Forge Nano Partners with Aleon Renewable Metals for Battery Recycling and Supply of ALD Materials for EV Batteries

DENVER , May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Forge Nano, a global leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology, and Aleon Renewable Metals (ARM), an integrated lithium-ion battery recycler, announced a partnership today for battery recycling and supply of battery materials. Aleon Renewable Metals will recycle Forge Nano's battery scrap at its industry-leading battery recycling facilities in Texas and Oklahoma utilizing Forge Nano's technology to manufacture cathode active materials (CAM) from the battery grade materials produced by ARM. These facilities aim to make battery recycling easier and more cost effective while outputting leading CAMs made in the U.S. using Forge Nano's proprietary Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) coating technology, Atomic Armor™. Batteries made with Atomic Armor are optimized to be longer-lasting and safer than current batteries on the market. ARM's facility is expected to annually produce battery grade materials equivalent to 35 GWh of renewable power.

Approximately three billion batteries are thrown away every year in America alone, posing environmental and economical threats far beyond the lifetime of the battery itself. Until now, few companies have addressed the challenges of recycling lithium-ion battery materials. Together, Forge Nano and Aleon are bringing over four decades of combined experience aiming to make E-waste a thing of the past with a 100% renewable energy process.

"In partnership with Aleon Renewable Metals, our technology will be used to provide sustainable and significant cost and performance advantages over competing recyclers making CAMs," said James Trevey , CTO, Forge Nano. "With the cost and performance benefits enabled by Atomic Armor, implementation of this U.S.-born nano-coating technology into the battery-recycling loop embodies the leapfrog improvement in technological advancement everyone has been waiting for in the lithium-ion battery industry."

"We are dedicated to driving sustainability and innovation. Aleon Renewable Metals leverages our proprietary recycling technologies to support the global transition to circular supply chains and cleaner energy. Our high-purity, cost-competitive battery grade materials are positioned to meet the growing domestic demands of the EV market for metal sulfates and lithium compounds used in high-performance cathodes," said Tarun Bhatt , CEO of Aleon Renewable Metals. "With our experience in metal recovery and commitment to sustainable solutions, we are excited to partner with Forge Nano to develop downstream cathode active materials. Together, we will address the projected lithium, nickel, and cobalt supply/demand deficits to create a more attractive environment for sustainable energy production."

As active members of NAATBatt and the MPSC , both companies have demonstrated their dedication to a sustainable battery ecosystem, and their commitment to making a difference in the battery waste problem. This exciting partnership will bring together two world-renowned battery powerhouses in the hopes of taking battery recycling technology to the next level.

"Particle coatings in the field of battery technology are an enabler to excel in the marketplace, which Forge Nano is doing as the global leader in ALD methods to achieve the essential coating characteristics," said Bob Galyen , energy storage technology expert and chairman of Galyen Energy. "The U.S. battery supply chain depends on this kind of innovation to compete on the world stage."

Ascent Funds Invests in Forge Nano Atomic Armor for Lithium-Ion Batteries & Hydrogen Fuel Cells

September 13, 2022; Miami, USA: Ascent Funds (“Ascent”), an energy-tech venture company today announced it has invested in Forge Nano Inc (“Forge Nano”), inventor of nanocoating technology Atomic Armor, which coats a protective atomic layer on a wide range of materials, powders and products to deliver greater performance for a lower cost. Forge Nano is preparing to build a US$120 million 500MWh Atomic Armor battery facility in Denver, Colorado which will deliver some of the most efficient and longest lasting batteries in the world.

Batteries that have Atomic Armor; last 100% longer, charge 300% faster

Forge Nano is the global leader in scalable atomic layer deposition (“ALD”), a unique coating technology that produces a protective atomic layer on a range of materials, powders, and products providing greater protection, performance, durability and safety.

Invented in the 1960s, ALD is mainly used in the semiconductor and OLED industries with the technology commonly found in many mobile phone components. Since 2011, Forge Nano has developed a proprietary ALD process that allows for four times faster coating speeds than any other semiconductor ALD tool provider and enables scale for use on powders and larger surface area objects, such as; lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, consumer, sporting and apparel products. Forge Nano calls their ALD coating Atomic Armor.

Atomic Armor works especially well for battery materials, where it stabilizes the surfaces at the atomic level. These coatings prevent excessive wear and damage to the batteries by preventing unwanted reactions among the battery’s internal components. Batteries that have Atomic Armor last 100% longer, charge 300% faster, and dissipate heat more effectively.

Over the past decade, Forge Nano has emerged as a market leader in large-scale ALD. In 2021, Forge Nano announced the world’s first ALD enabled battery for space, with the launching of a high energy lithium-ion battery into orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-2 rideshare mission. The Li-ion batteries, featuring Forge Nano Particle ALD technology and Enersys Zero Volt Technology were integrated into spire Global, Inc’s LEMUR-2 satellite.

