Art Fritts says the market for nanomaterials wasn't completely clear when he launched his fledging company in 2004.
Luckily for Fritts and NanoSperse, the value has become crystal clear since then. In July, the Dayton-based firm moved from production space at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) to an 8,000-square-foot production facility at the National Composite Center in Kettering. Production capacity? A million pounds of material per year.
The move has prompted an increase in payroll, too. The company, which ended 2009 with two employees, now has eight and is expected to at least double that number within the next two years, says Fritts, NanoSperse's president.
NanoSperse has made its way commercializing a unique method of distributing nano-size carbon particles throughout materials to improve durability, reliability and functionality of composites for the defense, aerospace, and industrial marketplaces. The technology was developed at the University of Dayton, and Fritts -- with 30 years in the polymer industry -- started NanoSperse to commercialize it.
Fritz says that material is tailor-made for a desert environment by becoming the actual surface of the part, eliminating the need for more traditional coatings. He adds that the composite can be expected to hold up three to five times longer than traditional coatings. The company is now producing the material for aerospace uses and shipped its first big order in July.
Fritts says the relationship with UDRI was a godsend for the young company because it allowed NanoSperse to fill orders immediately while learning how to scale production to bigger orders -- and to work with cross industry teams as part of the Ohio Third Frontier's Research Commercialization Program.
Source: Art Fritts, NanoSperse
Writer: Gene Monteith