2012 - A Year in Review

2012 has been a busy year here at P2i and with 2013 only a few weeks away, we take a look back at some of our more exciting highlights.

January:

The first month of 2012 saw us attend two very different tradeshows. For the second year in a row, we exhibited at International CES in Las Vegas which was also a milestone for P2i, as we announced that over 8 million consumer electronics devices had been protected from water damage with our nano-coating technology. You can find out more about how we got on at CES here.

In addition, we also attended ISPO in Munich, Germany to promote our ion-mask™ technology to lifestyle brands, where we were delighted to announce that the technology had been applied to over 3 million pairs of shoes.

February:

Did you know that more than half of all mobile phone users expect devices to be water-repellent? In research carried out by P2i, mobile phone users from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the US also admitted to using their devices in the rain, shower and sauna. Read all about the findings here.

February also saw our return to Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona where we were also interviewed by The Fonecast. In preparation for MWC, we also produced a brand new video to explain how our coating is applied to electronic devices. You can watch this video below:

March:

At AudiologyNow2012! we were delighted to be crowned Best of Show for the second year running, an award that was made all the more special as P2i was the first company to win this award in consecutive years. You can see our award and booth here.

Ever wondered what the difference between waterproof and water repellent electronics is? In our post from the 21st March, we look at the differences in more detail.

April:

In April, we attended two tradeshows for the first time, World Filtration Congress in Graz, Austria and NEPCON in Shanghai, China ,as well as featuring on NewsWatch TV hosted by Scott Steinberg.

Finally, we were delighted to announce our partnership with leading headwear brand Kangol, who have applied ion-mask™ to a range of their iconic hats. You can watch our technology in action on Kangol hats below:

May:

Our busiest month so far!

With the London Olympics just around the corner, P2i teamed up with UK Sport to protect equipment and accessories in cycling and sailing, two of Britain's leading sports. We also attended CTIA Wireless in New Orleans, USA and started our series of blogs entitled: A Brief History of Nanotechnology, which charts the early beginnings of nanotechnology through to the present day (you can find the series by searching our blog).

Do you know what happens if you apply our coating to normally water absorbent items? Well in May we created The Repellent Files to find out. You can see all our experiments so far which include Mentos & Diet Coke, sponges and coffee granules on P2i.TV.

To top off an excellent month, we were crowned Most Innovative Company of the Year 2012 by the Best in Biz Awards 2012 EMEA.

July:

While June went by a little more quietly, July was certainly a month to shout about, winning not one but two industry awards! At OutDoor 2012 in Friedrichshafen, Germany our collaboration with Trekmates was recognized as the DRY Mountain Lite Mitt featuring ion-mask™ was awarded the Industry Award in the Accessories category.

And at the same time, the Global Business Excellence (GBE) Awards were being held in London where we were acknowledged by winning the Outstanding New Product/Service award.

August/September:

Both August and September continued where July left off with more awards coming our way. In August, we were again awarded the title of Most Innovative Company in Europe by the International Business Awards (Stevies) and in September we were listed in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 list. The list highlights the top-performing private companies and we came 27th!

October:

How waterproof are consumer electronics? That was the main topic of our blog in October. We also announced our exclusive partnership with Plantronics to protect cutting-edge Bluetooth devices, including the Voyager Legend headset.

November:

Did you catch Richard Hammond's Miracles of Nature on BBC One? If you did, you will have seen that we were featured! In the first episode entitled 'Super Bodies', Richard Hammond explored how nature has inspired human technological developments and how the wings of the Morpho butterfly produce the same water-repellent effect as our technology. The series will be on DVD from next year but images and more information from the show can be seen here.

November also saw the official launch of our partnership with Alcatel Mobile (TCL), where our coating has been applied to Alcatel's flagship model, the ONE TOUCH 997 Ultra. Watch the video below:

Last but not least, it was time to answer another frequently asked question: How small is our coating?

