Tag Archives: Integran Technologies

Integran’s 2013 SERDP Award and its hockey sticks

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Integran, a company based in Mississauga (sometimes identified as Toronto), Ontario, has received an award for its nanostructured alloy, a replacement for poisonous copper-beryllium, according to a Feb. 13, 2014 news item on Azonano,

Toronto-based Integran Technologies Inc. (Integran) today announced that it has received the 2013 SERDP (Strategic Environmental Research and Defense Program) Project-of-the-Year Award for Weapons Systems and Platforms for the development of a nanostructured alloy for copper-beryllium replacement.

For decades, essential parts in fixed and rotary wing military platforms have been made with copper-beryllium alloys. Beryllium is particularly useful for this purpose because it is both lightweight and strong, a rare combination not found in most other metals. The problem is beryllium is a toxic material that can be harmful to workers who handle it during assembly and repair. Working with beryllium, which requires donning protective gear and taking extensive precautions, is costly and time-consuming.

The Feb. 12, 2014 Integran news release found on MarketWire but oddly not on the company’s website at this time (Feb. 13, 2014) and which originated the news item, describes the process in general terms,

With support from US DoD’s SERDP program and Industry Canada’s Strategic Aerospace and Defense Initiative (SADI) program, Integran developed and validated an electroforming process that produces a nanostructured alloy that matches the desirable properties of copper-beryllium, particularly for use as high load bushings. This pulsed electroplating process goes beyond merely coating a metal object. Rather, near-net-shape components are created that require little to no machining to achieve final dimensions, resulting in very little material waste. The work also showed this innovative process can be used successfully for large metal sheets and high conductivity wires, both of which are used in multiple military applications.

Integran’s Aerospace and Defense R&D Unit Manager Brandon Bouwhuis states, “The validation testing performed in this project demonstrates that these nanostructured alloys can meet or exceed the performance of copper beryllium in many applications, and could result in substantial cost savings for the US DoD and Canadian Military through the decreased use of toxic substances.”

There is no mention in this news release as to whether Integran’s replacement alloy might itself be poisonous or toxic in some form.

I checked the Integran website and found that it lists one product, Nanovate. I was not able to find any information about environmental testing but there is this on the company’s  Why Nanovate™? webpage (Note: Links have been removed),

Integran is a world leader in development and manufacturing of revolutionary electrodeposited (plated) nanocrystalline “Nanovate™” metals. Our nanotechnology enabled metals take advantage of the fine crystalline grain structure to achieve superior performance at reduced weight vs conventional material solutions. Our technology platform consists primarily of Nickel, Iron, Cobalt and Copper alloys that we use to create high performance parts that are:

  • Lighter, stronger, harder and cheaper than Aluminum
  • Corrosion and wear resistant
  • Shielded against low frequency magnetic interference
  • Efficiently absorb energy and noise

In addition to manufacturing products, we also provide services such as:

  • Plating on plastics, including polymers like polyamides (Nylon), PEEK and ABS

I have previously posted about Integran and its alloy many times including this April 16, 2012 posting referencing a Canadian government investment in the company’s technology.

As I was browsing the Integran website I found this on the company’s homepage,

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[downloaded from http://www.integran.com/default.aspx]

The quintessential Canadian enterpreneur’s dream, creating an ‘unbreakable’ hockey stick that never gets ‘tired’. According to a Nov. 7, 2013 posting on the Integran News Blog, the hockey stick was a Kickstarter project,

Congratulations to our partners, Colt Hockey, for meeting and exceeding their goal on Kickstarter to develop a higher performance and more durable composite hockey stick with PowerMetal Technologies.  The project exceeded expectations with over $100,000 raised from almost 500 supporters.

…

This news item seemed particularly à propos during the 2014 Olympics. Good luck to the Canadian women’s and men’s teams!

