainability," Ward 4 Alderman Sarah Lewis said. "I really think the planning staff did a great job with this." A gradual transition between uses and densities, Minkel said, is key to integrating the plan's different proposed environments.
A southern gateway to the city off I-540 at Razorback Road and protected views also play a part in the vision for a blended environment. Planners envision the hilltops at that entrance of the city to hold civic buildings, such as a visitor center or church, while preserving the view of Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus. As envisioned, the flood plain would be used as an amenity and trail corridor, extending the green space in the area from about 33 acres to about 133 acres.
"The 3-D model really helped me envision the plan," Fayetteville resident Brian Teague said. "I really liked the idea of having a light rail in an urban setting. I also liked the concept of having some type of civic center at the entrance to the city."
Teague, who doesn't live in the planning area, said he was impressed with the community's involvement during the planning process. "I've never been to one of these meetings before, but I think it's a great way to involve the citizens," he said. Ward 1 Alderman Brenda Thiel echoed Teague's thoughts, adding that she hoped to see the plan start to unfold.
"I'm impressed that this many people showed up," she said. "It shows us elected officials how much this means to the citizens."
Minkel reminded residents that the proposed Fayette Junction development wouldn't happen overnight. The plan, she said, should be divided into three phases consisting of short term, midterm and long-term goals.
"The city's role is limited in how this plan is implemented," she said. "How quickly this unfolds depends on several factors, including the market. There are some things the city can do, but it will require input from area residents."
Minkel said she encourages area residents to share their ideas and thoughts with City Council members. The proposed master plan will go before the Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23. If approved, the plan will then go before the City Council.
For the past several months, key stakeholders have discussed ways of revitalizing the Fayette Junction area while maintaining its historic charm. The site includes residential, industrial and commercial areas and is part of both Ward 1 and Ward 4. The area was chosen because revitalizing south Fayetteville is one of the strategic goals of the Fayetteville City Council, and one of the goals outlined in City Plan 2025 is to make in-fill and revitalization top priorities.
The plan calls on the city's Planning Division to create a neighborhood master plan annually for five years. The city developed its first master plan for the Walker Park neighborhood in 2007.
"I know everyone has a piece of themselves invested in this," Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan said Thursday night. "I've lived here for 35 years, and this is something we've needed for a long time. We need to bring this area back to the glory days of what it was years and years ago, and I believe we can do that with this plan."
Local residents began meeting in September to participate in hands-on workshops, called "charettes," in which they engaged in open discussions with professional designers. The process started with learning about the site and the environment, which consists of roughly 600 acres and a flood plain.
Community members then divided into smaller groups to share their ideas and sketch design concepts to be included in a final presentation. The planning process also included walking and driving tours of the site, a weeklong open house featuring various design concepts, and open discussion with planning experts.
Minkel said three concepts evolved during the planning process: integrating the built and natural environments, supporting multimodal transit, and concentrating on "cleantech" industry. Cleantech refers to business products, services and processes that reduce ecological impact.
"At the end of our last meeting, there seemed to be a sense of consensus in the room," she said. "In fact, we took a survey, and 94 percent of you said the planning process seemed to be on the right track. Tonight is a conclusion of sorts."
The full plan can be viewed here.
Green Valley Network
The University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation is happy to announce the creation of the Green Valley Network. In conjunction with the Fayetteville Economic Development Council (FEDC), the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation (UATDF) and the U of A’s Applied Sustainability Center, Dan Sanker’s vision is to foster collaboration and commercialization of sustainability technology. The network is a non-profit coalition and has become a business cluster for innovators who are applying tomorrow’s sustainability technology today. The network helps sustainability’s innovators move ideas from ‘mind to market’ faster. Sanker has put together a superb panel of advisors for the network from all over the world, spanning across a wide array of industries.
The UATDF is proud to work with Dan Sanker and the other Green Valley Network Members to bring forth this idea of collaboration and commercialization. Join the Green Valley Network to find, analyze, distribute, develop, and capitalize practical sustainability technology. Visit the Green Valley Network homepage at http://www.greenvalleynetwork.org/
Space Photonics Awarded $3.825 Million In Small Business Innovation Research Contracts In 2007
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Space Photonics, Inc. announced today that the company received a total of $3.825 million from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs during 2007. Already Arkansas’ leading SBIR breadwinner, the company has now received a total of twenty six SBIRs bringing the company’s total SBIR contract awards to $9.7 million. Early in 2007, the company announced that it had also received a $1.2 million contract for fiber optic components slated for use on the International Space Station (ISS).