December:

There are exciting projects in the pipeline but you will have to wait to find out what. We also have a host of activity planned for 2013, so watch this space...

If you would like to know more about our technology, visit www.p2i.com or alternatively you can ask us a question in the comment box below.

An Update on Events

It has been quite a long time since we updated you about our presence at tradeshows, events and conferences. This post seeks to rectify that.

So far this year we have showcased our technology for electronics at CES 2012, Mobile World Congress 2012 and AudiologyNOW! as well as ISPO and EU OutDoor, where we amazed delegates with the benefits of our ion-mask nano-coating.

This week we are demonstrating the benefits of both technologies. In London, on the 4th December we had a stand within the Stuff Zone at Trends Plus 2012. The event which is in its second year, acts as a forum for ideas, creativity and blue-sky thinking and attracts delegates in marketing, advertising as well as new product developments.

You can find out more about our presence at Trends Plus here.

Setting up our stand

Demonstrating the repellent properties of our coating at Stuff Zone

Coinciding with Trends Plus is The Running Event taking place in Austin, Texas and is the premier expo for speciality retailers. If you are attending the show, we can be found at booth 1425, where we are demonstrating our ion-mask technology to a wide range of audiences. You can find out more about The Running Event here.

Our Running Event booth

More images from the event will be posted on our Twitter and Facebook accounts and you can keep up to date with what events and tradeshows we attend by visiting www.p2i.com/events

OutDoor 2012 & ion-mask™ wins Industry Award

Last week we attended the 2012 OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen, Germany which if you are not familar, is one of the leading outdoor tradeshows in the world. We first attended the show in 2011 highlighting the benefits of our ion-mask technology and you see how we got on then, here.

The event in 2012, however was made special for us as it was announced on the opening day of the show that Trekmates and P2i had won the OutDoor Industry Award 2012 for the PrimaLoft© Mountain Lite Mitt glove featuring ion-mask™:



The DRY + ion-mask Mountain Lite Mitt

The Mountain Mitt won the Accessories category award for its innovation, durability and environmental benefits. You can read more on the Mitt and award here.

Over the course of the show we also took a range on phones, some of which are highlighted at the end of this post or alternatively you can look at our OutDoor album on Facebook. Finally we have also posted a short video showcasing our booth and award which you can watch below:

All in all a very successful show for us!

If you have any questions about our ion-mask technology do let us know...

A Brief History of Nanotechnology: Part 5 - A Glimpse at the Future

Over the last few weeks, we've touched on the history of nanotechnology, tracing its roots as far back as the ancient world, examining its emergence as a field of study in the second half of the 20th century and outlining a number of more recent advances. In this, the final instalment of the series, we look at how nanotechnology might develop even further in the not too distant future.

In 2006 a Scientific American article estimated that between 1997 and 2005, "investment in nanotech research and development by governments around the world soared from $432 million to about $4.1 billion and that by 2015, products incorporating nanotech will contribute approximately $1 trillion to the global economy". This increase of investment in and around nanotechnology could have far-reaching effects, impacting everything from how we manufacture products to how we fight diseases, such as cancer. 

One speculative area of nanotechnology that could be very exciting for instance, is molecular manufacturing, which when put simplistically is "the ability to bring materials to life from the simple molecular reconstruction of everyday beings" an idea that Richard Feynman first described in 1959.  And in 1999, claims went even further, stating that molecular nanotechnology "will let us make remarkably powerful molecular computers. It will let us make materials over fifty times lighter than steel or aluminium alloy but with the same strength. We'll be able to make jets, rockets, cars or even chairs that, by today's standards, would be remarkably light, strong, and inexpensive. Nanotechnology will replace our entire manufacturing base with a new, radically more precise, less expensive and more flexible way of making products."

There are also many potential uses for nanotechnology in medicine as well. A preliminary study has indicated that nanoparticles could be used to target and treat cancer in the future by homing in on certain proteins and delivering medication. Meanwhile, researchers have developed artificial muscles that could help propel nanobots through a person's body in order to diagnose and treat medical conditions. These "doctor bots" as they have been dubbed might sound like the stuff of a mad scientist's dreams, but they're a real possibility.

