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D787-TV
April 08, 2016
Nanotechnology Alert
(TechVision)
Nanotechnology Facilitates Development of Fibers
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Section Number
Electrospinning of Fiber Solutions- An Introduction 4
Nanospider™ Electrospinning Technology 5
Centrifugal Spinning to Create Nanofibers 6
Forcespinning Technology for Fiber Production 7
Electrospinning Fibers with Embedded Particles 8
Strategic Insights 9
Key Patents 12
Industry Contacts 15
Contents
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Fiber Production through Nanotechnology
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Electrospinning of Fiber Solutions-An Introduction
The main drivers for development of electrospinning techniques are:
Fabrication of nanoscale systems in the form of nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and
nanofibers
Ability to control system’s morphology
Simple construction of the equipment and well understood mechanism of the process.
Ability to spatially orient fabricated nanomaterial and deposit it in the desired manner.
Electrospinning is a technique allowing for fabrication of materials at nanoscale.
Applicability of electrospinning is still hampered by some technical drawbacks.
Low material output - maximum production yield is around 1 to 1.5(ml) of solution per
hour, which is not satisfactory for most of the applications.
Fibers’ diameter is in the range of 100 nm to 1 micrometer. There are new approaches
to provide fibers of size few tens of nanometers (at voltage potentials of 10 to 15 kV).
Moderate problems with scalability – Application of few nozzles in one spinning system
requires smart system design because interactions between nozzles could affect
spinning quality.
Electric requirements with regard to the material – Spun solution has to exhibit specific
fluidal properties and electrical conductivity. Besides, the electrospinning process is not
stable.
The electrospinning
technique is being continuously
investigated by scientists as the
most precise method for
nanoscale material fabrication.
However, its low productivity
forces developers to look for
other reliable techniques.
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Nanospider™ Electrospinning Technology
Nanotechnology offers additional benefits, such as the use of lesser materials for enhanced properties. Elmarco is an early bird in this game and
is poised to take the first mover’s advantage.
Analyst Perspective
Technology Profile Elmarco is a supplier of
nanofiber producing
equipment.
The company has developed an
electrospinning technology that can output
nanofibers at industrial scale.
While the company
has its HQ and
domicile in the
Czech Republic, it
has other offices in
Tokyo and America.
Who
What
Where
Innovation Attributes
The process requires the presence of a liquid medium for dispersion of
the basic material. The material that needs to be spun can be soluble in
water (which is non-toxic) or any other polar solvent. There is also no
needle base spinneret in the machine set-up for the production of
nanofibers.
The technology is called Nanospider™ and also allows for production of
fibers with diameter of less than 500 nm at industrial scale.
Potential Applications
The technology can be used for
making fibers that can be applied in
sectors, such as (but not limited to)
defense, healthcare, energy, and fast-
moving consumer goods (FMCG).
History
The company was founded in 2000 and has deep
connections with Technical University of Liberec
(TUL) in the Czech Republic. The company has sold
more than 150 machines across its various product
lines.
Commercialization Strategy
Their product range encompasses nanofiber
equipment for laboratories to enable the development
process, over production lines for low to moderate
production volumes, to industrial scale high volume
production.
This versatile technology is easily adapted to a
variety of process parameters for the optimization of
the specific properties of the produced nanofibers.
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Centrifugal Dry Spinning to Create Nanofibers
• High productivity (1.000 cm³/m*h polymer)
• No polymer degradation
• Easy coating of heavy base webs due to
separate mechanisms for fiber and web
formation
• Accurate control of web weight in production
direction over time
• Controlled feeding of the polymer solution by
spin pumps
• 100% of the polymer solution is converted to
fibers
• Automatic cleaning run at shut down
• Compact design of high output units for easy
integration in existing lines
Problem Statement
Tech Profile
Innovation Attributes
• Some materials such as recombinant biological fibers are found in fiber state
only naturally (such as spider webs, cocoons, and silk).
• When such materials (primarily made up of protein) are produced in an
artificial manner, it is important to spin these materials into the same fiber
format so that their properties can be used for real-world applications.
Impact of Product in the next 3 years
• The company is basically a spinning machine manufacturing company
• It has a good degree of experience in wet spinning and water soluble
spinning systems.
• DIENES provides lines, machines, and components for the melt and
wet spinning, drawing, cooling, heating, coating, and drying of yarns,
filaments, films, tapes, and other flexible products.
• They design and manufacture pilot to lab scale systems.
Limitation
• The clear limitation of the technology at the current state is the
inability to scale up.