Albuquerque, New Mexico. The technology focus of these two programs involves specific applications using free space laser communications systems between spacecraft. The innovations include techniques that rely on the company’s free space transceiver’s use of synchronized signals between satellites with embedded codes that enable precise measurement of the distance between the satellites and their precise location. In the near future, this technology will enable the Air Force and other Department of Defense agencies and NASA to enhance their capabilities for flying multiple numbers of satellites in clusters and other “formation flying” systems. The Space Photonics Principal Investigator for these two programs is Terry Tidwell, a Space Photonics Senior Research Specialist. Fred Orlando is the co-inventor and is the company’s Chief Technology Officer. The programs will include Professor John Crassidis at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Crassidis is a renowned technologist in the area of advanced satellite geolocation techniques.
Two of the programs will be under the direction of Matt Leftwich, Senior Development Specialist and Fiber Optic Networks Product Manager at Space Photonics. These two programs, both funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) via the Navy, are developing innovative nano-materials technologies used for Anti-Tamper technologies. Anti-Tamper technologies are focused on eliminating the capabilities of adversaries to obtain design and operational information of electronics that could be used directly against American troops, or to enhance foreign capabilities. This technology is not only very important for military systems, but is also critical for commercial electronics companies for the protection of their operational and manufacturing intellectual property.
Another of these projects funded in 2007 was through the SBIR Enhancement Program, which is a funded extension of the project due both to the innovation and the implementation potential. This program is another in the arena of Anti-Tamper technology for Space Photonics; however, its focus is on utilizing programmable electronics and is for the most part a software development effort for managing electronics processors to eliminate the tampering capability of adversaries. The Principal Investigator for this program is Jason Sattler, a Senior Research Specialist for Space Photonics. This program is funded through Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Also included in the total award amount are two Phase I SBIRs, both in the area of free space laser communications.
In addition to the current SBIR programs and the NASA International Space Station program, Space Photonics is currently working on a four–year, $16.2 million program for the Air Force Advanced Spacecraft Technology Program. The company is a recipient of the Small Business Administration’s Tibbetts Award, given to small companies that provide outstanding SBIR leadership. In 2004 Space Photonics was the first Arkansas Company to receive the Arkansas Federal Research & Development tax incentive which will match up to 33 percent of federally funded R&D programs.
Space Photonics develops, markets and sells optical networking systems and components specifically designed to address the high reliability requirements of military and commercial aircraft and spacecraft. The company’s products enable aerospace designers to embed high-capacity, optical networking capabilities into their systems. The company continues its collaborations with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and at Little Rock, the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA), and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). For additional information about Space Photonics, visit the company web site at www.spacephotonics.com
SBDC to Open Satellite Office
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Small Business Development Center in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas has partnered with the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce to open the first Net Access Center in northwest Arkansas.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 13, at the Chamber of Commerce building, 317 W. Walnut St., Rogers, in the Tyson Foods Conference Room where Net Access Center will be housed. The program is open to the public.
The Net Access Center will be available to entrepreneurs in Benton County and surrounding areas. SBDC business consultants will work with clients through the Web-supported satellite office. In addition, center visitors will be able to use various tools such as online training programs, market research information, business planning software, and other Internet resources. The Net Access Center will also house the latest volumes of business- and entrepreneur-focused magazines, as well as, brochures and pamphlets from companies and organizations that service the small business industry.
"The Net Access Center allows SBDC clients an opportunity to receive first-rate, professional advice - at no charge - in the most efficient way possible," said Larry Brian, director of the Small Business Development Center. "We are truly grateful for our partners, such as the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber, that allow the SBDC to provide services to our clients that meet and exceed their expectations."
The Walton College Small Business Development Center operates as a regional office of the Arkansas Small Business Development Center. The ASBDC is part of a national network of more than 1,000 small business development center offices that provide training, information and consulting services to existing and potential business owners. The SBDC is designed to provide comprehensive management and technical assistance, through one-on-one counseling and group training, to current and potential small business owners. The SBDC network is the largest small business assistance program in the United States.