Of course, these statements about the future of nanotechnology as a field are just speculative at the moment and difficult to predict, as are the scientific and societal implications of such developments. But one thing is clear, at least: nanotechnology is a very powerful science, with huge capacity to influence or change many different aspects of our lives.

And with that, our brief look at the history and developments of nanotechnology has come to an end. If you have any questions regarding nanotechnology and nano-coatings in general or are interested to know more about our own technology, just ask. You can find out more about how our nanotechnology is applied to different markets here: http://www.p2i.com/applications

A Brief History of Nanotechnology: Part 4 - The Early 2000s to the Present Day

Our last post explored the emergence of the field of nanotechnology as we know it in the 1980s and 1990s, including seminal developments by scientists such as Eric Drexler, Richard Smalley, and others.

Now we turn our attention towards the early 2000s, which proved to be an exciting time for nanotechnology. The field could now be explored and debated in greater depth. Drexler and Smalley, for instance, famously engaged in a public discussion about approaches to nanotechnology, with Drexler defending his idea of "universal assemblers" and Smalley offering objections.

Meanwhile, concerns about the broader implications of nanotechnology - a potentially very powerful but still relatively new field - were being raised and addressed with consideration given to both the potential benefits as well as risks involved. In 2003 congressional hearings on the societal implications of nanotechnology were raised and in 2004 the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering published a report on the implications of nanotechnology and nanoscience, which you can read here.

Nanotechnology also began to appear more in more commercial settings during the 2000s, including the emergance of our technology and the launch of ion-mask™ on Hi-Tec shoes:

In the early part of the decade, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles were included in sunscreen and cosmetics, and carbon nanotubes were used to make textiles stain-resistant. By 2011 the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that there were over 1300 nanotech products publicly available.

In our next and final post of the series, we'll take a closer look at what the future might hold for nanotechnology. If would like to read some of our early posts in this series you can through the links below:

• Part 3: The 80s & 90s
• Part 2: Early Developments
• Part 1: Roots

You can also find out more about our ion-mask™ technology here and as always if you have any questions we would love to hear them.

Kangol introduces P2i headwear collection

You may have seen on our Facebook and Twitter accounts about our collaboration with Kangol on their new range of headwear featuring our ion-mask™ technology. Well, we are delighted to announce that the collection is now available!



To tie in with the launch both Kangol and P2i have released a video which showcases the benefits ion-mask™ brings to headwear which you can see below:

As you can see from the video, headwear that is treated with ion-mask™ will stay dry and lightweight keeping the wearer comfortable throughout the day.

The complete collection can be viewed here: http://www.kangol.com/category/shop/p2i/ and below is an example of how the ion-mask™ technology repels water:

Polo Stripe featuring ion-mask™

We are excited to be working with Kangol and look forward to hearing your thoughts on how you find these hats? If you have any questions about ion-mask™, such as how it works, please do comment below or you can get in contact with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The difference between water resistant and repellent technologies

We recently came across the EMU Australia footwear brand who produce and sell a great range of sheepskin boots around the world but what caught our attention was the following banner on their website:

It is a great visual image that really states the fact that their boots are water resistant. Exploring the site further, EMU have also produced a video showcasing their water resistant sheepskin against a competing UGG boot. You can see the video below:



Before watching the video we initially thought that it was our technology, as the EMU video is similar to a version that we produced back in 2009 that focused on our ion-mask™ water repellent technology (see further down). In the EMU video, they demonstrate the difference between their water resistant sheepskin boot and that of a standard UGG boot. You can clearly see a distinction between the two as the water uptake is significantly reduced on EMU's water resistant sheepskin while the UGG boot completely absorbs the water leading to a stained, heavy and uncomfortable boot.

