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In this month’s interview, Nanotech Briefs talks with Dr. David E. Reisner, President & CEO of The Nano Group™ Inc., Inframat® Corp, and U.S. Nanocorp Inc. Dr. Reisner co-founded Inframat and U.S. NanoCorp to develop nanostructured materials technology. Both companies have received nearly $20 million in government R&D funding. He also heads The Nano Group, Inc. – a recently formed holding company.

Nanotech Briefs: How will nanotechnology impact our lives?

Dr. David E. Reisner: It is anticipated to pervade our lives in a ubiquitous fashion in areas that have direct import to consumers including energy, medicine, and consumer electronics.

NB: Do commercialized products that utilize nanotechnology currently exist?

Reisner: Nanotechnology is in the marketplace and proven viable. The suppliers of picks and shovels, i.e. analytical devices (Veeco, FEI), as well as the materials providers (Nanotex, Nanofilm, Inframat, Eikos, Nanophase, etc.), are rapidly introducing product that has been proven in the marketplace. These are real products that are priced competitively with the incumbent technologies that they are displacing.

NB: What are some examples of your companies’ products that have been developed through nanotechnology?

Reisner: For our part, Inframat manufactures ton quantities of powder feedstocks for industrial thermal spray ceramic nanocoatings under the product name NanoxTM 2613S, presently used on shipboard on the U.S. Navy fleet. These ceramic nanocoatings have been “spec’d” on Navy blueprints for three years already, and received an R&D100 Technology Product award in 2001. This is Inframat’s first nanotech product and was chosen under the Navy’s Affordability Program to lower refurbishment costs within the fleet through longer-life components.

Next-tier products are in the areas of industrial thermal barrier coatings for hot gas path sections of flight and land-based gas turbines made by a novel Solution Plasma Spray (SPSTM) process; medical implantable ceramic-ceramic wear couples for hip and knee joints; and high surface area nanofibrous media for water filtration.

NB: What must nanotech companies do in order to stay competitive in the marketplace?

Reisner: Emerging nanotech companies must demonstrate functional advanced technology with a defensible IP position, solid market pull, and economic viability for the technology. There are many such companies with sound fundamentals and product ready to enter the marketplace, particularly in the materials sector.

David Reisner can be contacted at info@inframat.com.