We have developed a process to manufacture metallic nanopowders with end-use
application focused on the chemical sector. Our products are used on a stand-alone
basis, in the validation of our nano-iron catalysts coated onto commercial iron
catalysts used in the production of ammonia. Our major activities to date have
included capital formation, research and development, marketing and commercial
validation of our metallic nanopowder products.
Our high value, end use applications in the chemicals sectors emanate from
our award winning, patented, nanocatalyst manufacturing platform technology.
Our platform technology allows us to manufacture, in an automated manner, highly
uniform, 99.99% pure, narrowly distributed, nano-particles with high catalytic
activity. We view ourselves as a products company, rather than an advanced materials
company, with the products we distribute being made possible through our leading
edge platform technology.
We spent the first several years following our inception, along with $15 million
of the $30+ million in investment capital procured to date, designing, fabricating,
testing, refining, improving, automating, and scaling our closed-loop, proprietary
nanocatalyst manufacturing platform technology. In terms of the production of
advanced nanocatalyst materials, we have progressed from a few grams per day
to capacity of 300 kilograms per month in our existing manufacturing facility.
This is essential as scale is required with the ammonia application we are pursuing
today and other end use applications in the future (e.g., light olefins and
methanol).
A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, or 1,000 times smaller than the
diameter of a human hair, or roughly the size of a marble when compared to the
earth. QSI catalysts typically measure 20-50 nm in size with a very narrow particle
size distribution, and have surface area of up to 100 meters square per gram,
roughly covering the size of a soccer field with just a small amount of material.
A catalyst is a material that helps facilitate chemical reactions and can make
chemical reactions happen more efficiently. The greater the surface area of
the catalyst, the more efficient the chemical reaction, resulting in lower cost,
higher performance end-use applications (e.g., chemical synthesis).
Our advanced catalysts have superior properties including their spherical shape,
controlled oxide layer, narrow particle size distribution, high purity, low
agglomeration, and large surface area. We believe these combined physical characteristics
translate into greater efficiency in the generation, storage, and use of energy.
Leveraging our patented, automated, highly scalable, and environmentally safe
nanocatalyst manufacturing process, we manufacture a number of high-quality
metals, bi-metallic alloys, and catalysts at the nano-scale including iron,
silver, copper, nickel, manganese, and cobalt. We also offer custom dispersions
and several specialty metals and catalysts including gold, palladium, aluminum,
and tin.
Presently, we have sixteen dedicated gas phase condensation reactors which we
utilize in the manufacture of nanocatalysts. With sixteen reactors, our capacity
is approximately 300 kilograms per month (the foregoing is based on nano-iron
production utilizing three production shifts, and the overall monthly kilogram
production will depend on the catalysts being produced given varying production
rates among catalysts we manufacture). Given the manner in which we have designed
our production reactors, we are able to quickly scale and adjust production
runs to satisfy our customers’ advanced material needs and delivery timelines.
In addition, we leverage our technical knowledge and process chemistry expertise
to offer custom dispersions, alloys and integrated catalytic solutions for the
energy storage and chemical sectors.