However, even though the water resistance does keep the EMU boot from absorbing the water, if you look closely you can clearly see that there is a layer of water that remains on the boot once it is pulled out, giving it a shiny but wet look. Over time, this could potentially damage the surface, resulting in the absorption of water and eventual staining. This is when we realized that it was not our technology and that ion-mask™ could be a great solution.

Why ion-mask™?

Earlier, we mentioned a video we produced back in 2009 which carried out the same test as EMU demonstrate above but showcases our liquid repellent nano-coating technology. Although the boots in our demo are made from suede and not sheepskin the principles are the same:



The ion-mask™ treated boot completely repels the water by ensuring the water beads up and rolls off the boot leaving no layer or residue, which can occur with water resistant boots. The untreated version absorbs the water the instant it is submerged. We have also carried out this test using sheepskin boots and you can see the result in the following image:

ion-mask™ treated (Left) / Untreated (Right)

Again, the repellent benefits of ion-mask™ act as an invisible shield forcing the water to bead up and roll off while the untreated version is completed soaked. Adding ion-mask™ to sheepskin boots means total liquid repellency without any leftover layers or streaks that is visible with only a resistant protection in place. An ion-mask™ repellent coating ensures that they remain dry, lightweight and most importantly comfortable.

While EMU's water resistant sheepskin boots do offer protection they still allow water to remain on the boot which over time can lead to staining and absorption. With the addition of ion-mask™ this is no longer a problem and as it is applied on the nanoscale you don't even know it is there.

If you want to know more about ion-mask™ you can here.

Best Use of Technology Award

What a year we are having! Back in August we won the 'Most Innovative Company in Europe' award from the International Business Awards (Stevies) and we are delighted to announce that we have won another prestigious award.

On Tuesday the 4th October at the Fast Growth Business Awards (FGBA) in London, UK, we were delighted to win the 'Best Use of Technology' award.

In what was a competitive category we won the judging panel over with our 'huge scope and potential, turnover growth and strong profit margin' which you can read in more detail via the Winner's Archive.

What do the awards represent?

The awards are organized by Growing Business magazine which is the UK's leading magazine for entrepreneurs and cutting edge businesses. The event was attended by over 300 entrepreneurs, business journalists and industry leaders. 

What won us the award?

To be in contention for the 'Best Use of Technology' award, we had to demonstrate growth and success, customer satisfaction as well as showcasing a link between the use of technology and growth, something we have achieved successfully with our Aridion™ and ion-mask™ technologies.

Peter Rankin, P2i's Operations Director who accepted the award on our behalf, reflects on what this recognition means to P2i and how our technology enables continued growth for the future:

This award now sits alongside our other achievements, which include:

- International Business of the Year 2011

- Business Hero Award for 'Borderless Business'

- ISPO BrandNew Sportwear Award

CEO, Carl Francis also reflected on how our growth has established a world leading company "This award recognizes the expertise and diversity of our liquid repellent nano-coating technology across a range of market sectors, from consumer electronics to footwear and accessories. The possibilities for nano-coating are endless as P2i continues to build on our cutting edge technology by moving into other functional nano-coatings."

You can see images from the event on our Flickr page as well as keeping up to date with everything P2i through our newsletter.

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

What is the difference between waterproof and water repellent?

There have been an increasing amount of articles emerging, explaining the difference between waterproof and water repellent, so we thought it was time to add to the discussion and look closer at the definitions and differences between the two, with particular focus on footwear.

What is the difference between waterproof and water repellent?

Firstly, how are both defined?

• Waterproof: Impervious to water
• Water Repellent: Fabrics that have received a finish or coating that is not easily penetrated by water (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Let's look at what it means to be waterproof. Footwear that has a waterproof label or tag similar to the styles used for hiking and trail running, means they are impervious to water (or no liquid can pass through them). Which is great if you are caught out in the elements or passing through streams and you need to stay dry, but how does a shoe actually become waterproof and what are the restrictions to having this type of footwear?

