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In this issue...

Foreword
Innovation – the centre of corporate strategiese
Lord Sainsbury, UK Minister for Science and Innovation
British Innovations
Automotive
On the road again
Christopher Macgowan, Chief Executive, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
Fossil Fuels – An Energy source for the Future
Greg Lewin, President, Shell Global Solutions
Chain of success
Kenny McKay, Director, and Will Wright, Manager, Restructuring practice at KPMG
Patents
Innovation and the Patent Office
Lawrence Smith-Higgins, Head of Awareness Information & Media The UK Patent Office
Biotechnology
Benefits of association
Dr Michael Moore, CEO, PIramed Ltd
Innovation and strength in the UK biotech sector
Aisling Burnand, Chief Executive, BioIndustry Association
Simfonec: Helping make good research BIG business
Heron Evidence Development: Successful deal of missed opportunity
Springwell Ltd: Match-maker for Innovative Technologies
Korn/Ferry International: Pharmaceutical companies desire to break the mould
A quality core interface
Dominique Kleyn head of BioPharma Business Development, Imperial College London
Evolutec Group: Creating a range of commercial options
Moving forward
Dr Ceri Williams, Senior Manager, Science and Innovation at Yorkshire Forward and Dr Danielle Hankin, Bioscience Cluster Manager
Oxitech: Revolutionising SIT Programmes
Oxford Expression Technologies: Meeting the needs of the post-genomic era
Business Services
Innovating business related services
Norma Rose, Director-General, Business Services Association
BT: Innovation Strategy and Innovation Continuum
Creative
UK Film Council: How the UK wins in the international film industry?
Defence
On the defence
Major General Alan Sharman CBE, Director General, Defence Manufacturers Association
ProEtch: Precision parts of quality
Wallop Defence Systems: Aircraft Countermeasures and the Dual Spectral Threat
Education
Education, Education, Education
Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Applied Sciences at Wolverhampton - Innovation in Higher Education Professor Trevor Hocking, Associate Dean, International Development
Energy
Wind energy
Marus Rand, Chief Executive, British Wind Energy Association
Vital energy
Ian Leitch, Commercial Director, Energy Industries Council
Waterman Group: Solutions to solve climate control legislation
Environment
Winning the war against germs
Dr Ron Mitchell, Managing Director, GB Environmental
Financial
Show me the money! Funding for innovation – who can help?
IT
UK: Innovation Nation?
Launching the “Innovation Nation?” initiative
Innovation in the 21st Century
Gemma Harman, Director of Strategy & Media, BT Chief Technology Office
Manufacturing
UK Manufacturing - a driving force for innovation
Andrew Manly, Director General, Manufacturing Technologies Association
Waterman Group: Single project model 3D
Renishaw: Achieving global manufacturing competitiveness in the UK
Medical
Yorkshire Forward
Nanotechnology
The European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance
Del Stark, Chief Executive, European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance
University research drives a new wave of innovation
Omar Cheema, Nanotechnology Business Development, Imperial College London
Oxford Instruments: Enabling nanoscience and nanotechnology
Semefab (Scotland): A real driver of change
Metal Nanopowders: New products that meet your needs
Regional Development
London Development Agency: One jump ahead
91Advantage West Midlands: At the heart of it all 95
   

Nanotechnology

Introducing Metal Nanopowders Limited

 


Figure 1. Aluminium nanopowder

Nanopowders with average particle sizes below 100nm have attracted increasing commercial interests because of their unique physical and chemical properties caused by significantly high surface area and high fraction of atoms located at their surfaces. These unique properties allow such powders to have (i) enhanced chemical reaction, (ii) faster sintering kinetics, (iii) higher electrical resistivity, (iv) increased magnetic coecivity and (v) size-dependent absorption behaviour. They are ideal candidates for catalysts, magnetic recording tapes, magnetic fl uid, conducting paste, antibacterial agent, metallic paints, additives for propellants/ explosive, microwave absorption, batteries and other electronic applications.

Metal Nanopowders Limited welcomes co-development of new products that meet your needs

Emerging processes for producing nano-sized powders include inert gas condensation, electro-explosion of wire, mechanochemical processing, plasma torch processing, fl ame spray pyrolysis, sonochemical synthesis, chemical precipitation, and electrochemical method. However, these methods require either expensive equipment such as vacuum-based systems, chemical reaction chambers, plasma torches, powder purification units and/or limited choice of material, as well as having high energy costs.


Figure 2. Zinc Oxide nanopowder

Metal Nanopowders Ltd is a spinout company from the University of Birmingham. It was founded by Dr Chang in 2003. The company specialises in the production and supply of nanopowders using a patented process that can offer energy efficiency, fl exibility on the choice of raw materials, easily scale up to large batch production, applicable to a wide variety of materials as compared to conventional and other emerging production processes. Our facility allows us to produce a range of nanopowders, including metals (eg Aluminium, Iron, Nickel, Silver, Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, Titanium), oxides (eg Tin Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Aluminium Oxide) and nitrides (eg Titanium Nitride), with exception purity and physical/chemical properties in both small and large batch quantities (see figures 1-3).

The patented process involves the evaporation of either bulk or granular materials using a cost-effective concentrated heat source provided by an arc-discharge method. The vapour species are then quenched into nanosized powders by the surrounding cooling medium. These powders can then be collected dry or in suspension of either organic or aqueous medium. By adjusting the processing conditions, particle nucleation and morphology can be controlled to produce nanopowders with desirable size and shape.


Figure 3. Titanium nitride nanopowder

Metal Nanopowders Limited have already supplied nanopowders to several pharmaceutical companies in UK and abroad (eg GSK and FeRx) in the past. Currently, the company is developing new nanopowder products for advanced electrical and domestic applications. In addition, Metal Nanopowders Limited welcomes codevelopment of new products that meet your needs and licensing of nanopowder production technology.


Metal Nanopowders Limited

Department of Metallurgy and Materials
The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2TT, UK
Tel/Fax: +44 (0)121 414 5167
E-mail:

Website: www.metalnanopowders.com