Nalco
and Keystone
Nano, a nanotechnology development company in State College,
Pennsylvania, have formed a joint venture company, NanoSpecialties,
LLC. The venture will conduct research and development of
nanotechnology that allows for more precise application of various
Nalco water and process treatments.
Keystone Nano has licensed two Penn State University patent
applications that protect the creation of NanoJackets™,
particles with a diameter of about 40 nanometers. The technology was
developed through collaborative efforts between Professor James
Adair’s research group in Penn State’s Materials
Research Institute and Passanati Distinguished Professor Mark
Kester’s research group at the Hershey Medical Center. The
NanoJackets can be customized to contain specialty chemicals within an
exceptionally small, effective, and safe delivery system.
These customized NanoJackets will allow:
- Improved time-release of the treatment agents
- Precise targeting of the treatments at the molecular level
to focus the effects, and
- More stable treatment agents within an engineered nanoscale
package
“This effort with Keystone Nano will develop
cutting-edge means to better deliver Nalco’s world-class
chemistries in a variety of applications. Using nanotechnology will
further improve the effectiveness of our treatment programs while
reducing the amount of chemical used to achieve those
results,” said Nalco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr.
William H. Joyce.
Jeff Davidson, Keystone Nano’s CEO notes that
“Combining the development and marketing strengths of Nalco
with Keystone’s nanotechnology capabilities allows us to
create some very exciting new products for industrial customers. We are
looking forward to commercializing a range of NanoJacket applications
with Nalco.”
Nalco has a long history of work in nanotechnology dating to
the 1950s and the development of colloidal silicas. Recent innovations
such as Core Shell® polymers, modified at the molecular level
for use in wastewater treatment and as process aids in papermaking,
petroleum refining, mining and food and beverage processing, continue
this commitment to innovation.
Keystone Nano is currently using NanoJackets to create new
medical therapeutics with decreased toxicity and dosage levels. The
company is also creating new research and diagnostic imaging
applications featuring stable, versatile nano-imaging products.
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of materials at the
molecular level to achieve specific results. The term derives from
nanometer, a metric unit of measure equal to one billionth of a meter.