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Hoechst Research & Technology (HRT) announced Monday (today) that it has donated patent and other intellectual property rights for its aramid cut resistant fiber technology to Clemson University's Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF). The donation is valued at $12 million.
Hoechst developed the technology to increase the cut or slice resistance of a variety of manmade fibers and films. The patent and other rights donated to Clemson relate specifically to cut resistant applications with aramid polymers. (Aramids are polymers which can be formed into engineered fibers.) AlliedSignal Technologies, Inc., which is also a partner in the Clemson center, previously acquired Hoechst's patents and other rights relating to cut resistant applications for other, non-aramid polymers.
Potential uses for the technology include cut resistant gloves for use in industry; slash-resistant seating in airlines, buses and trains; and improved protective garments for use by law enforcement personnel and other industrial workers.
"We are grateful to Hoechst Research & Technology for this donation," said the center's director and Clemson University Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering Dan Edie. "They are providing the patent and other rights, including process equipment and computer modeling technology, that will help us estimate how the Hoechst technology improves the damage resistance in a fiber. This will allow us to verify the impact of the technology and explore new applications for additional industries."
"With the rights to these patents, Clemson will be able to conduct extensive research and development work," said Hoechst Cut Resistant Technology Manager E.O. Oakley Jr. "Hoechst reviewed a number of universities before we chose Clemson, based on their extensive work in advanced engineering fibers and films. We believe they will create new ways of using the cut resistant technology that will be most valuable in the marketplace."
Ray Rupp, CAEFF1s industrial liaison, predicted extensive market opportunities for the technology. 3We also foresee the potential for spin-off companies, which could strengthen South Carolina1s economy and benefit the state as a whole.2
While this cut resistant technology is still in its commercial infancy, Hoechst already has worked with leading industrial and safety glove manufacturers to develop cut resistant gloves for use in industry. The gloves have proven effective at protecting workers against mechanical cuts and abrasion hazards. Standard industry tests indicate this technology, originally developed by Hoechst, more than doubles the cut resistance of the base polymer.
Hoechst's North American industrial businesses have had a long-standing relationship with Clemson through the support of the university1s engineering and chemistry programs. These businesses are part of Hoechst1s global industrial companies, which are world leaders in commodity chemicals, acetate fibers and engineering plastics. Hoechst plans to spin off these global industrial businesses into a new company called Celanese AG later this year.
The donation to Clemson - the largest corporate gift in the university's history - comes almost one year later to the day of the announcement of the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films.
"This 'patented partnership' will be a catalyst for additional industrial support. The more we do, the more industries see what can be done," said Thomas Keinath, dean of Clemson1s College of Engineering and Science. "It's a wonderful time to be at Clemson."
The National Science Foundation established CAEFF as one of the nation1s elite Engineering Research Centers in 1998. CAEFF is the only national Engineering Research Center to target fiber and film research. The fiber and film industry, dominant in the South, accounts for 25 percent of the manufacturing segment of the U.S. gross domestic product. The center, in partnership with industry and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, seeks to advance engineering research and education in areas critical to the long-term competitiveness of U.S. fiber and film based industries.
A related low-resolution photo or graphic suitable for SCREEN VIEWING ONLY is available at ftp://clemsonews.clemson.edu/graphics/slice.GIF and a high-resolution version suitable for DOWNLOADING FOR PUBLICATION ONLY is available at ftp://clemsonews.clemson.edu/graphics/slice.TIF
Picture Cutline: A computer-generated blade (depicted by broken-line edging) is shown as it moves through cut resistant fiber utilizing the technology originally developed by Hoechst Research & Technology. Ceramic platelets in the mix increase the cut resistance by redistributing the stresses introduced by the slicing blade. The platelets redistribute the energy of the cutting action in much the same way that snow shoes redistribute a walker's weight.