Tag Archives: Hy-Power Nano

Liquid solar blocker from Ontario’s Hy-Power Nano

Hy-Power Nano, mentioned in my Aug. 15, 2012 posting, has announced its first nanotechnology-enabled product and it’s a coating product for windows. From the Sept. 3, 2012 news item by Will Soutter item on Azonano,

Hy-Power Nano, the subsidiary of South Ontario-based [Canada] Hy-Power Coatings, engaged in developing nanocoating products characterized by thermal insulation and a solar blocking capability has introduced its first product labeled the Hy-Power Clear Liquid Solar Blocker.

The launch of the solar blocker represents a significant milestone in the company’s endeavors towards the development of nanotechnology-based coating products. The product was demonstrated in Mississauga at the International Conference Centre to a group of customers. The product is the output of two-and-a-half years of labor initiated after Hy-Power Nano President and CEO, Joseph Grzyb, envisaged the potential of leveraging their 46 years of expertise in industrial coating in combination with nanotechnology.

Hy-Power Nano’s Aug. 31, 2012 product announcement offers this comment from the company’s president, Joseph Grzyb,

“While we all love sunlight, ultraviolet (UV) rays can be damaging and infrared (IR) rays are a source of energy costs,” says Joseph Grzyb, President and CEO of Hy-Power Nano. “Our Clear Liquid Solar Blocker is so clear you can’t see it on glass, yet it blocks 99.99 per cent of UV and 40 per cent of infrared rays. Since the product is liquid-based, it can be applied on a variety of glass surfaces and geometries.”

“There are many applications for this product. For example, for retailers, that means products in windows won’t fade from sunlight while allowing customers a completely unobstructed view of the goods in the window. Skylights coated with our product allow people to enjoy the comfort and natural light without any negative impacts. There are actually quite a range of needs addressed by this product,” adds Grzyb.

There’s a lot of research interest in windows these days and it’s not just in Canada. This Aug. 27, 2012 Nanowerk Spotlight essay by Michael Berger offers an overview of some of the latest work,

Buildings and other man-made structures consume as much as 30-40% of the primary energy in the world, mainly for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting. In particular, air conditioners are responsible for a large proportion of the energy usage in the US: 13% in 2006 and 10% in 2020 (projected) of the total primary energy. Air conditioning in China is 40-60% of a building’s energy consumption (the exact figure depends on the area of the building), and overall, accounts for 30% of the total primary energy available. These figures will grow very rapidly with urbanization development.

“Smart window” is a term that refers to a glass window that allows intelligent control of the amount of light and heat passing though. This control is made possible by an external stimulus such as electrical field (electrochromic), temperature (thermochromic), ultraviolet irradiation (photochromic) and reductive or oxidizing gases (gasochromic). These technologies save energy, address CO2 concerns, improve comfort levels, and have economic benefits.

One of these days I’d like to see a study or two about the occupational health and safety issues for people who produce and apply coatings such as this one from Hy-Power.

The Avro Arrow, Hy-Power Nano, and Dr. Hadi Mahabadi

Before launching into the nano part of this story, here’s a brief description  for anyone who’s not familiar with the legendary Canadian Avro Arrow airplane, from the Wikipedia essay,

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited (Canada) in Malton, Ontario, as the culmination of a design study that began in 1953. Considered to be both an advanced technical and aerodynamic achievement for the Canadian aviation industry, the CF-105 held the promise of Mach 2 speeds at altitudes exceeding 50,000 ft (15,000 m), and was intended to serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) primary interceptor in the 1960s and beyond.

Not long after the 1958 start of its flight test program, the development of the Arrow (including its Orenda Iroquois jet engines) was abruptly and controversially halted before the project review had taken place, sparking a long and bitter political debate.

The controversy engendered by the cancellation and subsequent destruction of the aircraft in production, remains a topic for debate among historians, political observers and industry pundits. “This action effectively put Avro out of business and its highly skilled engineering and production personnel scattered… The incident was a traumatic one… and to this day, many mourn the loss of the Arrow.”

Apparently, one young engineer moved on from the Avro experience to found his own company, Hy-Power Coatings Ltd.  which recently begat Hy-Power Nano. From the Hy-Power Nano History page,

In 1966, an engineer from Canada’s famed Avro Arrow Project took his unique knowledge of coatings and incorporated Hy-Power Coatings Limited in Brampton, Ontario. In 1975, Joseph G. Grzyb became President and principal owner of this privately held company. Mr. Grzyb was able to harness coatings expertise to evolve the electrostatic paint process and dozens of other coating innovations. A commitment to coating service excellence through innovation and customer service have made Hy-Power a premier coatings service provider.

Today, Hy-Power CEO Joseph Grzyb leads a strong, tenured team of coating professionals that service a loyal blue chip customer base.

Hy-Power Coatings’ experience resides in the finishing and refinishing of common substrates (metal, masonry, plastic, etc.). The company has strong core competencies in paint and coating application, as well as innovating coating products and application techniques.

Hy-Power has successfully improved many coating products to more environmentally friendly water-based compositions without sacrificing finish quality or durability.

There’s no mention in the company history of when they included a nano subsidiary with the main business but it’s somewhat recent (as per the news article by Peter Criscione which is excerpted further in this posting)  as they appear to be in the early stages of product development with something called, Thermal Liquid Glass listed on the home page,

 … a clear nano-enhanced coating for glass that maintains light clarity and blocks UV and R rays.

The company (Hy-Power Nano) has just announced the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Hadi Mahabadi. From the Aug. 14, 2012 article by Peter Criscione for the Brampton Guardian (Ontario, Canada),

In 2010, Hy-Power Nano Inc. was established as Hy-Power Coatings’ “scientific branch” to further research and development of proprietary nano-based insulating coatings.
Although just getting started, Hy-Power Nano, which employs about 50 people, has taken major steps to boost its brand including bringing Mahabadi on to help “bring exceptional products to market.”
Previously, Dr. Mahabadi was vice president and director of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, where he spearheaded many innovations and commercialized technologies.
Mahabadi, 66, spent 30 years with Xerox, rising to the company’s top Canadian research position.
He retired from Xerox in September 2011 with more than 100 published scientific papers and 70 U.S. patents to his name, as well as receiving numerous honours.
In June, he received an Order of Canada for his internationally recognized innovations in the field of polymer science and “his commitment to promoting scientific development in Canada.”
Mahabadi is also a recipient of the Robert F. Reed Technology Medal (the Printing Industries of America’s highest honour), two Xerox President Awards (the corporation’s highest honour for individual achievement) and the University of Waterloo’s Engineering Alumni’s Achievement Medal.
He is also a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, a Fellow of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Mahabadi is currently president of CanWin Consulting Inc, which provides a range of services for innovation to start-up and other small and medium enterprises in Canada.
His credentials are impeccable, said Joseph Grzyb, Hy-Power Nano CEO.
“Dr. Hadi Mahabadi offered tremendous insights when he joined our board in February 2012 and also served as a consultant,” Grzyb said.
“We quickly realized he could play a more active role in the company by becoming COO. He’s a great addition to the Hy-Power Nano team.”
Mahabadi said he was attracted to the job because he’s intrigued with the nanotechnology commercialization work the company is doing.

Congratulations  to Dr. Mahabadi!

For anyone interested in more information about thermochromic windows, there’s my July 11, 2012 posting where I featured RavenBrick and its thermochromic windows.