Sept. 5, 2002 — Altair Nanotechnologies said was awarded its second patent “Processing Aqueous Chloride Solution to Ultrafine Titanium Dioxide” by the U.S. Patent Office.

Patent number 6,440,383 was issued on Aug. 27.

The new patent describes the fundamental technology for producing Altair’s nanomaterials and is the platform for many of the subsequent patent applications that have been filed for the manufacturing of specific nanomaterials including new materials for pharmaceutical applications, the company said in a news release

The new patent follows a recently awarded patent covering the environmentally friendly process for TiO2 pigment production.

Altair said that products made with its new process are superior because of their narrow particle size distribution, control of physical and chemical properties and low cost of processing the materials.

“We are currently seeking evaluation license partners for our new phosphate-lowering drug and commercial arrangements with pigment manufacturers,” said Altair President Rudi E. Moerck. “Titanium pigment samples from the Altair process will be available to select pigment producers in the next two weeks and samples of our new phosphate binding drug API are available immediately.”