TechConnect Innovator Spotlight:

TechConnect World Innovation Conference
May 14 - 17, 2017, Washington DC

OMNIPHOBE , Nelumbo


TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY

Water and oil repellent coating with universal application on any scale or geometry.

Primary Application Area: Materials, Chemical

Technology Development Status: Prototype

 

TECHNOLOGY DETAILS:

Nelumbo has developed OMNIPHOBE, a thin omniphobic (repellency of water and oils) coating based on zinc oxide. The coating synthesis involves a three-stage dip coat procedure onto an aluminum substrate, with less than an hour of thermal processing. Additionally, this coating enhances heat transfer unlike all current polymer competitors currently in the coating heat exchanger market. Possible applications include air conditioning (detailed below), fluid transport (lowering energy losses to friction), and transportation (lowering drag on airplanes and cars through constant-dry surfaces).

 

FIGURES OF MERIT:

Value Proposition: The unparalleled performance of OMNIPHOBE combined with exceedingly low production costs presents a significantly valuable opportunity for the air conditioning (HVAC) industry. When applied to air conditioning cooling coils OMNIPHOBE will accelerate water droplet shedding, increasing the efficiency of the unit. This lowers energy consumption costs and increases air quality by removing the standing water that allows for biofilm infection. The result is a clean, dry fin operating at maximum efficiency. Finally, our OMNIPHOBE material and production costs amount to less than 2% of the overall AC unit.

 

SHOWCASE SUMMARY

National Innovation Awardee

Organization Type: Early-stage Startup (Seed)

 

GOVT/EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES

Vetted Programs/Awards: Current Finalist, Berkeley/DOE Cleantech University Prize (CUP), $100,000 non-equity based grant for cleantech start-up