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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer 9:06 AM Thursday, December 17, 2009

The U.S. Commerce Department has awarded a Dayton firm nearly $1.5 million to develop ways to make nano-graphene platelets.

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Technology Innovation Program selected the company — Dayton’s Angstron Materials Inc. — for the award to develop a material with applications for aerospace, energy, defense and more, an announcement from the company said.

Nano-graphene platelets offer an alternative to carbon nanotubes and can be used to protect airplanes from lightning strikes, can become semi-conducting or insulated and can be made into thin films or coatings, the company said. There are potential uses for lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, wind turbine blades, solar cells and more, it said.

Bor Jang, dean of Wright State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, is Angstrom’s chief executive and co-founder.

In April 2008, Jang and Dayton government announced the formation of Nanotek Instruments Inc. and the opening of a nanotechnology research and development center at 1240 McCook Ave. At the time, the company said it wanted to create 77 jobs in about five years.

Angstron is the manufacturing arm of Nanotek, a spokeswoman for Angstron said. The company was formed when nano-graphene platelets were discovered, she said, referring further questions to another spokesperson, who couldn’t immediately be reached. An email message was sent to Jang, who is traveling, his office said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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I am tired of foreign companies getting contract to build products for cheaper labor. I frankley thank it's great when American get contract of any kind to create jobs hear in a America other than China. GO America!

mrbyron
10:58 PM, 12/19/2009

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Wow, ANOTHER PORK STORY, must be the season for gifting to those in the know.. How about including a message that the contract has preformance clauses allowing claw back for inability to create the product or jobs as advertised, and indentify individual liability, not a temporary corporation. Huh? Who at the Commerce Department is involved?

Freddy
8:10 PM, 12/17/2009

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This is so ridiculous. Anybody can make nano-graphene platelets. My 3-year-old girl could make a bucket of it in the backyard in about 20 minutes. I've known about nano-graphene platelets since kindergarten and it never occurred to me to try to sell the stuff to the Department of Commerce.

Bosch's Poodle
2:18 PM, 12/17/2009

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Well, this is a good move in the right direction of funding & fueling our info tech needs. I have no clue exactly what all this means, in the technical terms, but glad to hear its coming to Dayton... Question though, its the firm called Angstron or Angstrom? It's spelled both ways in the article... just wondering.

kristi
11:09 AM, 12/17/2009

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Platelets are a natural source of growth factors? Thank goodness. I thought it was from all the fast food I have been eating lately.

dude
10:12 AM, 12/17/2009

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