CMPND

Another round of impressive gains has been reported by the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND), which actively demonstrates Ohio’s strong presence in the nanomaterials industry. 

Managed from its offices and laboratory space at the Nanotech West facility in Science Village, adjacent to The Ohio State University campus, CMPND is a Wright Center funded in May 2005 with a $22.5MM grant plus a combination of grants from Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) Ohio Third Frontier (TFP). In the last three years, CMPND has also been supported with Research Commercialization Program (RCP) grants of $8MM for composites, and $8MM for polyimides for manufacturing and job stimulus efforts.  These RCP grants were 2 of the 5 RCP awards funded in 2006 out of 45 competing proposals.

Through its largest TFP grant, CMPND has supported 13 patents issued and 24 pending, created 87 new jobs in the Ohio advanced materials/polymers TFP Technology Sector, helped generate $146MM in new sales within the Sector, played a key role in establishing three new companies, and relocated two companies within Ohio. Through RCP composites funding, 71 new jobs were created in Ohio and $42MM in new sales resulted. With its Ohio collaborators and RCP grants, CMPND has helped attract over $ 115MM of new funding to the state.

With the University of Akron as the lead institution, the cumulative results in Ohio of CMPND’s polyimide RCP after two years includes creating 41 jobs in research and development (R&D) with average salaries of $72,000; new sales of over $ 14MM; the filings for 14 new patents; over $ 12MM of new funding leverage; and creation of  4 new companies.  Further, orders have already been received for a new class of polyimides used for optical films in electronic applications and several other chemistries are in qualification. The required cost-match and investments are also on or ahead of schedule and the projected economic outcomes are on target. The return on this RCP investment continues on an impressive growth curve.

GrafTech International Holdings, Inc. has collaborated with the University of Akron and CMPND in the RCP titled, "Commercialization of Functional Polyimide Films and Nanocomposites" for the past three years.  Supported in part by this funding, GrafTech has pioneered the use of graphite in heat spreaders for consumer electronics applications, such as cell phones, laptop computers, and high definition televisions. Recently, GrafTech introduced a new product, GrafIHX, which dramatically improves the heat transfer in by 30% in floor heating systems.

“The TFP Wright Project, ‘Protective Integrated Coatings for Extreme Environments,’ led by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), owes its start as a TIE project supported by CMPND,” says Brian P. Rice, Division Head, Multi-Scale Composites & Polymers and Distinguished Research Engineer, UDRI. He explains, “GE Aviation, a founding industry member of CMPND, came to UDRI with a need to improve sand erosion resistance of airfoils on aircraft engines. UDRI was able to demonstrate that the composite erosion resistance could be dramatically improved using nano-technology.” Other CMPND industry partners were soon engaged to establish a commercial supply chain to manufacture inlet guide vanes to meet GE's need.  The "Coating RCP" was formed to leverage this basic technology into a broad spectrum of coatings serving markets from aerospace to wind energy.

CMPND also participates in Track 1 of the Ohio Research Scholars Program, designed to build an unprecedented academic collaboration in the State of Ohio among The Ohio State University, the University of Akron, and the University of Dayton to leverage their numerous world-class strengths in materials to benefit new, existing, and planned technology innovation and the academic pursuit of advanced materials technologies. The resulting relationship is functioning to transform revolutionary materials into innovative applications that result in new jobs, retain existing jobs, and add capital investment to Ohio’s technology future. This Scholars program is focused on growing the materials research cluster and advancing Ohio’s national ration to an even higher level of national preeminence. In 1Q 2009, this group received a $18.2MM grant for research leading to ‘smart composites’ and advancing the use of biobased materials for plastics and composites.

Another example of what CMPND is doing for Ohio is the nano-reinforced polymer foams for insulation and structure markets project. The effort here is to develop and scale up a new generation of light-weight, high-strength, insulation-efficient and fire-resistant polymeric foams using innovative nanomaterials and supercritical fluids technology. With a global market for polymeric foams estimated at $13B, the business potential is huge. Several major companies and start-up companies in Ohio are collaborating with CMPND and The Ohio State University to enable products that have zero ozone-depleting and global warming blowing agents, use 100 percent recycled polymers, increase insulation values, and decrease weight and manufacturing costs. Funding for this effort includes $4.8MM in RCP funds and an equal amount of cash and in-kind matching funds – a typical funding structure under many of the ODOD grant opportunities. One of the companies involved in this effort was attracted to move its headquarters to Ohio in order to participate more fully and benefit from ODOD funding. CMPND is proud to help companies develop funding requests to ODOD agencies and assist with the entire process of relocating some or all of a company’s operations to Ohio.

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The Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND) leads a research and commercialization partnership in polymer nanotechnology. This multi-institutional, interdisciplinary organization is centered at The Ohio State University in conjunction with the University of Akron and University of Dayton. CMPND puts Ohio at the forefront of nanotechnology research and commercialization opportunities. Other partners include three additional Ohio universities, more than 50 large and small companies in Ohio. CMPND helps target markets that build on the research strengths of the participating universities and national labs, and develops manufacturing protocols and nanostructures for near-term industrial polymeric nanocomposites, emerging polymer photonic components and devices, and more futuristic biomedical devices and systems with nanoscale functions.