For materials and products to be considered waterproof they need to meet specific criteria. This criteria includes the amount of water pressure (psi) they can withstand before leaking or an "mm/24 hours" rating which equals the amount of rainfall a fabric can withstand in a single day before water starts to leak through.

In footwear terms, to be considered waterproof they will most likely have a barrier or membrane built inside as well as fully sealed seams and stitching, designed to keep water out and ensure your feet stay dry. However, if water enters the shoe above the ankle collar or sweat builds up, then your feet still become wet with the water unable to get out.

Sealed seams and membranes may protect feet from becoming wet but as they are built within the internal structure of the shoe they do not offer the same waterproof protection to the outside material. This can result in the shoe becoming very wet and heavy, leading to reduced comfort for the wearer, particularly on long hikes or runs.

There are of course solutions to this, such as the choice of material used as well as treating the outer surface of the shoe with durable water repellents (DWR). DWRs are coatings applied at the factory stage to fabrics making them water repellent (not proof). This treatment alongside the membrane ensures that the shoe lives up to its waterproof claims. However, these treatments can affect the functionality of the material as well as losing their effectiveness over time and re-treatments are usually required in the form of further sprays. In addition, they are rarely applied to all the materials used in the construction of a shoe, resulting in water ingress points.

There is also the issue of breathability or how much air can penetrate the fabric whilst still allowing sweat vapor to evaporate. The video below demonstrates the effect a membrane can have on breathability:




As you can see, the fabric and membrane layer significantly restricts air flow, while the stand alone fabric has no restriction and lets the air flow freely. While only a demonstration, it highlights the hidden impact a membrane can have on comfort and temperature control.

To combat this there are breathable membranes available that allow moisture (sweat) to escape but these tend to be more expensive than their non-breathable alternatives and can still allow levels of moisture build up to occur during exercise.

So what about water repellent?

Misunderstanding of the term water repellent can lead to disappointment when testing out a product, as you can find your feet or other parts become wet. For example, if a fabric or product is classified as 'repellent' this means it will repel water but is not impervious to it, or put in another way, there is a level of water pressure it can withstand before leaks start to appear. This is not seen as a disadvantage as the materials used will readily allow air to pass through removing the hot microclimate next to the foot, providing comfort and restricting sweating and discomfort.

Similarly to waterproof products there are criteria that fabrics and textiles have to undergo in order to test their repellency and protection levels and thus be given an overall rating. The Bundesmann test is one way of measuring this.

The test simulates actual rain environments by pouring a continuous shower of water over the surface of fabrics at a height to simulate rain, while at the same time lightly abrading the reverse side. The abrading technique is designed to encourage the water to seep through the fabric whilst also simulating movements of the body when a garment is being worn. The amount of water that seeps through, in addition to the amount absorbed into the fabric is then measured and the fabric is given an efficiency rating based on performance. The higher the rating the more repellent the material is.

How does P2i's liquid repellent technology - ion-mask™ differ?

ion-mask™ is a liquid repellent technology, meaning that liquid can still penetrate materials which have a natural airflow. What makes ion-mask™ so unique compared to other repellent treatments such as DWRs is that it is applied to the fully constructed shoe (or product) resulting in complete protection without changing the look or feel. Meaning that functionality such as breathability is not impaired. Furthermore, ion-mask™ is also solvent-free resulting in minimal environmental impact.

 

You can find out more about our liquid repellent technology in the video below and by visiting the ion-mask™ page.

Hi-TecKnowledgy - V-Lite Infinity featuring ion-mask™

Back in March we posted an article on the V-Lite Infinity Trail Running shoes featuring ion-mask™, which you can read here.

Since then the Infinity story has gone from strength to strength picking up a host of awards along the way including the Health Magazine Gear Award for the best trail running shoe (women's shoe) and the Best New Trail Shoe Award from Running Network. You can see Hi-Tec talking about the awards and the shoes at the Outdoor Retailer here.

