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[May 2002]
Altair Awarded Patent for its Titanium Dioxide Pigment Process
Altair Nanotechnologies (Reno, NV, USA) was awarded its first patent 'Processing Titaniferous Ore to Titanium Dioxide Pigment' by the US Patent Office on 23 April 2002. Filed in 2000, it is the first of eight patent applications based on the process that Altair acquired from Australia based Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) in November 1999.Altair's new technology is a comprehensive process for producing white titanium dioxide pigment from ilmenite ore concentrates. It includes a novel combination of processes including extraction, purification and pigment formation. Outstanding features include lower operating cost, minimised environmental and health risks in the process and the recycling of all the chemical additives used in the process, thus eliminating essentially all the hazardous waste disposal issues that are said to plague existing processes.
Dr William Long, the company's Chairman, noted: "The issuance of this patent by the US Patent Office validates our 1999 assessment that the process acquired from BHP is truly a unique and revolutionary method for the manufacture of titanium dioxide pigment from Ilmenite ore. Companies file for patents on a regular basis but it is seldom that a patent is issued that could change the course of an entire existing industry, the pigment industry, as well as an emerging industry, nanoscience. We anticipate a series of additional patents based on the process and future active participation of major companies participating in the $9 billion pigment market".
President of Altair Nanomaterials, Kenneth Lyon, added: "This is an exciting time in the history of Altair. The new patent along with the anticipated interest of the industry in general will allow us to allocate more resources to the pigment development as we continue with the momentum we established from using the unique manufacturing capabilities of this process to develop nanostructured ceramic oxide applications in energy storage, fuel cells, advanced coatings, and environmental remediation. We are selective in our research approach and are seeking to involve more industrial collaborators and partners in use of the technology".
ENDS