Commercial launch of mulitlayer nanotechnology-enabled coating from Mississauga-based (Ontario, Canada) Integran

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The Aug. 16, 2012 news item by Will Soutter for Aznonano is one of the more enigmatic pieces I’ve read,

Integran Technologies, based in Toronto [Mississauga is close to Toronto and, for familiarity’s sake, is sometimes referred to as Toronto in news releases]], has reported the commercial availability of its innovative nanostructured multilayer coating technology.

Integran Technologies’ proprietary graded, multi-layer and nanolaminate technology delivers unprecedented design options in applying novel structural and functional improvements to a broad range of semi-finished and finished components, which include polymer composites, polymers and metals.

For the life of me, I can’t find a name for or more detail about this ‘new’ technology. I checked the Aug. 14, 2012 company news release and can’t find a name. This announcement seems more focused on the patents than the technology,

Under development for several years with the support of the Canadian Government and the US Department of Defense, Integran’s proprietary graded, multi-layer and nanolaminate technology is covered by a number of specific US and foreign patent filings including the recently issued US 8,129,034 which applies to lightweight articles, precision molds, sporting goods and automotive parts, and covers specific fine-grained metallic coatings and nanolaminates containing Ni, Cu, Co, Fe, Mo, W, Zn, P, B and C.

Klaus Tomantschger, Integran’s Vice President, Intellectual Property and Licensing stated ”Integran is pleased by the US Patent Office’s determination that Integran’s unique grain-refinement technology also extends to its proprietary multi-layer laminate coating technology”. [sic]

You can find out more about Integran here and in my Sept. 4, 2008 posting, my March 26, 2012 posting, my April 16, 2012 posting, and my  May 10, 2012 posting.

US fluid power market and Toronto’s Integran

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There’s more than one NCC, which I’ve used exclusively as an abbreviation for nanocystalline cellulose. There’s also nanocrystalline Cobalt according to the May 9, 2012 news item on Nanowerk highlighting another NCC and Toronto’s Integran Technologies, Inc.,

Toronto-based Integran Technologies, Inc. (Integran) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Enduro Industries LLC (Enduro) to extend Enduro’s license exclusivity term for Integran’s nanocrystalline Cobalt electroplating process, Nanovate™ CoP, in the US fluid power market by five years.

Enduro Industries LLC of Hannibal, Missouri, a subsidiary of PTC Alliance, and a major manufacturer of hard chrome steel bars and tubes for the fluid power industry, has successfully marketed a corrosion and wear resistant Nano-CobaltTM alternative alongside its conventional engineered hard chrome (EHC) ChromerodTM and Chromrod ExtremeTM product lines.

I notice they don’t use the NCC abbreviation; I imagine they would prefer to avoid any confusion.  Integran’s company president and CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Gino Palumbo goes on to hint at further developments due to this renewed licensing agreement but offers no details, from the news item,

“Furthermore, this agreement will now extend to other Cobalt-based Nanovate coatings systems and a new field repair process recently developed by Integran.”

I have mentioned Integran before, most recently in an April 16, 2012 posting about a Canadian federal government investment in the company and in a March 26, 2012 posting about a deal with Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Canadian government as a venture capitalist and its Integran investment

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Canada’s Minister of Industry, Christian Paradis, has just announced a $339,386 investment in Integran Technologies Inc. The company is based in Mississauga [sometimes identified as Toronto], Ontario and I mentioned it most recently in my March 26, 2012 posting in regard to a business deal with Pratt & Whitney and Integran’s electroplating process for the aerospace industry. (Integran is also mentioned in my Sept. 4, 2008 posting about $4.5M in research funds from the Canadian government for coatings in the US-led Joint Strike Fighter Program [presumably military airplanes].)

Here’s a little more about the investment, which is to be repaid, (from the April 16, 2012 news item on Nanowerk),

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, today announced a repayable [emphasis mine] government investment of $399,386 in a project by Integran Technologies Inc. The Mississauga-based company is developing innovative nano-structured aerospace and defence products that will offer superior performance while meeting the highest environmental standards. The contribution will be made through the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative.