Atomic Armor can improve performance in hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyzers and storage

Since 2019, Forge Nano has collaborated with the U.S Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Colorado School of Mines and Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems in Germany to accelerate the development of more efficient component parts for hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyzers and hydrogen storage technology. In the hydrogen value chain, Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor can transition fuel cells away from low-scale, costly electrode fabrications while increasing durability and limiting the use of platinum group metals. This reduces both the cost of the fuel cell as well as the technology’s dependence on expensive metals.

Mr David Wu, President of Ascent Funds said, “At Ascent, we look for transformational technology that can have an immediate and profound impact on the energy transition, especially in the hydrogen ecosystem. With over a decade’s experience in enhancing lithium-ion batteries and other materials, Forge Nano is the only commercially large-scale ALD player that can offer a real step-change in productivity, performance and cost for hydrogen companies. For example, instead of using expensive platinum or titanium catalysts, fuel cells could use low cost metal catalysts coated with atomic armor. Until now, atomic armor for hydrogen technology was a theoretical ambition because it couldn’t be scaled – today, atomic armor is a reality’.

Mr. Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, said: “We are excited to have Ascent join us as investors and advisors. They have a strong track record in identifying game changing technologies and helping those companies to scale and commercialize. In addition, Ascent’s knowledge and experience across the global hydrogen industry will be paramount as our technology becomes an accelerant in the energy transition, particularly for mobility, be it BEV or FCEV.”

Ascent joins existing shareholders Volkswagens, LG Chem, Air-Liquide, Mitsui Kinzoku, Sumitomo and SCG from Thailand.

How Forge Nano is Engineering the Future, One Atom at a Time

Utilizing proprietary nano-coating technology, Forge Nano is able to fundamentally improve nearly any material on earth at the atomic level.

THORNTON, Colo., June 23, 2022 (Newswire.com) – Forge Nano, leaders in atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology and equipment, are working to unlock the next generation of materials science. Through a full product line of ALD equipment addressing large scale manufacturing all the way down to fundamental R&D, Forge Nano has developed nano-coating solutions that are cost-effective, and can improve nearly any product from the atoms up.

“For decades, ALD has been relegated to bench-top exercises and the world of peer-reviewed articles,” says James Trevey, Ph.D., CTO of Forge Nano. “It’s like we’re selling wireless internet in a world of Cat 5 ethernet cables. ALD delivers greater performance for a lower cost than incumbent technology for nearly any application, and now we have brought this technology to the commercial environment at true manufacturing scale.”

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a surface engineering technique whereby an extremely thin coating (as thin as a single layer of atoms) is applied to a wide range of materials, powders, or objects. This process can be repeated to build up multiple layers on nearly any surface, producing robust coatings that can be engineered to enhance or add to the characteristics of the material being coated.

Conventional coating techniques such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have been the standard techniques used in many industries in the past, but as ALD is now available for any material at commercial scale, their time is limited. Forge Nano’s team of scientists and engineers have developed a line of ALD tools that make the technology cost-effective and practical to apply in small-scale lab environments all the way up to full-scale commercial manufacturing settings. Case in point – Forge Nano has already demonstrated commercial success in many markets, including batteries, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.

Batteries – Making better, longer lasting, safer batteries

Forge Nano ALD coatings have been demonstrated to improve energy density, lifetime, safety, and cost of batteries. In an electric vehicle these benefits would translate to a lower cost, longer range, faster-than-fuel recharge times, and an EV battery that can last for at least 20 years and is better suited for recycling than current EV batteries. Forge Nano’s ALD techniques have also been shown to be more cost effective, more efficient, more precise, and more environmentally friendly than batteries made with other coating techniques.

Pharmaceuticals – Imagine controlled, single-dose, temperature-stable vaccines that can be effectively distributed around the globe without the fear of spoilage.

Forge Nano ALD coatings have been used by pharmaceutical companies to apply various characteristics to medications or vaccines. ALD coatings can make a vaccine thermostable, eliminating the need for refrigeration. Time release properties can be applied as well, allowing multiple doses to be combined into a single treatment or injection. This can make the medication or vaccine easier to distribute to rural areas and eliminates the need for additional doses or boosters.

Semiconductors – Optimizing Next-Gen devices at the atomic scale.