Increase Your Profits in 2007
Would you like to improve the profitability of your business in 2007? The following steps can be helpful as you work to increase the profits of your existing business:
1. Make sure you have accurate financial information. As a business owner, you should have access to accurate financial statements each month. If you don’t have access to this information, talk to your accountant!
2. Review and analyze financial statements for 2006. Evaluating 2006 information can help to determine needed adjustments and plan for 2007.
3. Establish goals for 2007. It is important to begin the year by setting goals for 2007 as well as determine an action plans for achieving those goals.
4. Develop a monthly income statement and cash flow projection (a budget) for 2007. Be sure to consider goals and action plans and budget accordingly.
5. Review your plans and budget and make adjustments as necessary. In addition, consider resource availability and capital requirements.
The Arkansas Small Business Development Center’s knowledgeable staff can provide guidance and tools to assist you in this process. For more information, contact the Arkansas SBDC at 501-683-7700 or 800-862-2040.
Small Business Tax Audits
Everyone wants to avoid an audit, especially small business owners. Complying with an audit consumes time and money, even if a business owner does not end up on the hook for taxes and penalties.
Small business owners have a reason for concern. Returns including business income from sole proprietorships are audited two to three times more frequently than returns that do not include a Schedule C.
The IRS has an incentive to audit these returns more frequently. In a study of 46,000 returns from 2001, the IRS uncovered significant underreporting of business income – about $110 billion’s worth.
While there is no such thing as an audit-proof return, smart business owners can greatly reduce their chances of being singled out by ensuring their return is properly prepared and reporting all income. Accurate, well-organized records greatly reduces the time and costs of an audit should one occur.
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov. Two publications business owners may find helpful are IRS Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business and Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records.
Source: Rosen, Jan M. “Avoiding an Audit: It’s All in the Details.” New York Times 20 Feb 2007.
Space Photonics Receives Phase 2 SBIR Award
Space Photonics, Inc. (SPI) recently announced that the company has started work on a new Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract. This award is funded through the Air Force Research Lab at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. The title of the project is "Embedded Ranging and Synchronization for Inter-Satellite Laser Communications".
The innovative technology relies on its use of synchronized free space communications data links between satellites with embedded codes that enable precise measurement of the distance between the satellites. In the near future, this technology will enable the Air Force and other DoD agencies to enhance their capabilities for flying multiple satellites in clusters and other "formation flying" systems.
Space Photonics Principal Investigator will be Terry Tidwell, who will be joined by the company's Chief Technology Officer, Fred Orlando. Since starting in 1999 in Fayetteville, SPI has received over $6.6 million in SBIR awards with a total of 21 SBIR contracts.
SPI has offices in the GENESIS Technology Incubator at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park in Fayetteville. For additional information, visit the company's website at www.spacephotonics.com.
(Source: Space Photonics, Inc. press release of 1-24-07, Tracie Rebsamen)
Inventor Designs High-Tech Paper
Z. Ryan Tian and his team of researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed new technology that could revolutionize the industry for paper and fabric products. Using a hydrothermal heating process, Tian has created long nanowires out of titanium dioxide that can be assembled into free-standing membranes. The result looks like a conventional flat piece of paper, but with the flexibility of mylar since it is reinforced with fibers.
The researchers have operated thus far with small grants, mainly through the UA Technology Development Foundation, which has partnered with Intellectual Property Partners of Atlanta to help validate, develop, and transfer the nanowire technology to commercial use. According to Tian and his researchers, the applications are virtually endless. The nanowire paper is cheap and environmentally benign, and has potential uses in body armor, controlled-drug release, flame-retardant fabric, bacteria filters, and the decomposition of pollutants and chemical warfare agents, among others.
The researchers and their commercialization partners are seeking to raise capital in the $300,000 to $400,000 range for a larger-scale pressure cooker to manufacture the paper in bulk. Ideally, Tian would like to secure start-up capital of about $1 million to build a pilot plant, to be located in Northwest Arkansas, given that companies most likely to adopt the new paper are in the southeast US.
Tian's invention is also receiving international inquiries in the wake of publicity from the likes of The Discovery Channel, "The New York Times", "Science News", and "ScienceDaily".
(Source: Press Release, UA Office of Technology Licensing, Scott Hancock, 12-21-06)