AsianScientist (May 20, 2014) – Highly-durable extreme-performance plastics and rubbers for use in industries ranging from automotive to construction are now closer to realization, thanks to a AUD$1 million (~US$0.93 million) investment in a Brisbane materials company.
The University of Queensland (UQ) start-up company TenasiTech is developing innovative plastic additives based on research by UQ’s Professor Darren Martin.
TenasiTech CEO Richard Marshall said the potential market for the product was encouraging.
“The acrylic glass market is very large, worth six billion dollars globally. However, the poor scratch-resistance of acrylic glass is a key barrier to the more widespread replacement of traditional glass.
“Our additive products are simple to incorporate, and allow customers to design plastic sheets and other parts which are more durable as they are less prone to surface defects when handled.”
UQ acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Max Lu said the investment in TenasiTech epitomized the importance of diversified support for research and commercialization at UQ.
“This investment is important for the future of TenasiTech in realizing the commercial potential of their range of high performance additives,” he said.
Professor Lu said the investment was an outcome of UniQuest’s commercialization efforts and research partnership with UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) that, since TenasiTech’s founding, has established a highly-successful Industrial Affiliates Program.
“The Industrial Affiliates Program enables the AIBN to partner with industry in a way that provides companies with access to research, expertise and facilities. In turn, the AIBN gains insights as well as support from its partners to help its researchers conduct highly relevant and beneficial research to industry,” he said.
TenasiTech secured the current round of investment from members of angel investment groups Brisbane Angels and Melbourne Angels along with UQ-based venture fund and founding investor Uniseed. The AUD$935,000 in funds will be used to further develop products from TenasiTech’s SOLID additive range and Adaptive Polyol technologies.
TenasiTech’s SOLID additive range provides a significant boost to acrylics technology, which doubles the surface hardness and scratch-resistance of acrylic without loss of gloss or impact strength, while their Adaptive Polyol technology takes rubbery thermoplastic polyurethanes to extreme performance levels without loss of flexibility.
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Source: University of Queensland.
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