RENO,
NV -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/15/2004 -- Altair Nanotechnologies,
Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI), a company engaged in developing
high performance materials and life sciences products
using its pigment and nanomaterials technology platforms,
today announced that it has been awarded a new patent,
"Processing Titaniferous Ore to Titanium Dioxide
Pigment," by the European Patent Office, Patent
number 01194379.EP-B1.
The new patent broadens coverage of the company's first
patent, U.S. patent, "Processing Titaniferous Ore
to Titanium Dioxide Pigment" (Patent No. US 6,375,923
B1), issued in April 2002, which describes the fundamental
process and underlying technology for producing pigment-grade
titanium dioxide from a titaniferous ore.
"We are pleased to announce our first European
patent, a significant milestone in our global business
strategy," said Dr. Rudi E. Moerck, President of
Altair Nanotechnologies. "The European and Asia-Pacific
regions are important markets in the $9 billion per
year titanium dioxide pigment industry, and we are continuing
to pursue licensing partnerships with industry leaders
worldwide who are looking for a proven process that
is not only environmentally friendly, but utilizes low
cost, readily available feedstocks and provides for
manufacturing cost savings of more than 20 percent."
The expanding worldwide titanium dioxide pigment market
is estimated to exceed $9 billion per year. TiO2 pigment-user
industries include the paint, plastics, paper and ceramics
sectors, which combined are forecasted to expand at
an average rate of 2.8 percent per year for the next
10 years. The European and Asia-Pacific market demands
for titanium dioxide pigment are forecasted to exceed
10 percent growth per year.
Altair's original patent, the first comprehensive patent
for TiO2 pigment production to be issued since the 1950s,
covers a novel combination of processes, including extraction,
purification and pigment formation. Key features of
this patented process include lower operating costs,
minimized environmental and health risks in the process
and the recycling of all the chemical additives used
in the process, thus eliminating essentially all the
hazardous waste disposal issues that plague existing
processes. Altair currently has five patents and 11
patents pending, and is actively seeking global patent
coverage for all 16 patents and patents pending.
ALTAIR NANOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Nanotechnology is rapidly emerging as a unique industry
sector. Altair Nanotechnologies is positioning itself
through product innovation within this emerging industry
to become a leading supplier of nanomaterial technology
and nanomaterials worldwide. Altair owns a proprietary
technology for making nanocrystalline materials of unique
quality both economically and in large quantities. The
company is currently developing special materials with
potential applications in pharmaceuticals, titanium
pigment and metal, batteries, fuel cells, solar cells,
advanced energy storage devices, thermal spray coatings,
catalysts, cosmetics and environmental remediation.
For additional information on Altair and its nanoparticle
materials, visit www.altairnano.com.
For Additional Information:
Marty Tullio or Mark Tullio
McCloud Communications, LLC
949.566.9860
marty@mccloudcommunications.com
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