…

Integran’s project will result in the creation of next-generation metal alloys that are more robust and free from toxic beryllium copper. This will help expand the company’s product line and its customer base. As part of the initiative, Integran will collaborate with graduate-level engineering students from the University of Toronto.

“Since being founded over 12 years ago, Integran has been committed to developing environmentally benign alternatives to toxic materials and processes,” said Gino Palumbo, Integran’s President and CEO. “Integran is confident that through this program, our core patented nanotechnology can be optimized and demonstrated to be a viable, cost-effective alternative to the alloying of copper with toxic beryllium-a strengthening process that remains in widespread use for various industrial, aerospace and defence applications.”

The latest funds appear to be part of a new approach to science and research funding by the Canadian government.  From the news item,

Economic Action Plan 2012 commits $1.1 billion over five years to directly support business innovation and makes available $500 million for venture capital to realign the government’s approach to promoting innovation and create better opportunities for businesses. This includes helping high-growth firms access risk capital, increasing direct support for business innovation, supporting private and public research collaboration, supporting innovation through procurement, refocusing National Research Council Canada, and improving the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentive program.

The mention of venture capital, supporting innovation through procurement, refocusing the National Research Council, etc. were all recommendations made in the Jenkins report (Innovation Canada: A Call to Action aka, Report on Review of Federal Support to R&D). I last posted about the report on Oct. 21, 2011 at about the time it was released.

Integran’s nano-enabled electroplating process takes to the air

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A Toronto-based (Canada) company has licensed its nano-enabled cobalt electroplating process to Pratt & Whitney Canada. From the March 26, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

Toronto-based Integran Technologies, Inc. (Integran) today announced that it has licensed its nano Cobalt electroplating process (Nanovate™ CoP) to Montreal-based Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (PWCC) for deployment as an alternative to hard chromium electroplating in gas turbine power plant applications for aerospace use.

Integran’s nanotechnology can be used to replace existing hard chromium plating processes known to cause adverse health effects ranging from lung cancer to skin ulcerations. The highly efficient Nanovate™ CoP coating process avoids these health issues and furthermore reduces greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.

Here’s a little more about Integran Technologies from their About Integran page,

Integran is a world leader in revolutionary metallurgical nano-technologies, pushing the boundaries of “lighter, better, cheaper” with products based on our “Nanovate” nanocrystalline metal platform. Integran and its predecessor organizations have been at the forefront of metallurgical nano-technology development for over twenty years. From the first large scale structural application for nano-structured materials in (the award-winning Electrosleeve process for nuclear steam generator repair) and one of the earliest issued US patents in the field of nanotechnology, Integran has established an international reputation for excellence in materials technology development and commercialization.

From Integran’s About Nanovate™? page (Note: I have removed some links),

Integran is a world leader in development and manufacturing of revolutionary electrodeposited (plated) nanocrystalline “Nanovate™” metals.   Our nanotechnology enabled metals take
advantage of the fine crystalline grain structure to achieve superior performance at reduced weight vs conventional material solutions.  Our technology platform consists primarily of Nickel, Iron, Cobalt and Copper alloys that we use to create high performance parts that are:

  • Lighter, stronger, harder and cheaper than Aluminum
  • Corrosion and wear resistant
  • Shielded against low frequency magnetic interference
  • Efficiently absorb energy and noise

Here’s a diagram (full size available on the Integran Technologies website) illustrating the differences,

From the About Nanovate™ page on the Integran Technologies website

As for Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC), here’s more from the About PWC page,

Every second, a Pratt & Whitney Canada powered aircraft takes off or lands somewhere in the world.

We power the largest fleet of business and regional aircraft and helicopters – more than 45,000 engines around the world.

We boast 10,000+ operators and 700+ airlines in more than 195 countries.

PWC’s boasts make one wonder just how much revenue this contract will generate for Integran? There’s no mention of money in Integran’s press release.