Forge Nano ALD coatings can be applied to semiconductor wafers and components to create hermetic, pin-hole free, low stress thin films that offer excellent uniformity and precision required by semiconductor manufacturers. In addition to producing superior coatings, Forge Nano tools can produce ALD coatings faster and more efficiently than anyone else, making Forge-enabled semiconductors

Thanks to the scalability of Forge Nano’s extensive research and development, ALD technology that was once thought of as too expensive is now accessible and practical even at the smallest of scales. Forge Nano is using its manufacturing expertise to provide R&D equipment to universities, national labs, and centers of excellence, establishing ALD as a viable commercial pathway for materials science researchers. This is contrasted by the many companies Forge Nano has worked with to integrate ALD into their manufacturing processes, installing high-volume equipment capable of coating enormous amounts of materials, powders or objects.

For those not ready to make the investment in Forge Nano’s ALD equipment, R&D and toll coating services are available as well. Forge Nano offers their world-class ALD technical team to develop coating solutions and run proof of concept tests. Forge Nano is also uniquely equipped to offer toll coating services, where an organization may entrust Forge Nano to produce the ALD coatings with their in-house equipment.

To find out more about Forge Nano’s proprietary atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes and equipment, visit ForgeNano.com.

Forge Nano Installs Prometheus™ Powder Atomic Layer Deposition (PALD) equipment at Air Liquide's Tokyo Innovation Campus

Forge Nano, a global leader in surface engineering with atomic layer deposition (ALD) sells the top-of-the-line Prometheus™ development system. Air Liquide is using the system to validate applications for ALD-enabled powders in Japan and Globally.

DENVER and YOKOSUKA, Japan, Oct. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Forge Nano, a Denver-based advanced materials equipment company, has installed one of their flagship Prometheus™ powder ALD (PALD) systems at Air Liquide Japan Ltd.'s Tokyo Innovation Campus. The Prometheus™ research and development system is being used by Air Liquide to validate ALD precursor chemicals for PALD applications for a variety of applications including battery materials for electric vehicles and electronic materials for consumer devices. Air Liquide, an investor in Forge Nano, is using the Prometheus™ system to perform various proofs-of-concept for subsequent scale-up at customer facilities using Forge Nano's commercial scale equipment.

Forge Nano Prometheus ALD Tool. Atomic Layer Deposition Equipment

"Forge Nano values Air Liquide as a key strategic investor and partner in various established markets. We're excited to provide them with a research system to accelerate adoption of PALD technology in Japan and globally for new applications. Once proofs of concept are completed by Air Liquide, we will provide end customers with commercial scale PALD equipment," Dr. Daniel Higgs, Director Product Management.

"Forge Nano is a recognized leader in the development and industrialization of cutting-edge powder-ALD processes. As the global leading ALD precursors "designer" and supplier, we are excited to install a Prometheus PALD system to support our discovery and scale-up of new ALD applications, together with our worldwide customers and partners," Nicolas Blasco, Air Liquide Advanced Materials, Global Director, Emerging Markets.

Prometheus™ PALD system:

The Prometheus™ PALD system is Forge Nano's flagship R&D system for ALD on powders. It incorporates over 20 years of powder ALD know-how and was designed for ease of use, research flexibility, and quality of coatings. With advanced powder fluidization technology and up to 8 ALD chemical precursor lines, Prometheus™ is the most capable powder ALD system on the market.

Prometheus features:

• 1mL – 600ml (~1kg) of powder per batch.
• Proprietary fluidization technology enables uniform fluidization and deposition
• Up to 8 ALD chemical precursors connection enable a multitude of coatings
• Interchangeable reactor bodies ensure precise coating of various batch sizes
• Inert isolation and handling capabilities of air-sensitive powders

Forge Nano's team of ALD experts guide our customers through the entire process, making ALD feasible for nearly any industry. Forge's commercial systems for ALD on powders include Lithos™, Circe™, Morpheus™, while their systems for ALD on wafers/objects include Theia™, Apollo™, and Helios™.

About Forge Nano:

Based in Denver, CO., Forge Nano is a global leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology, using Atomic Layer Deposition. Forge Nano's proprietary technology and manufacturing processes make angstrom-thick coatings fast, affordable and commercially viable for a wide range of materials, applications and industries. Forge Nano's suite of ALD and PALD products and services cover the full spectrum from lab-scale tools to commercial-scale manufacturing systems.

For more information visit www.ForgeNano.com

About Air Liquide Advanced Materials:

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Air Liquide Advanced Materials (ALAM) is transforming the science of electronics and technology. We innovate with atomic scale engineering to open up countless new possibilities in how the world lives, works and connects. Today, our ALOHA™ and Voltaix® products are critical to the manufacture of the newest computer chips required for Big Data and the Internet of Things.

