BALTIMORE – November 28, 2012 – Pixelligent Technologies, an innovator in manufacturing nanocrystal additives for the electronics, semiconductor and industrial markets, announced today that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant for $150,000 by the Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. The purpose of the grant is to enable Pixelligent to further develop its high-quality nanocrystal additives to improve the performance of automotive lubricant oils.
The SBIR program, established by the U.S. Congress, supports scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds. The project, titled Nanocrystal Additives for Advanced Lubricants, will develop high-performance nano additives for automotive lubricant oils. The goal of the project is to improve fuel efficiency and prolong the lifetime of automobile engines and machine parts. The project also has a goal to displace traditional organic additives that cause harmful emissions. Adopting nano additive-based lubricants could have many significant positive economic and environmental impacts.
“This was an incredibly competitive grant process and this award is further validation of the potential value that our nanocrystal dispersions could have in the lubricants market. We are honored to have another opportunity to work with Argonne National Labs in this critically important field of improving fuel efficiency,” commented Craig Bandes, President and CEO of Pixelligent Technologies. “We are also continuing to work with some of the leading energy companies to help accelerate the development of this application.”
In addition to this grant, Pixelligent recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. The purpose of the CRADA is to determine the impact of Pixelligent’s advanced nanoparticles on the ability to improve the tribological properties of industrial and automotive lubricants and reduce parasitic energy losses – ultimately helping to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
About Pixelligent Technologies, LLC
Pixelligent Technologies manufactures high-quality Zirconia and Hafnia nanocrystal additives and polymer nanocomposites for the electronics, semiconductor and industrial markets. Pixelligent’s proprietary nanocrystal dispersion technology prevents agglomeration even at high concentrations, and its unique capping process provides precise control over the target applications’ optical, chemical and mechanical properties. This enables Pixelligent to deliver unparalleled transparency, corrosion protection, and scratch resistance to numerous families of polymers from silicones and spin-on glasses to acrylics and epoxies. Pixelligent is actively developing applications with leading-edge technology firms, as well as Fortune 1000 companies.