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HOUSTON--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--July 13, 2004--Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc.
-- Provides patent coverage for single-wall carbon
nanotubes having nanometer-scale coatings.
-- Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. now has patent coverage
for both covalent and non-covalent modifications of
single-wall carbon nanotubes.
Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI) announced today
the allowance of another U.S. Patent, this one for
coated single-wall carbon nanotubes and ropes of single-wall
carbon nanotubes. The technology gives CNI a patent
on a composition that is single-wall carbon nanotubes
with a nanometer-scale coating of another material
that can include polymers and metals. This technology
is part of the intellectual property developed by
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Richard Smalley
and licensed exclusively to CNI by Rice University
in 2001.
"This important new technology facilitates dispersions
of single-wall carbon nanotubes in polymers and other
matrices and substantially broadens their range of
end uses," said Dr. Smalley, Chairman of CNI
and University Professor at Rice University.
A variety of materials are attracted to single-wall
carbon nanotubes and form nanometer-scale coatings
on the surface of the nanotubes. Such non-covalent
interactions provide an important tool to assist in
the ultimate dispersion of carbon nanotubes into solvents,
polymers and other media.
The newly-allowed patent substantially strengthens
CNI's portfolio of application-enabling intellectual
property that facilitates the use of small-diameter
carbon nanotubes in applications ranging from electrically-conductive
plastic composites to new kinds of large, reasonably-priced
flat-panel TV screens. Other CNI application-enabling
patents that have been issued or allowed include coverage
for cutting single-wall carbon nanotubes; removing
the end caps of the nanotubes; composition of matter
coverage for single-wall carbon nanotubes with other
substituents covalently bonded to them; and composite
materials of such "chemically-derivatized"
nanotubes, where the nanotubes are substantially aligned.
Such alignment is required in many nanotube composite
applications such as a new breed of super-strong composite
fibers that are a blend of single-wall carbon nanotubes
and other high-strength polymer materials.
"This patent further demonstrates CNI's commitment
to and success in building an industry-leading patent
portfolio that covers all relevant forms of nanotube
production, their processing and manipulation, and
their use in a wide range of applications. CNI now
has very broad intellectual property coverage for
all forms of derivatizing single-wall carbon nanotubes,
both covalent and non-covalent modifications. It also
provides coverage for cutting nanotubes and for compositions
of matter for revolutionary composite materials,"
said Bob Gower, President and CEO of CNI.
Small diameter carbon nanotubes are an example of
a nanotechnology that is now reaching the commercial
arena. These nanostructures comprise large molecules
of carbon, cylindrical in form and are about 1-3 nanometers
(billionths of a meter) in diameter and hundreds to
thousands of nanometers long. As individual molecules,
single-wall carbon nanotubes have a tensile strength
that is 100 times that of high-strength steel and
about one-sixth the density of steel. They conduct
electricity and heat extremely well, and many believe
that they represent the next revolution in polymer
technology.
CNI has over 100 patents and patent applications with
a total of about 5000 claims in various stages of
prosecution. Twenty-five of these with a total of
about 900 claims have been issued or allowed. The
portfolio of 100 patents and applications includes
about 650 composition of matter claims, over 40 of
which have been issued or allowed thus far.
CNI has several pilot plants to produce single-wall
and other small-diameter carbon nanotubes in operation
at its location in west Houston. The company is nearing
completion of a facility with a design capacity of
100 pounds per day.
The company currently has close to 450 customers worldwide
and has an exclusive relationship with Sumitomo Corporation
for marketing and distribution of CNI products in
Japan. Contacts
CNI, Houston
Ray McLaughlin, 281-492-5821
mclaughlin@cnanotech.com
or
Sumitomo
Nobuo Aoki, +81 (3) 51664535
nobuo.aoki@em.sumitomocorp.co.jp
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