Euclid, OH-based MesoCoat, Inc., a venture-backed nanotechnology materials science company, has acquired exclusive commercial rights to a high-density infrared surface modification technology IP portfolio from UT-Battelle, LLC. The breakthrough surface engineering technology was developed over the last decade at the infrared processing center in the industrial materials division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The technology enables the application of coatings and cladding materials at rates that are one to two orders of magnitude faster, and with better quality, than alternate processes such as laser or weld cladding or furnace processing.

The high-density infrared technology enables large areas to be clad rapidly with wear- or corrosion-resistant metal or cermet coatings. The technology allows metallurgical bonding of metal and ceramic coatings to be applied rapidly and at low cost to large areas that are difficult to reach, such as ship decks, building supports, reactor vessels, bridges, and pipes. Additional benefits include the reduced use of natural resources, potential energy conservation, and less reliance on environmentally damaging substances such as chromate primers to protect large structures.

A second ORNL technology that extends the life of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps has been licensed to LED North America of Oak Ridge, TN. The exclusive license covers a graphite foam technology developed by James W. Klett, PhD, a researcher in ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division. LED North America plans to use the graphite foam to passively cool components in LED lamps, which are increasingly sought for applications such as street and parking garage lighting.

Cooling LED lamps is critical to increasing their efficiency, considering that each 10-degree decrease in temperature can double the life of the lighting components. Using graphite foam to manage the heat of LEDs more efficiently could help extend the lamp’s lifespan and lower its price, making the lamps more attractive to a broader consumer base. In addition, graphite foam’s high thermal conductivity, low weight, and easy machinability give the material greater design flexibility and make it a lighter and more efficient cooling option. “While this technology will reduce temperatures and increase the life of the LED lighting systems, what it will really do is save municipalities millions of dollars every year in replacement fixture costs [and] maintenance,” Klett says.

Sources: Nanowerk and Nano Patents and Innovations

Posted September 1st, 2010 under Tech Transfer

Write a comment