Forge Nano and Mineral Commodities Enter Into MOU to Produce ALD-Coated Natural Graphite Anode Powders

[News Forge Nano, LINK] Forge Nano, a global leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology, is proud to announce the successful launch of high-energy, Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries into orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-2 rideshare mission on June 20, 2021. The Li-ion batteries, featuring Forge Nano Particle ALD (PALD) technology and Enersys Zero Volt™ technology, were integrated into Spire Global®, Inc.’s LEMUR-2 satellite. The batteries used 100 percent domestically sourced electrode materials from Pyrotek® and Forge Nano®.

Lemur satellites in the Clean Room (image credit: Spire Global)

Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, explains “This is the first ALD-enabled space battery we know of and it’s mostly made with US materials! As world leaders in battery materials, we’re excited to be pushing limits of performance for various applications including space. This partnership with EnerSys, Pyrotek, and Spire Global is just one of many commercial battery projects we’re working on, and we look forward to sharing these other projects with the world soon.”

Forge Nano’s Particle Atomic Layer Deposition (PALD) technology, developed by Forge Nano founders while at the University of Colorado Boulder, allows batteries to survive longer and perform better across a variety of metrics. PALD is applicable and cost-effective for most cathodes, anodes, separators, and solid-state battery materials. Forge Nano works with companies from across the globe to enhance their materials with PALD.

The battery cells sent to space incorporated domestically sourced anode material from Pyrotek, headquartered in Spokane, Washington, and cathode material from Forge Nano. Both electrode materials utilized Forge Nano’s Particle Atomic Layer Deposition (PALD) coatings and combined with EnerSys® ZeroVolt™ technology to enhance cycle life stability, energy density, and low temperature performance. The batteries were sent to space aboard a Spire Global®, Inc. LEMUR-2 satellite and will be electrically cycled in-orbit at specific Depth of Discharge (DOD) levels to determine their electrical performance in a space environment as part of the battery qualification process.

“By integrating the various parties’ technologies into Spire’s LEMUR-2 satellite, we are able to gather relevant performance data in a spaceflight application and advance the use of this technology more broadly within the space industry.” said Keith E. Johnson, Vice President and General Manager, Federal at Spire Global, Inc.

“These new US-made batteries pave the way for a fully integrated US battery supply chain at a critical time in the domestication of the battery industry,” said Mark Matthews, EnerSys Senior Vice President, Specialty – Global.

Canada's Gratomic Enters EV Battery Supply Chain With Forge Nano and ALD

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / Wednesday, March 31, 2021 / Gratomic Inc. ("GRAT", "Gratomic" or the "Company") (TSXV:GRAT)(OTCQX:CBULF)(FRANKFURT:CB82) is pleased to announce its plans to build a pilot facility (the "Facility") to internally process up to 1,000 tons of SG16 battery grade anode materials for the booming Electronic Vehicle ("EV") battery market in the second half of 2021. This initial pilot facility, if successful (as demonstrated by internal testing), is expected to be followed by the construction of a demonstration facility, which will process up to approximately 2,000 tons per annum beginning in 2022 and up to 20,000 tons per annum once the demonstration facility is converted into a full final production phase. The facility will be located at the Company's owned warehouse located at the Port of Luderitz Bay. While Gratomic completes the development of the pilot facility graphitic material will be shipped to Forge Nano, Inc. ("Forge Nano") for Atomic Layer Deposition ("ALD") coating in preparation for use as a battery anode material. This processing facility will enable the Company to take our raw graphite material to the final stages required for use in a battery anode application.

Forge Nano's ALD coating technology for use in lithium-ion battery anode applications, could result in significant gains in performance to Gratomic's SG16 battery graphite compounds, as per our press release dated October28. The Company has therefore entered into a cooperative agreement with Forge Nano, a leading expert in the field of battery materials (www.forgenano.com), to not only undertake the ALD coating process but also to assist in the planning and development of GRAT's aforementioned processing facility. Battery anode materials generally consists of three stages of processing: micronization, spheronization and coating. Forge Nano specializes in the final coating stage with their patented ALD coating technology. This facility will work in tandem with the Company's Aukam vein graphite project, which is now in its commissioning phase (See Company's press release dated March 29).

Procurement of the equipment system capable of applying ALD coatings for use in the Facility will be released by Forge Nano upon the successful completion of various performance and cost milestones (See "Scope of Collaboration" below).

Gratomic's Ludertiz Bay property covers 6,564 square meters and contains three buildings including a large warehouse, a double garage with six storerooms/workshops and a single garage with two offices and a store-room. The Company intends to use the warehouse for the ALD processing and packaging of its graphite. The property provides Gratomic with waterfront access to the Port of Luderitz and to container facilities, enabling direct delivery to ports in Europe, Asia and North America.

