Nov 13 2008
NaturalNano, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: NNAN) (FWB: N3N) announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the Company two patents for the use of naturally occurring nanotubes (HNTTM) in clean energy areas: one in hydrogen storage, and another for the use of mineral based nanotechnology in ultracapacitors, a fast-growing industry where nanotechnology is having a profound impact.
"While NaturalNano's current focus is on short term product applications in plastics and on filling hollow nanotubes for extended release for cosmetics, household products, and agriculture, our R&D initiatives have been identifying additional areas of opportunity. We have an aggressive intellectual property strategy that is creating strong patents in additional markets, which is critical to our future growth," stated Cathy Fleischer, Ph.D., NaturalNano President and CTO.
HYDROGEN STORAGE US PATENT No. 7425232
NaturalNano has been awarded a dominant patent position in the large, emerging market of hydrogen storage. By storing hydrogen gas atoms within NaturalNano's halloysite nanotubes, the need for high pressure storage tanks is reduced both for distribution of the gas and containment in car and truck gas tanks. A tank filled with halloysite nanotubes increases the surface area for the hydrogen gas to adhere to, while reducing the overall pounds per square inch (PSI) in the tank. Similar nanotubes have historically been proposed as hydrogen storage media in cars, trucks and planes. NaturalNano's patent is novel in its application of halloysite for this purpose, which is a naturally occurring material.
ULTRACAPACITORS US PATENT No. 7400490
NaturalNano's ultracapacitor patent is an application of mineral microtubules, including but not limited to halloysite. Ultracapacitors can rapidly generate, hold, and release an electric charge. They play an increasingly critical role in many technologies, especially implanted medical devices.
These patents add to an already long and robust list of patents owned or exclusively licensed by NaturalNano.