V-Lite Infinity HPi

However, the success did not stop there. The Liquid Mountaineering viral that promoted the Infinities has now surpassed 10 million views and was even featured in an episode on the hit Discovery Channel TV show, Mythbusters:



The campaign has also been used by The Times 100 as a case study example of 'Using promotion to position a brand' which you can read here.

With the Infinity range gather a strong momentum, Hi-Tec have now produced a series of videos, filmed at the 'Hook and Bullet' lounge. Already covering the Cascadia eVent HPi (also featuring ion-mask™) the latest video focuses on the V-Lite Hpi version of the Infinity range and looks at the 'sciencey' stuff in your shoes. You can be one of the first to view it below:



Do you own a pair of Infinity's? If so, we would love to hear how they and the ion-mask™ technology works for you. Also if you have not played the Infinity Run game yet, why not give it a go.... You can also find out more about the technology that makes the Infinity 'run on water' here?

On the way to IFA 2011, Berlin

We are in full tradeshow mode here. Having not long returned from EU OutDoor in Friedrichshafen where we promoted ion-mask™ we are now heading to Berlin from the 2nd-7th September for IFA 2011, to showcase Aridion™ technology.

IFA (Consumer Electronics Unlimited) is Europe's largest consumer electronics event, presenting the latest products and innovations from all the leading brands. This will be our first time exhibiting and we can't wait.

Like previous shows, visitors to our booth (Hall 9 Booth 304) will be able to see first-hand what our Aridion™ technology can do for electronics. Delegates can also take part in live demonstrations, interact with an Aridion™ specific holographic display as well as engage with Hannibal, our corporate magician.

Hannibal

It promises to be a very exciting show. You can find out more about IFA here as well as learning more about Aridion™ in our Electronics video below:



We look forward to seeing you there! Be sure to follow us on Twitter to see how we are getting on.

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)

Splash the P2i Duck

In a previous post we talked about the launch of the Splash Challenge competition at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen. The competition was open to all delegates and those that visited our booth where able to take part in the competition by adopting Splash the P2i Duck, and taking him on adventures around the world.
 

Splash

Many Splashes were picked up by attendees at our booth and we are now receiving a steady stream of Splash images from all over the world, below are just a few:


Collection of Splashes at our booth



Splash entering another duck's territory in Wales



Splash taking in the sights at the Snaefellsjökull volcano, Iceland



Splash the risk taker in Oxfordshire, England 

As you can see there have been some great images sent in and with the competition running until the end of September we expect to receive many more.

In addition to this we have put a short video together of Splash at the OutDoor show and some of the entries we have received thus far:


 
If you would like to keep up with Splash or have any images still to send in, you can upload them here www.p2i.com/splash and why not follow him on Twitter.

We will send another update on how Splash is getting on next month...

The Most Innovative Company in Europe...

Quite a statement to make, but one we feel confident to use as it was announced last week that P2i has won an International Business Award or 'Stevie' as it is more affectingly known for the Most Innovative Company in Europe category.

So what are the Stevies?

Originating in 2002 with the American Business Awards, the International Business Awards or Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working people worldwide.

Overseen by a board of distinguished judges and advisors, we were selected from more than 3,000 entries, across 40 nations and through two rounds of judging by 200 business professionals worldwide.

What makes us stand out?

To be selected for a Stevie Award you need to show great performance in business globally and that is what we have achieved by changing the way people think about everyday liquid protection. As an example of this, Aridion™ our liquid repellent nano-coating for electronics has, in just two years, revolutionized the reliability of hearing aids, to the extent that one manufacturer has reported a 50% reduction in corrosion and moisture related damage. Adding to this, Aridion™ is now applied to more than four million devices and we are working with four of the six leading hearing aid manufacturers.

And our innovation does not stop there, as Dr. Stephen Coulson, CTO explains in the video below:




The awards will be presented at a gala event on Tuesday, 11th October at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and as Carl Francis; CEO explains it is an award we are delighted to have won:

“We have a highly innovative, fast growing and scalable business which is based on proprietary and game-changing technology. Innovation is part of our corporate DNA, so we are extremely proud to receive this prestigious award."