Furtehr details: LINK

Forge Nano on ALD for Radio frequency (RF) and power electronics

WHITE PAPER by Forge Nano : Radio frequency (RF) and power electronics are vital to an array of industries, from telecom and consumer electronics to transportation and energy distribution. As energy diversification and the prevalence of high-speed electronics continue to grow, RF and power electronics are expected to reach a global market of $36.6 billion by 2027. Extreme environments such as high temperatures, ultra-violet radiation, oxygen, salinity, and moisture are all threats that degrade and corrode active components causing early failure. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has created substantial improvements to the reliability and performance of RF and power electronics. Using ALD as an encapsulation layer at the wafer level or as a final hermetic seal at the chip/module/PCB level has been shown to substantially improve electronic performance and lifetime. ALD layers enable longer lifetimes, higher performance and lower cost without adding the considerable mass gain and high temperature processing associated with conventional hermetic coatings.

Check out this fast ALD-Beast: LINK

ALD Advantages:

• Hermetic sealing encapsulation layers with minimal thickness
• Pristine conformality in high-aspect ratio structures
• Ultra-low particle generation
• Low stress films
• Improved lifetime of circuits and PCBs
• Increased resistance to harsh environments
• No peeling or flaking of the hermetic seal at atmospheres >1200 PSI
• Negligible mass gain from coating at 100 nm

Woxna AB in Sweden & Forge Nano USA to evaluate ALD coated graphite anode material for Lithium batteries

Sweden is steaming ahead in the Li-battery supply chain with Gigafab activities in North Sweden by Northvolt and traditionally have a strong Automotive sector led by Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, and Scania. Perhaps less known, there are also vast sources of graphite in Sweden and Woxna AB is one of the key mining companies for supplying graphite, which is a material needed for the anode in Li-battery production. So now the cool news - Woxna AB is going with ALD to coat the graphite anode material dug up at various places in Sweden! If the demonstrations are successful we are looking at a future demonstration plant at one of Woxnas graphite mining locations in Sweden - obviously, we will then move any plans of the ALD Sweden Conference to somewhere near that location and ask King Carl Gustav to join us in celebrating this historical milestone *fingers crossed*

ALD Company, Forge Nano, and Leading Edge Materials Corp., through its subsidiary Woxna Graphite AB are pleased to announce development work on the coating of graphite anode material from Woxna using Forge Nano's proprietary Atomic Layer Deposition technology (Press release: LINK).

Leading Edge Materials commenced graphite production at the Woxna Graphite project in July 2014. Woxna is strategically located in central Sweden, on the doorstep of a diverse range of European graphite consumers. Woxna is a fully permitted site, with an open pit mine, graphite processing facility and tailings storage dam already constructed. The site is currently permitted to feed 100,000 ton of graphitic rock per year, which allows for the production of approximately 10,000 tons of graphite concentrate (Source: Woxna Graphite AB, LINK)

From the press release: Compared with traditional coating technologies Forge Nano's ALD coatings offer added benefits such as the ability to control the thickness of the coating at the nanoscale, lower costs, reduced carbon footprint and equipment ready for commercial-scale production. As part of the agreement, Woxna will send samples of spherical purified graphite to Forge Nano for coating, performance testing, and evaluation against other previously carbon-coated Woxna spherical graphite materials. If successful, the agreement outlines a path to purchase equipment from Forge Nano with a capacity suited for deployment in a future demonstration plant at the Woxna graphite mine.

Filip Kozlowski, CEO of Leading Edge states "Coating is the last and most valuable step towards becoming a future active anode materials producer in Europe. Being offered the opportunity to collaborate with a market leader in this field like Forge Nano is a great step forward for the Woxna Graphite project. The advantages of Forge Nano's ALD coating for anode materials are well documented and with the support of some significant European investors in the battery value chain their technology could be the perfect solution to enable a sustainable source of high-performance active anode materials from Sweden."

[PALD] SUMMIT Video Library is now available on demand - Enjoy!

The 2nd [PALD] Summit by Forge Nano is now happening. This is following the first very successful event earlier in 200 and Forge Nano is planning yet a 3rd event i summer 2021. More information will come in the near future.

Anyhow, the [PALD] SUMMIT Video Library is now available on demand - Enjoy!

------ [PALD] SUMMIT on Demand LINK ------

Presentation by BALD Engineering during the first [PALD] Summit

Horizontal high temperature rotating graphite drum furnace for ALD and LPCVD on particles and powders BALD Engineering AB: Jonas Sundqvist

Two days of Particle Atomic Layer Deposition and advanced surface engineering technique

Forge Nano and Argonne improve yield in propylene manufacturing by ALD coating

Propylene, a precursor for commodity chemicals and plastics, is produced by propane dehydrogenation (PDH). In a PDH process, propane is selectively dehydrogenated to propylene. Production capacity via PDH is slated to grow rapidly over the next several years. The single feed/single product feature is one of the most attractive aspects of PDH, especially for propylene derivative producers looking to back-integrate for a secure and cost-effective source of propylene (IHS Markit Report LINK). 

