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Voridian Company Donates Technology to the University of South Carolina

Submitted by: John Warner on Apr 02, 2002 at 6:00 am Tagged with: General Archives Source:

Swamp Fox

Voridian Company Donates Technology to the University of South Carolina

KINGSPORT, Tenn., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Voridian Company, a division of
Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE: EMN), today announced a multimillion-dollar
gift of intellectual property to the University of South Carolina.
The centerpiece of the gift, which includes patents for creating stronger,
more impermeable packaging materials, is a cutting-edge process that uses
nanotechnology and clay to improve and strengthen bottling for beer and other
beverage applications. USC plans to develop the technology further and market
it to industry with a team of researchers in USC's NanoCenter, which was
established in 2001 with $2 million in state funding and is rapidly becoming a
hub for cutting-edge research.
The technology has been used to develop and commercialize a product called
Imperm which features a layer of particles so minute that they cannot be seen
by the human eye, sandwiched between two layers of plastic. The three-layer
material helps prevent drinks from going flat by sealing in carbon dioxide and
keeping oxygen out.
The technology has been valued in the range of $10-20 million, and with
further research, USC officials are optimistic about increasing its value.
"This gift of nanocomposite technologies could not have come at a better time
for the University of South Carolina," said Dr. Anthony Boccanfuso, managing
director of the University of South Carolina Research Foundation, which has
oversight of patents and licensing for the university. "We have received
substantial support from the state, the federal government, and the private
sector to assist the university in establishing its NanoCenter, and Eastman's
patents and know-how greatly advance our capabilities and expertise in the
nanocomposites area."
Under the agreement, Voridian will provide USC with extensive proprietary
technology, help in its development and work with USC to license the
technology.
Thomas A. Smith, group vice president, Polymers, said the agreement
continues a longstanding relationship between USC, Voridian and Eastman.
"Eastman and USC have had a relationship for many years, especially with
the Voridian flagship manufacturing facility located near Columbia," Smith
said. "A number of USC graduates are employed throughout our company. This
donation will strengthen our already strong relationship."
Boccanfuso said the technology would be developed further by a team of
researchers led by Dr. T.P. Papathanasiou, a professor of chemical
engineering.
Under the direction of Dr. Richard Adams, USC's Nanocenter is rapidly
becoming a hub for science and engineering studies of nanometer-scale
structures, their unique properties, and their practical applications. "Nano"
means one-billionth of something, such as a second or a meter, and nanoscience
is considered the next frontier of science.

Voridian manufactures and markets polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
plastics, acetate fibers and polyethylene resins. With headquarters in
Kingsport, Tenn., the division operates eight manufacturing plants in six
countries and has 3,400 employees worldwide.

SOURCE Voridian Company
Web Site: http://www.voridian.com