January 10, 2008 — Nanophase Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: NANX), which manufactures nanomaterials and advanced nanoengineered products, has been issued a new patent. U.S. Patent No. 7,303,819, titled “Surface Treatment of Nanoparticles to Control Interfacial Properties and Method of Manufacture.”

The patent discloses the formation of surface treated nanoparticles with looped and/or linear polymeric structure on a star-graft polymer coating. According to Nanophase, the innovation is a novel surface treatment that controls the interfacial properties of the nanoparticle with controlled polymer physical properties and controlled polymeric chemical properties.

The company said the work described in this patent overcomes a number of problems long associated with the use of nanoparticles in product formulations, such as component reactivity, nanoparticle compatibility, and the formation of stable dispersions, suspensions, and emulsions.

In addition, the patented surface treatment enables control of the particle-matrix interface in a bulk or thin film composite and can strongly affect the amount of free volume in the composite material. With this technology, composite properties such as glass transition temperature, flexure strength, interaction with liquid and gas sorbents, the transport of sorbent materials, dielectric and magnetic properties may be controlled by the judicious selection of the nanoparticle surface treatment.