ISTN’s work in applying nanotechnology to industrial products dates back to 1992, when ISTN Co-Founder and President Dr. Arthur J. Yang, then with Armstrong World Industries, received a $2 million Advanced Technology Program (ATP) grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop nanopore thermal insulation, one of the first government grants ever awarded for the commercialization of a nanotechnology-enabled product. Dr. Yang developed a new generation of insulating material with reduced pore size (<0.1 microns) and improved thermal conductivity (20 mW/m^oK). His work with silica aerogels also served as the foundation for ISTN’s current product development efforts in other areas.

Since its founding, ISTN has been able to apply its expertise in silica sol-gel chemistry to deliver innovation to a variety of traditional industries. Its current product development efforts in the industrial products include the following initiatives:

Water Treatment - ISTN’s CSMG™ (Chemically Surface Modified Gel) technology, selectively removes heavy metals from water using a unique nanopore reactive adsorbent structure that combines the superior adsorption capacity of open-channel silica, which has a surface area between 50 to 100 m²/g, and the ability to reduce heavy metal ions to metallic form, to deliver superior capacity, selectivity and speed. CSMG is synthesized by combining freshly produced silica gel with molecular recognition functional groups and can be used in standalone form or as part of an existing operating system. By integrating the adsorption and reaction functions and utilizing a powerful yet cost-effective recipe, ISTN has created a high-potential platform technology that will impact a variety of niches within the multi-billion dollar water treatment market, including the recovery of precious metals such as palladium, gold and silver and the removal of highly toxic elements such as mercury to trace levels to comply with strict environmental regulations.

CSMG-SA™ - ISTN's newly formulated water treatment material based on CSMG platform technology is currently in late-stage product development. These nanopore reactive adsorption beads target applications involving slow-moving aqueous wastewater containing low level of lead, cadmium, zinc, or copper. If you would like more information or would like to receive samples of CSMG-SA™ water treatment beads, please contact sales@istninc.com.

CSMG - SA Product Sheet

CSMG-Metalsorb™ - CSMG-Metalsorb™ is the fastest adsorbing and most efficient product form of the CSMG™ family. It is highly effective in removal of lead from slow-moving aqueous streams. With its micron-sized particles, it can be easily adapted to various types of treatment applications. Current applications of this material include removal of low-level lead in ground water and batch treatment of cadmium contaminated wastewater. If you would like more information or would like to receive samples of CSMG-Metalsorb™ water treatment slurry, please contact sales@istninc.com.

CSMG - Metalsorb Product Sheet

 

Advanced Building Insulation by Carbon Dioxide Foaming Process - ISTN is developing a new generation of thermal insulation with substantially higher insulating power (higher R/inch) at an affordable cost. This technology uses conventional foaming process that produces rigid polymer-clay nanocomposite foam with pore sizes several orders of magnitude smaller combined with an aligned oblate pore structure, and embedded with a secondary structure in the nanometer range to substantially increase the R/inch values.