Company Name: Ceramatec Inc.
2425 South 900 West

Salt Lake City, UT  84119-1517

Point of Contact: Balakrishnan Nair
Phone: (801)-956-1000
Email Address: bnair@ceramatec.com

Project Title: New Low Thermal Expansion Structural Ceramics Project ID #: 05300-87-II

Technology:

In 1988/89, Ceramatec Inc was awarded Phase I and Phase II SBIR funding for the development of a family of sodium zirconium phosphate(NZP) based ceramics with ultra low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and very high thermal shock resistance. These new materials were developed for a variety of applications where a material is subjected to sudden temperature changes and is expected to maintain its dimensional stability.

Benefits:

The NZP-based materials developed in the SBIR program are high-temperature structural materials and coatings that can result in the operation of engines and turbines at higher operating temperatures. This will result in improved energy efficiency of engines and turbines. Savings in fuel and operating costs alone, from such applications, are expected to be in the millions of dollars.

Applications:

• Substrates for slumping and flowing of Ultra-low expansion (ULE) glass mirrors
• Insulating liners in diesel engines
• Microwave-sensitive coatings for diesel particulate filters
• Insulating coatings for engine components
• Hot section components and coatings in high efficiency gas turbine power and aerospace propulsion systems

Benefits to Company:

In 1990, work at Ceramatec, Inc resulting from this SBIR Project was cited as one of the 100 most-significant technical products of the year and was given the prestigious R&D 100 Award. Ceramatec has a global patent on Low Expansion Ceramics, Patent # WO 90/12766, Title: New Ultra Low Thermal Expansion Highly Thermal Shock Resistant Ceramic.

In January 1992, a company called LoTec Inc. was spun out of Ceramatec to commercialize these newly developed NZP ceramics with the benefit of an exclusive license from Ceramatec. Initially, most of the activities at LoTEC were focused on the design and development of ceramic/composite systems for dimensional stability and thermal shock-proof applications, directly stemming from the original DOE SBIR project at Ceramatec, and posted strong growth in revenue as well as profits. Subsequently, new processing technologies such as gel casting and injection molding have also been further developed at LoTEC and successfully adapted for the fabrication of novel components such as cross-flow filters, furnace element holders etc, which gave LoTEC the ability to branch its materials capabilities into commonly-used ceramics such as alumina and mullite. From its initial beginnings as an SBIR project at Ceramatec Inc. LoTEC Inc.’s revenue grew to exceed $1 million dollars in 1998. In March-April 1999, Engineered Ceramics, Inc. (ECI), a subsidiary of Composite Optics, Inc. (San Diego, CA) acquired the business assets and contract backlog of LoTEC, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT). Engineered Ceramics, Inc. (ECI), which has subsequently been renamed to COI Ceramics, Inc., is now a leading supplier of high value, structural and durable ceramic composite, and monolithic ceramic products and material solutions for military and commercial use. NZP technology, originally developed through the DOE SBIR project continues to be a key component of COI’s technology portfolio. At COI’s industrial products business area, NZP-based monolithics, composites, and coatings are on the roadmap for possible commercialization as substrates for slumping and flowing of ultra-low expansion (ULE) glass mirrors, insulating liners in diesel engines, microwave-sensitive coatings for diesel particulate filters, and as insulating coatings for engine components, and thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for high efficiency gas turbine power and aerospace propulsion systems. Currently, programs are in place, in all of these areas, to facilitate development, maturation and commercialization of these technologies.