Despite its simple chemistry, industrial implementation of PDH is very complicated owing to side reactions such as: 

• deep dehydrogenation
• hydrogenolysis
• cracking
• polymerization
• coke formation.

According to a recent publication by Forge Nano and Argonne National Lab, an increase in PDH yield via added catalyst activity, lifetime, or selectivity represents significant energy and economic savings. 

The researchers has demonstrated that by using Pt dispersed on Al2O3 extrudate supports as a commercially relevant model system and by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) metal oxide overcoats, the metal-active sites can be tailored to increase PDH yield and selectivity. 

In the study they investigate the interplay of Pt loading, ALD overcoat thickness, and Al2O3 support surface area on PDH activity, selectivity, and catalyst stability. 

They were able to show that applying a 6–8 Å thick layer of Al2O3 on low-surface area Al2O3 supports of ∼90 m2/g surface area yields the optimal combination of stability and activity, while increasing propylene selectivity from 91 to 96%. Please find further details in the paper linked below.

Catalyst preparation method, Graphical abstract (https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c03391)

Atomic Layer Deposition Overcoating Improves Catalyst Selectivity and Longevity in Propane Dehydrogenation
Zheng Lu, Ryon W. Tracy, M. Leigh Abrams, Natalie L. Nicholls, Paul T. Barger, Tao Li, Peter C. Stair,
Arrelaine A. Dameron, Christopher P. Nicholas, and Christopher L. Marshall

ACS Catal. 2020, 10, XXX, 13957–13967
Publication Date:November 16, 2020

https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c03391

Forge Nano incorporatesthe innovative US ALD company Sundew Technology

Forge Nano incorporates Sundew Technology. Improving speed, cost, and efficiency of nano coatings on wafers and objects.

[Press release, October 15, 2020 LINK] Nanotech company Forge Nano, incorporates cutting edge Sundew technology to their suite of nano-scale, surface engineering solutions.

The new line of industry leading tools offers high speed, cost effective, nano coatings for objects and wafers. Building upon success in the energy storage market, this additional product line is used to develop cutting edge technology in a number of applications, such as; RF Devices (MMICs), Displays, Lighting, Memory, Power Electronics, Medical Devices, Environmental Protection Barriers (nanolaminates) and many more. 

APOLLO uses millisecond response ALD manifold that integrates 10 patented Fast Pneumatic Valves (FPV) to deliver over 100 million trouble-free cycles of composite and nanolaminate ALD films. This manifold is the only ALD manifold that can switch composition every cycle without any throughput penalty (Forgenano.com).

Forge Nano will handle the Sales, Service and Manufacturing of all Sundew systems at their new state of the art Innovation lab near Denver, CO. With 16 commercial systems already in the field, Forge Nano is excited to serve customers around the world, and to expand the adoption of this exciting technology.

“Sundew developed and commercialized cost-effective, high efficiency ALD tools that combine breakthrough innovations to deliver substantial productivity improvements and superior performance. These ALD tools are up to 100x faster, up to 90% more efficient and produce >40x less waste than traditional ALD tools. They enable zero waste processes, faster deposition, thicker films, enhanced ability to deposit more difficult films, and substantially reduced cost and frequency of maintenance.” Ofer Sneh- President Sundew Technologies

“In order to solve big problems, industries are turning to nano solutions. We are excited to bring Sundew’s amazing technology into our portfolio. These additions broaden our ALD equipment capabilities which continue to lead the world in coating more surface area, faster, and more efficient than anyone on the globe. By leveraging our expertise in PALD and Sundew’s speed and efficiency breakthroughs we will continue to make nano coatings easier and cheaper than ever. The technologies of the future will be unlocked at the atomic level.” Dr. Paul Lichty– CEO Forge Nano.

The new systems; HELIOS, THEIA and APOLLO add to Forge Nano’s existing line of tools for powders, particles, and objects. These innovative solutions bring nano coatings for objects and wafers into an entirely new era of speed and efficiency.

The complete line of surface engineering solutions can be found at www.forgenano.com/products

Nano-Engineered Surfaces Unlock New Material Capabilities

Forge Nano launches new tools to enable nano-tech research, using Atomic Layer Deposition

Putting recent investments to work, Forge Nano Inc. launches new tool to enable Particle Atomic Layer Deposition (PALD) development. Billed as a "PhD Thesis in a box," the PANDORA tool is an easy to use, configurable DESKTOP research tool unlike anything else. 