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Forcespinning Technology for Fiber Production
The company has a strong and unique technology platform that offers the ability to spin out almost any kind of material into a nanofiber format. If
the company can imaginatively capture its potential applications then FibeRio’s technology will definitely capture greater market share.
Analyst Perspective
Technology Profile FibeRio Technology
Corporation
The company has developed a different kind
of spinning technology. The technique
employs a combination of melt spinning and
their proprietary ForcespinningTM Technology.
The company is
located in the US
and has its offices in
Texas.
Who
What
Where
Innovation Attributes Forcespinning can be thought of as making of fibers the same way
sugar is melted and spun in a candy floss machine.
According to company sources, this particular technique allows for the
production of nanofibers that offer 2 orders of magnitude increase in
output.
Even line speeds are said to be as fast as 200 meters per minute.
Has the potential to offer melt spin as a technology platform
Potential Applications
As the output fiber types can vary
from biological to ceramic, potential
applications can range anywhere
from healthcare to ICT-based
applications.
History
The company which was founded in 2009 is still in its
early stages. It is currently targeting four specific
markets which are: Apparel, Filtration, Healthcare and
Electronics. The company is constantly improving its
technology platform through in-house R&D.
Commercialization Strategy
The company looks to form partnerships with various
firms for developing fibers for specific applications. For
example, FibeRio recently partnered with VF
Corporation in order to enter the apparel and footwear
markets in nanofiber technology. Company sources
indicate that most of its customers are in the filtration
market.
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Electrospinning Fibers with Embedded Particles
Nanotechnology offers additional benefits such as the use of lesser materials for enhanced properties. SNS Nano Fiber Technology is an early
bird in this game and is poised to take the first mover’s advantage.
Analyst Perspective
Technology Profile SNS Nano Fiber Technology
LLC is part of a family of
companies, which includes
Struktol Company of
America.
The company has developed a proprietary
nanofiber production process that can spin out
customized fibers to specification.
The company is
headquartered in
Ohio, USA.
Who
What
Where
Innovation Attributes
The company’s production and distribution operations have been
certified to the ISO 13485:2003 (w/Design) and ISO 9001 (w/Design)
International Quality System Standards.
The company uses the standard electrospinning technique but has the
ability to embed various particles into the resultant fiber matrix, making
the final material unique.
The company can manufacture specialized nanofiber matrices in woven
mats. They mainly spin meter-long continuous fibers in the nano range
but they have some earlier experience in spinning fibers in the 5 micron
range.
Potential Applications
In addition to its standard products, the company’s
R&D team is able to make nanofibers from a variety of
polymers, including but not limited to polyvinyl
alcohol, polyvinylidene, fluoride, polyvinyl pyrrolidone,
polycaprolactone, nylon, and others.
History
The company is relatively new and was founded in
early 2007. The formation of the company is the
direct result of cooperation between the University
of Akron and Schill & Seilacher.
Commercialization Strategy
The company functions as a contract manufacturer
who can develop unique formulations for fibers that
have embedded particles.
Toward this end, the company has cGMP facilities
that can even develop medical products should the
need arise.
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Strategic Insights
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Strategic Insights Comparison of Spinning with Electrospinning
Electrospinning is a
technique prevailing in
research studies on various
applications mostly due to the
easy methodology and ability to
produce good quality
nanofibers.
With one known exception of
Elmarco, this technology
suffers from low productivity.
Traditional spinning
techniques are limited to
micron sized solutions.
However, there are
technology providers that offer
centrifugal spinning (Dienes) or
force spinning (FibeRio
Technology) capable of
fabricating nanofibers with
output even 3 orders higher
than electrospinning.
Flowrates
Sizes
• Wet and Dry spinning offers higher spinning
rates, but fibers’ diameters are limited to a few
microns.
• Traditional spinning techniques offer high
production yield in the range of grams per
minute per orifice.
WET and DRY SPINNING
• Electrospinning comes with small fibers (down to few tens of
nanometers) and good material structure control.
• Its productiveness is limited to maximum 0.7 grams per hour from
one nozzle
• Scaling up the electrospinning is still a challenge due to the problem
of interactions between two adjacent nozzles. However, some
research programs are ongoing to solve this issue.
• The diameter of the fibers decides the performance of the resultant
material mostly in biomedical applications, where biocompatibility
and cell adhesion is crucial for performance. Electrospinning is
capable of addressing this need.
TRADITIONAL ELECTROSPINNING
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Short Term Medium Term
Impact
Long Term
Customer loyalty (switching barrier)
Lack of mature processing
technologies
Capital cost requirements
Low
High
Strategic Analysis Entry Barrier Analysis
Processing of various fibers requires development of appropriate techniques. However, the current attempts in this regard are very promising.