Now to plan the acceptance speech...

ion-mask™ - Then and Now

Where did it all begin?

P2i originated as a project within the UK Governments' DSTL division to make soldier's clothing more effective against chemical attack. In 2004 P2i became the first DSTL technology transfer company to commercialize the technologies developed by the UK Government. 

Where are we now?

Today we operate within five key market sectors: Lifestyle (ion-mask™), Electronics (Aridion™), Filtration & Energy, Life Sciences and Military & Institutional. In this post we will focus on ion-mask™ and where it has been optimized for the footwear industry.

ion-mask™ has been available commercially since 2008, when outdoor footwear company Hi-Tec became the first brand to bring the technology to consumers by applying ion-mask™ to a new style of hiking boot; the V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi:



Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi - First ever walking boot to feature ion-mask™

 Since then the ion-mask™ - Hi-Tec range has expanded significantly including the development of the Infinity trail runner which spawned the YouTube viral sensation 'Liquid Mountaineering':



Today, ion-mask™ has been applied to eleven separate footwear brands including Timberland, Van Dal and K∙Swiss to name but a few. You can read more about ion-mask™ and these brands in our case studies as well as seeing some of the styles below:



K∙Swiss Kwicky Blade Light



Hi-Tec Infinity HPI





Timberland City 6in Boot



Van Dal Cannes



ion-mask™ has also branched out from footwear and in 2011 we have seen the technology being applied to lifestyle accessories including gloves (Fox) and hats.

From previous post you will also have read that we have just returned from OutDoor 2011 in Friedrichshafen, Germany where we were demonstrated ion-mask™ to leading outdoor brands. The show was a great success with many companies enquiring about the adoption of ion-mask™ for apparel, a similar question we receive through our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. This is an area that we are extensively researching so watch this space...

The range of products featuring ion-mask™ continues to grow and if you have your own footwear featuring the technology we would love to hear your reviews and comments. There are also a host of reviews online you can read if you would like to know more or thinking of purchasing a new pair of shoes, here is a brief selection:

- Hi-Tec:

   ∙ Outdoors Magic 

    ∙ Outdoor Enthusiasts

    ∙ Gear We Are

- K∙Swiss:

   ∙ Sport (SBlog)

    ∙ Ironman

 

Making a Splash at EU OutDoor 2011 - Friedrichshafen

So that was EU OutDoor 2011 in Friedrichshafen!

We have just returned to the office from a very successful show in Germany where we exhibited our ion-mask™ technology for the first time. EU OutDoor 2011 was also where we launched our Splash Challenge competition (more on that later).

The show which ran from the 14th-17th July, is host to leading outdoor brands from around the world.

Over the four days, those that stopped by our booth were introduced to ion-mask™ via videos, a custom designed holographic kiosk and through hands-on demonstrations of ion-mask™ treated footwear, tissues and fabrics - we even had Hannibal our own corporate magician!

ion-mask™ footwear demonstration

ion-mask™ tissue demonstration

Hannibal

We also put a short video together of our booth that you can watch below:



Overall the show was a great success and it was exciting to have many leading outdoor brands visit our booth, keen to see for themselves how ion-mask™ could benefit their products.

Already working with leading footwear brands, we are excited to see who will next adopt P2i's ion-mask™ technology.

What is the Splash Challenge?

At the start of the post we mention the Splash Challenge, so what is it? Launched at the EU OutDoor show, we gave all attendees the chance to take away with them their very own Splash the P2i Duck.

Splash is searching for water-filled adventures and attendees that picked up Splash from the show are now taking images and videos of him from around the world. A multi-lense SuperSampler camera awaits for the person who sends in the best image of Splash. If you would like to keep up to date with Splash and see how he is getting on, you can here www.p2i.com/splash - or why not follow him on Twitter.

You can see all our images from the show on our Flickr page here.