Changing the Game: P2i presents at Nano4Sport

Delwyn Evans

On Wednesday 21st September, I presented at the Nano4Sport conference in London. The event which consisted of designers, scientists as well as established and start-up technology companies, aimed to explore the potential uses of nanotechnologies within sports clothing and equipment.

My presentation entitled: Changing the Game: Using Water Repellent Nano-Technology for Sport Shoes; highlighted how our ion-mask™ technology for lifestyle products (footwear and textiles) can lead to improvements in performance, such as reduced water uptake and improved appearance.

P2i's success in applying the technology on a commercial scale to a range of 3D objects was a key point of the presentation and I demonstrated the technology first hand on a pair of KSwiss's California running shoes which are currently available on the market featuring ion-mask™. For the demonstration the right shoe had been treated with ion-mask™ while the left shoe remained uncoated. Water was then dropped on the front of each shoe with the treated shoe repelling the water while on the left; the material instantly absorbed any water that came into contact with it.

KSwiss California

The demonstration proved popular, as the treated shoe was passed around the audience so they could feel for themselves that there was no difference in weight, look or texture.

Overall, Nano4Sport proved an interesting event, offering an opportunity to showcase ion-mask™ technology to individuals and businesses in the industry as well as witnessing new and emerging technologies.

You can read more about the event here and if you would like to know more about how ion-mask™ works and the benefits it offers visit: www.p2i.com/ion-mask

Faces of Nano: P2i interviewed by TechSplurge

Earlier this week our Principal Scientist, Delwyn Evans was interviewed by Julian Taub for this TechSplurge Blog as part of the Faces of Nano series. You can read the full interview below:

FACES OF NANO: Dr. Delwyn Evans

Companies are an important part of the nanotech initiative. They take lab discoveries and apply them to consumers’ daily lives. One of the most successful nanotech companies, P2i, just won the title of Most Innovative Company in Europe. P2i manufactures technology that adds liquid repellent protection for both electronics and apparel (footwear). I interview Dr. Delwyn Evans, a chemist at P2i.

JT: Tell me about yourself, your background, and your position at P2i.
DE: I’m the Principal Chemist at P2i, and my responsibilities include the development and optimization of our nano-coating technology, representing the company at conferences and training our technical staff in the chemistry aspects of our process. Prior to P2i I worked for Abbott Laboratories as a Principal Scientist on blood glucose sensors and Cookson on residue-free solders. My degrees in Chemistry were obtained at the University of York, UK.

JT: How did you become interested in nanotechnology? How did you come to work at this company?
DE: Nanotechnology is interesting as it helps push technical boundaries set up by the limitations of incumbent technology, and when it’s commercialized, then it’s game-changing. P2i was particularly attractive as their technology can be applied to a wide range of industrial markets and so deliver serious commercial impact.

JT: How does the P2i technology work?
DE: On a general level, P2i’s process applies a nano-thin polymer coating to the surfaces of products. Depending on the customer’s requirements, a different polymer can be put onto their product so the surface can be made water repellent, oil repellent, water wetting or a range of other effects. Products are processed in a vacuum chamber and plasmas are used to activate the product surface and promote the growth of the polymer layer. As the process occurs in a vacuum, the monomer (polymer pre-cursor) can penetrate into the 3D structure of the product. At the end of the process, the chamber returns to atmospheric pressure and the treated items are removed and ready for use. It can have environmental benefits compared to traditional technologies as it only uses small quantities of monomer, and its solvent free.

JT: P2i was just named the most innovative company in Europe. What do you find to be the most innovative aspect of its technology?
DE: The adaptability of the core technology and work P2i has put in to take it from a university lab bench to a globalized industrial process. Many scientists are really surprised that the results from a PhD project can directly lead to a successful business.

JT: Where can I find P2i products?
DE: Consumers can currently find P2i-treated products on footwear and hearing aids. Many brands of shoes for sport or outdoor activities have taken up P2i’s water repellent treatment - ion-mask™. In the electronics sector, we have a technology called Aridion™, which prevents the ingress of water into devices. Over 4,500,000 hearings aids have now been processed with Aridion™. Hearing aids have their internal components protected against water ingress with our Aridion™ technology and so last longer in humid environments. We also treat bioconsumable products for lab use and filter membranes. As our technology develops further, we aim to bring a range of effects to a wider range of products.

JT: What do you see as the extent of P2i technology benefitting our daily lives?
DE: P2i technology makes great products even better. It can extend their lifetime, give them different functionality, and offer a wider choice of materials to product designers for their construction. And it can do all this with minimal amounts of chemicals, which gives it a low environmental footprint.

JT: Lastly, as someone on the cutting edge of science and technology, where do you see nanotechnology in five years?
DE: Nanotechnology will have its greatest effect in improving existing technologies and enabling new scientific areas. I expect its impact to be more subtle and gradual to end consumers, but felt more significantly in technical industries. It sounds like an oxymoron, but nano is only going to get bigger!  

(Interviewed on the 15th August, 2011 - The TechSplurge blog can be read here)

Presenting at BIOMEDevice 2011

As Principal Scientist at P2i I speak and present at a host of conferences, demonstrating the liquid repellent benefits of our nano-coating technology and in February, I was the final speaker at BIOMEDevice, held on the 23rd and 24th in Paris, France.

BIOMEDevice brings together the Biotechnology, Medical device and Pharmaceutical indutries for the future development of combination devices.

Being the last speaker can at times be challenging, with delegates heading to the airport or hotel as the conference comes to a close, but there was a good turnout for my presentation entitled: Cost-effective nano-coating protection of medical devices.

Due to the visible nature of our technology it is best explained through live demonstrations as this gives attendees a clear picture of the liquid repellent benefits that our technology offers. To do this I produce an untreated and treated tissue as well as a glass of water. As expected when the untreated tissue is placed in the glass it absorbs the water becoming heavy and rather useless, but when I place the treated tissue in the same glass it emerges completely dry with the water beading up and rolling off.

For further effect, I threw both tissues across the stage: the untreated curved through the air to land in a wet pile, while the treated floated gently down - this generated a spontaneous round of applause from the delegates.

You can see a similar version of this demonstration in the video below:

Overall the presentation was very well received with many delegates staying behind asking questions about our technology and it applications for the medical sector. You can find out more about P2i here - http://www.p2i.com/  

Dr Delwyn Evans