Customer loyalty refers mostly to good understanding of currently used solutions (as collagen) and lack of knowledge on a lot of novel material capabilities. This barrier is short term and minor.
It is believed that biological fibers will require significant capital costs that would limit the number of new entrants.
The best business model scenario should assume vertical integration of fiber production with the next elements in the value chain.
Intellectual property issues
Necessity of vertical integration
Access to relevant intellectual property will be a valid factor for entrants in the long-term perspective.
Material production landscape is accessible for new entrants capable of securing relevant IP, necessary
capital investments and production value chain integration.
Key Entry Barriers and Their Impact
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Key Patents
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Key Patents
No. Patent No. Publication Date Title Assignee
1 US9272076B2 2016-03-01 Preform produced by electrospinning, method for
producing the same and use of such a preform
Technische Hogeschool
Eindhoven Technical
University Ein
The invention relates to a method for producing a preform by means of an electrospinning process. The present invention also relates to the
use of the present preform as a substrate for growing human or animal tissue thereon. The present invention furthermore relates to a method
for growing human or animal tissue on a substrate, wherein the present preform is used as the substrate.
2 US20160068654A1 2016-03-10 Electrospinning solution Composition for Preparing
Silver Nanofiber
Korea Academy of
Industrial Technology
The present invention relates to an electrospinning solution composition for fabricating a silver nanofiber, and more particularly to an
electrospinning solution composition for fabricating a silver nanofiber through a spinning process, the electrospinning solution including a silver
precursor, a reducing agent, a viscosity modifier, and a solvent wherein the viscosity modifier includes one selected from the group consisting
of dextran, alginate, chitosan, guar gum, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, xanthan gum,
a carboxyvinyl polymer, pectin, sodium alginate, and a combination thereof.
According to the present invention, a viscosity suitable for spinning is maintained by using a viscosity modifier to be able to improve quality of a
silver nanofiber.
3 US20160007498A1 2016-01-07 Heat radiation sheet Innochips Tech Co. Ltd.
Provided is a heat-radiating sheet including a heat-radiating layer having a porous structure with multiple pores, a filler including multiple
thermally conductive particles and filling the pores inside the heat-radiating layer, and an adhesive layer disposed on at least one surface of the
heat-radiating layer.
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Key Patents
No. Patent No. Publication Date Title Assignee
4 US20160047070A1 2016-02-18 Fabric ASUSTek Computer
Inc.
A fabric weaved at least by a first yarn and a second yarn is provided. A first quantum dot material is distributed in the first yarn, and a second
quantum dot material is distributed in the second yarn. An average particle size of the first quantum dot material is different from the average
particle size of the second quantum dot material.
5 US20160045643A1 2016-02-18 Method for Making Biodegradable Anti-Adhesion
Membranes for Cardiac Surgery
Federal State Budgetary
Institution Research
Institute For Complex
Issues Of
Cardiovascular
Diseases
A method for the manufacture of biodegradable membranes for preventing adhesion formation followed open heart surgery is described herein.
The manufacturing of biodegradable membranes is based on polymeric composition, comprised of copolymer of
polyhydroxybutyrate/hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), poly(D,L-lactide) in the ratio of the dried powders of 3:1, the resulting mixture is dissolved in
chloroform to a concentration of 6-9% followed by thorough mixing for 2 hours and heating up to 35° C. The membrane is produced by
electrostatic spinning (electrospinning), wherein biologically active substances from fibrinolytic agents or direct anticoagulants are embedded in
the structure of the fiber.
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Industry Contacts
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Industry Contacts
Kial Gramley,
VP Marketing & Business Development,
FibeRio® Technology Corporation,
4409 W. Wanda Avenue, Suite B,
McAllen, Texas 78503
Phone: +1-956-207-5448
E-mail: [email protected]
Laura M. Frazier,
Director,
SNS Nano Fiber Technology LLC,
5633 Hudson Industrial Parkway
Hudson, Ohio 44236
Phone: 330-655-0030
Fax: 330-655-0035
E-mail: [email protected]
Lockhart ,
Sales Head,
DIENES Apparatebau GmbH,
Philipp-Reis-Straße 16,
63165 Mühlheim am Main, Germany
Phone: +49-6108-7070
E-mail: [email protected]
Fred Lybrand,
CEO,
Elmarco US,
1101 Aviation Parkway, Suite E,
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: +1-919-334-6495
E-mail: [email protected]
