$21 Billion Global Composite Materials Market to Reach $53 Billion in 2014, Fulcrum SP Materials to Develop Carbon Nanotube Composites with Arkema

Fulcrum SP Materials  (Herzliah Pituach, Israel) reports it has signed a collaboration agreement with Arkema Inc. concerning the development of high performance composite parts with improved damage resistance. Arkema will contribute its multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) technology and Fulcrum will bring its propriety protein base interface and dispersion technology for CNTs. The objective of the project is to develop a technology allowing the grafting of CNTs on 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional woven fabrics such as Carbon fibers. Such reinforced fabrics will be used to produce advanced composite parts for applications in aeronautics or other industrial applications.

Fulcrum's technology was invented by Professor Oded Shoseyov and Professor Arie Altman both from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was licensed to Fulcrum for further development, by Yissum, the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University.

Advanced composites are advanced structural materials, such as carbon fibers and Kevlar, in a matrix such as epoxy resin. Stronger and lighter then conventional materials such as steel and aluminum, they are being used in aero-space, sports, ballistics and clean-tech applications. The aspiration for higher strength to weight ratio and lightweight, fuel-saving technologies, as well as the search for environment-friendly products, creates a tremendous demand for new technologies in the market of advanced composites. The global market size of for composite materials was $21.5 Billion and is expected to reach $53 Billion in 2014.

For the past three years, Arkema has been involved in major development programs designed to assist companies seeking innovation by using nano-structured materials. Arkema, as a world leader in nano-structured materials, and a producer of carbon nanotubes (CNT), has established a large number of partnerships in various sectors for applications requiring enhanced performance in terms of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength.

"Fulcrum's innovative technology of bonding carbon nanotubes directly to the fabric such as carbon fiber, is unique and if successful, could set new standards in advanced composites markets," said Moshe Kelner, President of Arkema in Israel.

"We welcome the agreement with Arkema, this cooperation will enable Fulcrum to reach a wider base of applications and customers with our ground breaking technology," said Nimrod Litvak, Fulcrum's CEO.

Arkema, a global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, reports sales of $9 billion and holds leadership positions in its principal markets with internationally recognized brands. Arkema has 15,000 employees in over 40 countries and six research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. 

Fulcrum is a nanotechnology company aiming to commercialize the use of nano-particles in the fast growing market of composite materials. Fulcrum's proprietary platform technology utilizes genetically engineered proteins to create self-assembly nano-structures with ground breaking, innovative properties. The first developed nano-structures include carbon nanotubes (CNT) bound to fabrics such as Carbon fabric and Kevlar and CNT reinforced polymers (epoxy resins).  

U.S. Army Purchases Carbon Nanotube Enhanced Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites from Applied Nanotech Holdings for Blast Protection Research

Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: APNT) reports it has received a purchase order in the amount of $25,000 from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) for test samples of its carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced fiber reinforced polymer composites. This purchase order is part of the overall goal of ERDC-CERL research in Multifunctional Materials to improve protection of facilities from ballistic and blast threats as well as improve electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, seismic resistance and degradation resistance.

These samples will be used to test the ballistic impact strength of our patented CNT composite materials. If successful, these new composite materials would lead to ballistic resistant panels that would be thinner and lighter, leading to lower material and transportation costs and decreased burden on building framing, while still maintaining, or improving, ballistic protection. Ballistic resistant panels are used in security walls, safe havens, safe rooms, panic rooms, bullet resistant doors, and as a blast protection barrier for both military and civilian applications.

Applied Nanotech has developed CNT reinforced epoxies for carbon fiber reinforced polymers and glass fiber reinforced polymers. These epoxies have a wide range of applications including sporting goods, wind turbine blades, automotive, aerospace, ballistics, and many other applications.

"I am very pleased to see the extension of our technology from the field of sporting goods to other commercial applications with very large market potential," said Dr. Zvi Yaniv, CEO of Applied Nanotech, Inc.

"In addition to this purchase order from the Army, recently we have received commitments and purchase orders of over $100,000 for samples of our nanocomposites for commercial applications," said Doug Baker, CEO of Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. "We are receiving inquiries from, and providing samples to, global companies located in North America, Asia, and Europe for applications in a variety of markets."