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The NanoCeram® Superfilter, developed by
Argonide Corporation of Sanford, Florida, uses nanofibers
originally developed at the Design Technology Center
(DTC) in Tomsk, Russia.
DTC, previously known as the Republican
Engineering Center, developed prototype materials for the Soviet
nuclear weapons arsenal. During the 1970's DTC perfected a
process for manufacturing nanotechnology materials. Argonide
founder Fred Tepper recognized the commercial potential of these
unique nano fibers and powders. In 1994, Tepper helped to launch
the U.S. Industry Coalition (USIC), a non-profit
association of U.S. companies interested in technology
commercialization with former Soviet weapons scientists and
engineers.
USIC members’ partnerships are supported by
Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP), a
nonproliferation program sponsored by the National Nuclear
Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. IPP
assists former Soviet weapons of mass destruction scientists and
engineers to transition to long-term, sustainable employment in
peaceful, civilian technologies.
In 1997, Argonide and DTC launched their
first IPP project, together with DOE’s National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. After observing the bio-activity of the nanofibers,
Argonide won two NASA-sponsored SBIR grants in 2001 and 2002 to
develop advanced water recovery systems for long duration space
flights.
The NanoCeram® filters were found to
provide unsurpassed filtration efficiency. Comprised of
nanometer size particles, these filters far exceed current
filtration systems and can handle the most difficult treatment
requirements for industrial, residential and recreational water
purification.
U.S.-Russian
Nano-Filter Enters Space Technology Hall of Fame
Page 2
Today, Argonide
markets the filters for multiple applications, including:
laboratory separations; residential drinking water; purifying
water from biological agents; concentrator/collectors for
detecting biological agents; and providing purified water for
industrial, chemical and pharmaceutical processing.
The technology
was inducted into the 2005 Space Technology Hall of Fame on
Thursday, April 7, 2005 at the 21st Space Symposium,
an event widely regarded as the premier gathering of the space
industry, with more than 6,500 attendees this year.
Founded in 1988
by the Space Foundation, in cooperation with NASA, the Space
Technology Hall of Fame honors the innovators who have
transformed space technology into commercial products, to
increase public awareness of the benefits of space technology,
and to encourage further innovation.
Space Foundation
President and CEO Elliot G. Pulham said, "The 2005 Hall of Fame
inductees represent space technologies that save lives and
improve the quality of life for thousands of people every day.
They are great examples of why what we do in space matters on
Earth."
Three other
space-related technologies inducted into the Hall of Fame
include the InnerVue™ Diagnostic Scope System; Outlast® Smart
Fabric Technology™; and Portable Hyperspectral Imaging Systems.
About
Argonide Corporation
Founded in 1994
by Frederick Tepper, the Argonide mission is to develop and
market new products based on nanotechnology. Argonide’s
international business perspective has led to collaborative work
in Italy, Japan, Singapore and in particular with Russian
institutes active in nanotechnology. The company is based in
Sanford, Florida. For more information visit
www.argonide.com
About the
U.S. Industry Coalition (USIC)
USIC is a
non-profit association of U.S. businesses actively engaged our
nation’s nonproliferation and national security efforts through
the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP) program at
the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security
Administration. IPP engages former Soviet weapons of mass
destruction scientists and engineers in peaceful and sustainable
commercial pursuits. For more information about USIC and IPP,
visit www.usic.net
About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983 and headquartered in
Colorado Springs, Colo., the Space Foundation is a national
nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil,
commercial, and national security space endeavors and
educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in
Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. For more information
visit www.spacefoundation.org
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