– Flame Retardant Additives for Wood Processing

TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY - Flame Retardant Additives for Wood Processing THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT BA-302 Idaho National Laboratory (INL), operated by the Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to license, further develop, and commercialize a unique flame retardant and mechanical strengthening additive and method for applying such additive to wood products. The novel hybrid organic/inorganic substance is highly flame resistant, fully compatible and directly bondable with the most common wood impregnation resins in current use. This substance shows promise in improving not only the flame resistance of the wood but also simultaneously lengthening useful lifetimes. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. INL may also be available to assist in further research and development of this technology under a sponsored research agreement. Potential Applications: This unique chemistry has been developed primarily for use in conjunction with existing amine - formaldehyde wood treatment products. End products include adhesives for wood laminates and veneers, fiberboard, and plywood. Benefits: This promising technology will potentially: •· improve strength and fire retardant characteristics of engineered wood products. •· be a cost competitive alternative to traditional wood resin & fire proofing technologies. •· work with existing resin treatment systems; capital expenditure required to implement the technology will primarily be in chemical handling. •· be compatible with various resin chemistries commonly used in engineered wood products and other building materials. •· address changing requirements from various governing agencies requiring higher flame resistance in building materials. Development Status Proof of principal has been demonstrated with small coupon wood samples using wood impregnation methods known to be effective in large scale operations. Additional development will be required to develop pilot scale process. A substantial investment will be required to complete commercial scale process design and construction. Intellectual Property: U.S. Patent Application # 13/117,579 having Publication Number US-2011-0301286-A1 was filed on May 27, 2011. Commercial Opportunity: INL is seeking industry partners to continue to develop and commercialize this unique technology. The ideal partner would have some or all of the following capabilities either independently or through teaming arrangements with third parties: •· experience in the manufacture of wood treatment chemical products and/or equipment for the processing of such chemicals •· financial resources sufficient to make a significant investment in the development of a commercial chemical manufacturing process •· an interest in performing and funding cooperative research at INL if necessary •· substantial manufacturing and research operations in the United States Companies interested in commercializing this resin technology should provide a written statement of interest by e-mail to the Commercialization Manager (below) no later than 30 days from the publication date of this notice. The statement of interest should include the following information: •1. An overview of the entity including name, physical address of headquarters and major facilities, phone number and e-mail address of a representative who can be contacted regarding the expression of interest. •2. A description of the entity's technical expertise relevant to commercializing this technology. •3. A description of the entity's business plan for pursuing this opportunity. Suitable partners will be provided with further information on the technology. Such information may require execution of a nondisclosure agreement. Respondents wishing to enter into negotiations for a commercial license will be required to submit a business plan for the commercialization of the technology. INL seeks to license this technology to the best qualified candidate to ensure the successful commercialization of the technology. If multiple parties are interested in licensing the technology for overlapping fields of use, INL will use business judgment to select a single candidate or may license the technology on a non-exclusive basis. INL may consider inquiries made prior to the release of this notice and inquiries that are made through other channels (e.g. INL's website, email, phone). Although interested parties are encouraged to respond before the date provided, inquiries made after the deadline may be considered prior to a formal selection. Concerns about INL's selection process, if not resolved directly with INL's technology deployment office, may be raised with INL's Technology Transfer Ombudsman, whose contact information can be found at: https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt/community/technology_transfer/269/ombuds_program