Moving the conference from Prague to Raleigh may seem like a big shift in venue, but it is a regular trip for the conference’s corporate partner, Elmarco sro. Elmarco is the first producer of industrial scale elecotrspinning equipment; the process most commonly used to make nanofibers (“NF”). Elmarco opened its US offices on North Carolina State’s Centennial campus in early 2008 and now has a facility in Morrisville, near RDU Airport.
The program committee members reflected the blending of academia and industry – including top electrospinning institutions like the University of Akron and the University of Illinois at Chicago with large industrial players such as Flanders Corporation, Freudenberg Nonwovens, and Hollingsworth and Vose. “We’re very grateful to the selection committee and to all of those who will be presenting – it should be a great event,” Said Kenneth Donahue, CEO of Elmarco, Inc., Elmarco’s US subsidiary.
Over two and half days the presenters will cover areas of fine fiber formation, measurement and testing. They’ll also talk through all of the application areas that are using nanofibers for their next generation products; from wound care to fuel filtration, nanofibers are used in many applications.
Where many areas of nanotechnology are considered cutting edge, nanofibers have a long history dating back to the late 1800s. Nanofibers were first referenced in patents in the early 1900s. The nonwoven, filtration, membrane, life science, battery separator, hygiene, performance apparel, food packaging and advanced materials industries all work with various forms of nanofibers and new fields show up every day. Inorganic nanofibers have shown significant promise in battery components, fuel cells, catalysis, photocatalysis and composite materials.
“It is true that the diversity of industries that use nanofibers is impressive, but the most interesting components develop as customers deploy NF into application. With some of our filtration customers, the NF layer costs mere pennies per square foot, but when billions of square meters per year are being consumed, the benefit adds up. Customers are able to make new materials that were not previously possible or replicate existing materials with significant cost savings,” said Donahue.
To learn more about the conference and the roster of presenters, visit www.nano3millennium.com.
About Elmarco:
Elmarco is the industry's first supplier of industrial scale nanofiber production equipment. Partnerships with global industrial leaders and universities form the foundation for success of the company. Elmarco's unique NanospiderTM technology is designed for ease of use, scalability, modularity and flexibility in producing the highest quality nanofibers. In addition Elmarco uses its logistic and engineering knowledge, as well as the favorable location, to offer cost effective, high-end manufacturing outsourced services for equipment and subsystems, with a focus on the semiconductor industry. The global headquarters are in Liberec, Czech Republic, with two sales and services offices in Raleigh, NC, USA, and in Tokyo, Japan. Elmarco employees about 250 people worldwide, including 45 R&D specialists
About The Nonwovens Institute at NC State University:
The Nonwovens Institute was established in 2007. The Institute serves the nonwovens and affiliated industries Research, Training, Education and Extension, Engagement and Economic Development. The Institute is home to the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC), one the first five State/Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (State-I/UCRC) established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1991. NCRC graduated from NSF. The Institute Strives to be the global leader in nonwovens education and research.
The Institute has established unique state-of-the-art capabilities for product development, analytical services and materials testing, analysis and evaluation to address the diverse needs of this dynamic industry. The Institute offers services in the form of proprietary testing, analysis and product development. Please browse our web site and contact us with any questions or needs you might have. The Institute is ready to serve you.
CONTACT
Kelly Allen, Elmarco
(919) 334.6495
Kelly.allen@elmarco.com