(Picture: forgenano.com)

 

PANDORA unlocks the potential of ATOMIC LEVEL surface engineering, in an impossibly compact form factor at an affordable price. PANDORA is built to exceed global and industrial standards, and comes with several configurations, including plasma. From energy storage materials to pharmaceutical research, PANDORA will help researchers develop revolutionary coatings across disciplines. More details are now available at: https://www.forgenano.com/pandora.

Forge Nano specializes in optimizing the way surfaces interact at an ATOMIC level. Using proprietary technology, Forge Nano can apply nano coatings onto the surface of virtually anything. Now Forge Nano puts that power into the hands of researchers everywhere with an easy to use, configurable DESKTOP unit that can lead to materials innovations anywhere in the world.

"By designing the way surfaces interact, we can optimize their performance in many ways. We are truly manufacturing with atoms. The applications for ALD and PALD are nearly endless. By adding partners like Sumitomo Corporation of Americas and ALIAD (Air Liquide Venture Capital), we can develop and introduce new technologies like PANDORA to the market more efficiently. By enabling innovation with a community of active users, and collaborating in Commercialization programs, we provide a clear path to scalability." Dr. Paul Lichty- CEO Forge Nano.

A GLOBAL DIGITAL CONFERENCE ON PARTICLE ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION [PALD]

Forge Nano and over 20 speakers are ready for the First Annual PALD Summit LIVE May 21st, a FREE virtual event. Please sign in today for the LIVE Q&A schedule with all our speakers! Then come back and view the content until June 1st.

Web: LINK

Forge Nano and ALD NanoSolutions to merge

Forge Nano and ALD NanoSolutions combine forces making atomic level manufacturing a reality

LOUISVILLE, CO., February 5th, 2020 —Leading atomic layer deposition (ALD) experts Forge Nano and ALD NanoSolutions merge to bring cutting edge surface engineering techniques to market.

The technology of tomorrow requires incredible precision and control of materials to make products perform better than ever before. By “starting at the surface” we can engineer exact material properties, at an atomic level. This allows us to optimize a number of characteristics by controlling the way surfaces behave and interact with one another and their environment.

By combining the cumulative experience and resources of our companies, we offer unmatched real-world expertise, and the ability to scale atomic surface technology all the way through to manufacturing. We enable the engineering and manufacturing of nano-coatings on particles, and high surface area objects using the precision of ALD.

“By consolidating and streamlining our organization we now have the resources to deliver on a whole new wave of atomically perfected materials. Our customers now have a one-stop shop for product development, manufacturing, and IP. I’m pleased to offer an even faster and more concise path to market for our partners.”

-Dr. Paul Lichty, CEO Forge Nano Inc.


“We are excited to merge our talent and resources to create a company with unmatched capabilities and technical know-how. Not only that, but we will continue our close collaboration with Prof. Alan Weimer, and Prof. Steven George and their research groups at CU Boulder, ushering in a new era of disruptive technology together.”

-Dr. Wayne Simmons, CEO ALD NanoSolutions Inc.


The future of advanced materials technology begins at the surface. Using finely tuned, sub-nano surface control, “Manufacturing with Atoms” becomes a reality that will create safer and more efficient products. ALD enabled surfaces are pushing past the limitations of today’s materials and are finding applications in not just industrial uses but also for many household products


Forge Nano is a global leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology. Our proprietary technology and manufacturing processes make angstrom-thick coatings fast, affordable and commercially viable for a wide range of materials, applications and industries. Our suite of ALD products and services covers the full spectrum from lab-scale to pilot and commercial-scale manufacturing systems. www.ForgeNano.com

Forge Nano Webinar - Lab Scale ALD on powders with PROMETHEUS

Forge Nano has started to provide free ALD Webinars given live as well as playback thru their website: LINK

FREE ALD Webinar - Lab Scale ALD on powders with PROMETHEUS

• Join the ALD experts at Forge Nano for a free webinar on Jan. 30th @ 10:00am MST.
• Join us as our experts demonstrate our Lab-Scale ALD tool- PROMETHEUS.
• Get an up-close and personal look at the features and functionality of PROMETHEUS.

PROMETHEUS is a Lab-Scale, Particle ALD research tool like no other. Featuring a simple to use interface, ergonomic and intuitive design, and various reactor sizes and configurations.

Previous Webinar - ALD Basics – ALD on powders (LINK)

Argonne National Laboratory Installs Forge Nano’s Prometheus ALD tool to enable next gen ALD research and innovation.

[Press release, Forge Nano, LINK] LOUISVILLE, CO., October 2019 — Delivery and installation of Forge Nano’s industry leading, lab-scale ALD tool- Prometheus has been completed.

