China enlarges nano output

There's an interesting short item in Industry Week, among other places. Ostensibly about a new factory in the realm of nanotechnology, the bit that caught our eye was the reference to the fact that Tsinghua University played a role in developing the process they are using.

 

The new factory is making "nano precipitated calcium carbonate (NPCC)". This is one of those chemicals, made by the millions of tonnes, that finds its way into all sorts of products, such as paper and paints. All that the "nano" really brings to the show in this area is consistency and quality. The particles were always nano.

 

The company with the new factory, China Nanotech, which used to be called Zeolite Exploration Company, is a leading player in making NPCC and other chemicals in China.

 

As with many such materials, the real innovation comes in how you make the stuff. That's where Tsinghua University came in. It helped in the development of membrane diffusion technology. The press release about this development doesn't tell us how large a role the academics played, but it is clear that Chinese universities aren't missing out on the chance to work with industry.