Ipanterm inc. is based on commercialization of foam silicates manufacturing technology, these are porous, fireproof and eco-friendly thermo-insulation materials. The innovative technology of foam silicates with its numerous applications in construction, thermo-insulating materials, construction chemistry and sealing technology was created after multi-year cooperation between scientist in Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research and financial support from The Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency.
The foam silicates have significant advantages compared to other materials available on the market. The key properties of this technology is the ability of modifying the properties of the foam silicates to desired application to match the users’ expectations. In addition the foam silicates can be manufactured from waste materials that are piling up or are created during the mining or manufacturing process.
They consist only of inorganic materials that do not release toxic substances in case of fire. The foam silicates have high potential due to ability of modifying its properties by adding admixtures.
The high potential of foam silicates was recognized by jurors of Polish Agency for Enterprise Development that awarded them with distinction in “Polish Product of the Future” contest. The team of scientists from INTiBS PAN was awarded with 2 gold medals on Innovation Fair “Brussels Innova”.
The technology is protected by 8 patent applications inside and outside of Polish borders, 3 patents granted and 3 international patent applications, as part of the “Patent Plus” programme.
The project is co-funded by National Centre for Research and Development in Poland, as part of the “Patent Plus” programme.
Development
The technology of foam silicates was initially created in Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research (INTiBS PAN). In Poland the funds for research units are allocated to progress the Research and Development projects only until it reaches certain stage of advancement, which is not mature enough to satisfy needs of the industry. Then the Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency became an investor and for the first time in Poland a spin-off of Polish Academy of Science was created. Spin off, i.e. an economic entity where the shareholders consist of research unit and academics. After obtaining formal consents required by law, INTiBS PAN brought all patents and rights to technology of foam silicates while the Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency (DARR) provided with capital investment resulting in founding of Ipanterm Inc. Thanks to support of the investor, a dedicated lab was built and the potential clients were encountered. At present, the development work is focused on meeting the expectations of established clients.
The development of the company itself goes in parallel with development of the product technology. The key factors involved improvement of the parameters, scaling, cost cutting and tailoring the materials properties to certain applications. On top of the incremental improvements suited for new technologies the technology of in-situ production was developed that enables to fill the voids or thermos-insulate large objects of irregular shape. This method was awarded with 2 gold medals during the Innovation Fair “Brussels Innova”. The continuous development was recognized by National Centre for Research and Development in Poland in the end of 2017. During “Patent Plus” contest they provided us with support to continue delivering international patent applications.
Implementation
After 4 years since the first foam silicate material was manufactured and 1 year since the Ipanterm Inc. was founded we have a product that is attractive for our partners. At present we’re discussing implementation of our technology to largest polish enterprises in the fields of:
- Insulations for large area constructions,
- Contamination of the mining waste,
- Insulation of the production infrastructure in ironworks sites,
- Development of fire doors.
Way forward
Ipanterm is a technology company. Its staff is highly experienced at development of advanced materials and protection of intellectual property. At present we are seeking an investor or business partner that would start a production at technical scale. The challenge is in delivering a high quantity of product within short time and that is a bottleneck to fully commercializing the technology. That is also translated into a cost of a single unit.
The second strategic goal is to create a specialized materials dedicated to solve specific problems that our industry partners have. On one hand we aim to utilize the raw materials that our client already have, such as waste material, while on the other hand we aim to match the properties of the foam silicates to specific application.
The company is rare curiosity on polish market that is realizing the path “from lab into business”. So far it managed to face several technological, organizational and administrative challenges. It has a clear goal for upcoming years. Regardless of its academic heritage, Ipanterm Inc. has business oriented spirit and it is focused on implementing its solution for our partners.