Summary:
A Cypriot SME offers an innovative process to address the problem of strength-weight ratio in material applications. The company is looking for composite material component manufacturers and manufacturers of pre-impregnated textiles (prepregs) for the polymer composites industry that currently uses or needs enhanced dry fabrics and/or prepregs for high performing fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite components. Collaboration via commercial agreements with technical assistance are envisioned.
Description:
The Cypriot company was founded in 2013 by two experienced mechanical engineers and a senior economist aiming to create an innovative company in the field of advanced polymer composite materials that will put Cyprus on the world map of innovative composite materials.
The company focuses on the design and manufacturing of advanced composite materials, by identifying the problems and needs of customers in a variety of industries such as aviation, defence, sports, automotive, shipping etc. and by providing them with a variety of material services and product solutions in the field of materials. The company has access, either within its premises or through external partners, to a variety of specialized technical equipment and processes, which enables it to deliver both intermediate materials and end-products.
The company's innovative proprietary technological process can improve textiles such as carbon, glass, aramid, hybrid, and other fabrics.
The innovative process is based on “scaled nanotechnology” and inspired by structures found in nature and consists of 3 phases:
1) Nanomaterial creation
2) Nanomaterial insertion to fabrics
3) Nanomaterial Consolidation with fabrics
The resulting fabric product in a multilayer FRP structure presents the following properties compared to conventional fibre reinforced polymer (FRPs):
• up to 300% stronger in terms of Mode II fracture toughness,
• up to 70% stronger in terms of Mode I fracture toughness,
• up to 20% in terms of tensile strength and
• up to 80% in terms of impact and compression after impact
The company can provide its innovative product for testing in the following manner:
1. Signature of Non-Disclosure Agreement
2. Definition of application of innovative material technology
3. Receive technical fabric (carbon, aramid, glass, etc.) from the manufacturer (either directly from supplier or from inventory).
4. Processing of technical fabric through the innovative process and preparation in complete package.
5. Send enhanced technical fabric back to the manufacturer for testing in specific composite part application.
6. Upon evaluation of the material and implementation, feedback is sent to the company together with or not expressed interest for collaboration.
The company is looking for industry partners in the business of composite material component manufacturing and manufacturing of pre-impregnated textiles (prepregs) for the polymer composites industry.
These manufacturers could be producing composite material components and/or prepregs for the following sectors: Telecommunications, Transportation, Automotive, Space, Aviation, Defence.
Collaboration is envisaged by means of commercial agreements with technical assistance.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
The company is looking for industry partners of any size in the business of composite material component manufacturing as well as manufacturing of pre-impregnated textiles (prepregs) for the polymer composites industry.
These manufacturers could be producing composite material components and/or prepregs for the following sectors: Telecommunications, Transportation, Automotive, Space, Aviation, Defence.
Collaboration with such industrial partners via commercial agreements with technical assistance will lead to the development of highly performing prepreg systems, which will further result in FRP components with multifunctional and improved properties.
Stage of Development:
Available for demonstration
Comments Regarding Stage of Development:
The innovative material technology is currently manufactured in house with industrial scale machines and demonstrated in industrial methods of composite materials manufacturing.
Upon industrial manufacturing of the technology and enhancement of carbon textiles, the enhanced carbon textiles have been tested in a certified industrial laboratory through a comparison with standard CFRP specimens. Noteworthy, the industrial laboratory is using same standards as the ones used at AIRBUS for multilayer CFRPs.
The technology has also been demonstrated through structural applications.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Considering the industrial demonstration and the qualification of the product through extensive testing, the technology product is currently at a TRL 8 (EU scale: 0 to 9). Increased capacity of the production line will help achieving TRL 9.
IPR Status:
Secret Know-how,Patent(s) applied for but not yet granted,Granted patent or patent application essential,Trade Marks
Comments Regarding IPR Status:
• IP protection:
• Patent application (November 2016)
• Current status: Patent Granted (In some States) / Pending (In some States)
• Trademark Registration: Classes 22 & 24 / Europe & USA
External code:
TOCY20210329002