Forge Nano’s Prometheus tool is a lab-scale R&D tool designed to make ALD research approachable and affordable. The Prometheus series of ALD tools have been designed to be the world’s most robust, flexible, and economical ALD tools available. Designed with the lab environment in mind, applying nanoscale encapsulating coatings on milligrams to kilograms of powders has never been more attainable. It can also be used to coat small objects.

The Prometheus system accommodates up to 8 precursors, including basic delivery and low vapor pressure delivery draw systems to handle gas, liquid, and solid precursor recipes with ease. (www.foregnano.com)

LG Technology Ventures & Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund Join Forge Nano Inc. Series A

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 5, 2019 (LINK) — Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund and LG Technology Ventures join in Forge Nano’s Series A, bringing the total investment to date to $18M, up from Volkswagen’s initial $10Minvestment announced in January 2019.

The investment will help to accelerate advanced materials for new battery technologies while also broadening applications for atomic-level nano-coatings into a diverse set of new markets. Forge Nano’s technology paves the way for entirely new applications for nanoscale surface engineering. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an ultra-thin film deposition process that allows precision coatings that are the thickness of one atom to be deposited one layer at a time onto a surface. Forge Nano’s ALD enabled core-shell battery materials have been demonstrated to improve the energy density, charge rate, cycle life, and safety of lithium-ion batteries as well as to enable next generation battery technologies.

Beyond batteries, ALD nano-coatings are enabling the next era of higher performance materials for catalysts, 3D printing, thermal fillers, separations and an array of other new market applications. Virtually any application using industrial powders that benefit from tuned surface properties but require precise, uniform and conformal coatings that are chemically bonded to the surface can now use ALD nano-coatings to unlock the next level of performance and value.“Forge’s proprietary nano-coating technology and high-throughput manufacturing processes will open the door for a new stage of high performance materials. A collaboration between Forge Nano and Mitsui Kinzoku will accelerate the production of high performance materials and provide our customershigh value products in various market.”

LG Technology Ventures & Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund Join Forge Nano Inc. Series A

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund and LG Technology Ventures join in Forge Nano's Series A, bringing the total investment to date to $18M, up from Volkswagen's initial $10M investment announced in January 2019.

The investment will help to accelerate advanced materials for new battery technologies while also broadening applications for atomic-level nano-coatings into a diverse set of new markets. Forge Nano's technology paves the way for entirely new applications for nanoscale surface engineering. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an ultra-thin film deposition process that allows precision coatings that are the thickness of one atom to be deposited one layer at a time onto a surface. Forge Nano's ALD enabled core-shell battery materials have been demonstrated to improve the energy density, charge rate, cycle life, and safety of lithium-ion batteries as well as to enable next generation battery technologies.

Beyond batteries, ALD nano-coatings are enabling the next era of higher performance materials for catalysts, 3D printing, thermal fillers, separations and an array of other new market applications. Virtually any application using industrial powders that benefit from tuned surface properties but require precise, uniform and conformal coatings that are chemically bonded to the surface can now use ALD nano-coatings to unlock the next level of performance and value.

"Forge's proprietary nano-coating technology and high-throughput manufacturing processes will open the door for a new stage of high performance materials. A collaboration between Forge Nano and Mitsui Kinzoku will accelerate the production of high performance materials and provide our customers high value products in various market."
-Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund

About Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund: Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund was jointly established in 2017 by Mitsui Kinzoku and SBI Investment. Its investment target is start-up companies with material technologies, material manufacturing and processing know-how which are each likely to generate a business synergy effect with Mitsui Kinzoku's business.

About LG Technology Ventures: LG Technology Ventures was established in 2018 and is the venture capital investment arm of the LG Group of South Korea. The LG Technology Ventures team consists of experienced investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and industry domain experts. Currently, LG Technology Ventures is managing over $400 million of fund assets and invests in early-stage information technology, automotive, manufacturing, life-sciences, energy, and advanced materials companies.

About Forge Nano: Based in Louisville, Colo., Forge Nano is a global leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology. Forge Nano's proprietary technology and manufacturing processes make angstrom-thick coatings fast, affordable and commercially viable for a wide range of materials, applications and industries. Forge Nano's suite of ALD products and services covers the full spectrum from lab-scale to pilot and commercial-scale manufacturing systems. For more information visit www.ForgeNano.com

The Importance of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) in Batteries

Here is a nice article on the importance of ALD in batteries by Dr. Arrelaine Dameron, Director of research and development at Forge Nano : "The Importance of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) in Batteries" [AZ Materials, LINK]

Forge Nano just recently recieved a USD 10 million invetsment by Volkswagen for new deveopment of ALD ofr lithium batteries [LINK]. 

Forge Nano ALD plant for coating tons of battery material required by the automobile industry (Picture: ForgeNano/AZ Materials)