Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Luna announces agreement to commercialise new self-cleaning textile technology
Luna Innovations has this week announced an agreement granting UltraTech International an exclusive license to commercialise Luna's new textile repellent technology that can protect first responders from pathogens and industrial workers from contaminants, as well as address the common problem of keeping fabric clean.
Under the agreement, Luna will license exclusive rights to UltraTech to commercialise the technology while UltraTech will bring it to production and market it through its global sales channels. The commercialisation potential for the technology is broad, as it may be sold as a standalone product that can be applied to textiles or as treated fabric with the technology embedded.
The proprietary chemical technology uses a nanostructured textile coating to create an omniphobic treatment that repels both water- and oil-based liquids so they roll off without penetrating the underlying fabric. This technology provides protection against contaminants and can also make the fabric last longer and reduce laundering and other types of cleaning process - a potentially significant cost saving.
The innovation first came about from research that Luna completed under a US Army contract awarded through the Small Business Innovation Research programme to develop self-cleaning uniforms based on the use of omniphobic coatings, which are coatings that do not allow water, oils, solvents, or chemicals to wet the surface. In UltraTech, Luna has now found a partner to take its technology to market.
"This commercialisation agreement is important for two key reasons," says My Chung, CEO of Luna. "First, it represents a commercialisation success story for us, with the recognition that our breakthrough technology is now ready for the commercial marketplace.
“Additionally, it demonstrates how Luna's involvement in the SBIR programme guides the development of our technology to solve specific needs, which can then be applied to meet commercial market demands."
Mark Shaw, Co-President of UltraTech, based in Jacksonville, Florida, adds: "Luna's technology effectively complements our current advanced technology product offerings.
"We're pleased to partner with Luna, a leader in technology development, to advance its patent-pending textile treatment that we expect will have many commercial and military applications. With our experience in introducing new products and a global sales channel that matches needs with solutions, we look forward to bringing this innovative coating to market."
Inspired by nature, Luna's fluid-resistant coatings are based on hierarchical particles composed of commercially available materials. The particles are part of a water-based solution coated onto textiles to create omniphobic fabrics. The self-cleaning coatings can be applied over other treatments to a variety of synthetic and natural fabrics using conventional textile finishing processes on a large scale. Fabrics treated with the technology are breathable, lightweight, self-cleaning and durable under harsh conditions.
UltraTech International was formed in 1993 with one goal in mind: to create the world's finest offering of spill containment and spill response products. Since then, its vision has expanded into additional product categories and the company now features a product line that consists of over 300 products which are sold globally through an extensive network of safety, industrial and environmental products distributors.
UltraTech recently formed an Advanced Technology Group to bring nano and other advanced technologies such as the Luna product to market. Ultra-Ever Dry was the first product offering from this group and UltraTech is credited with nearly 60 patents.
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7th November 2013