WHO'S WHO: 3 Houston innovators to know this week

University of Houston's Dr. Seamus Curran. Photo courtesy of University of Houston

InnovationMap has shared Three Houston Innovators to know this week which includes Integricote CEO, Prof. Shay Curran.

Across industries, Houston innovation leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators are coming up with creative solutions for the coronavirus or its subsequent challenges — from digital resources to reliable face masks.

Water beading (green food color added for demo) on an ordinary mask coated with Integricote Premium Hydrophobic Coating (right) and uncoated mask (left)

Seamus Curran is well-known for his work commercializing nanotechnologies, and he is pulling from his past to deal with a future demand. The professor is using a hydrophobic coating he developed nearly 10 years ago to improve the ability of surgical masks to protect against transmission of the virus.

The world is in dire need of more face masks, and Curran notes that standard masks are "somewhat porous, and especially if they get wet, they can allow the virus to penetrate." People infected with the virus, he adds, could spread it even through a mask, while people who aren't sick could still become infected, despite wearing a less-protective mask.

Curran is hoping his solution can prove to be much more effective at preventing the spread of the disease. Click here to continue reading.

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University of Houston unmasks cutting-edge technology to battle COVID-19

Dr. Seamus Curran, a professor of physics at the University of Houston, doesn’t mince words when it comes to society’s need to adjust to the new normal and don masks in public to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“We left normal in December,” Curran tells CultureMap, “and, when everyone was planning their New Year’s resolutions, little did we know that the old normal of before is gone. None of us saw that life passing away — and it was taken away by a bug 1,000 times smaller than lice. And like lice, it’s going to be with us for a long time.”

(Read full story here…)

Nanotech Coating Developed by UH Researchers Improves Protective Abilities of Surgical Masks

We would like to congratulate our CEO, Prof. Shay Curran, and the team for successfully developing a hydrophobic coating that can improve the ability of common masks to protect against the spread of the virus. Common masks are generally porous and can allow virus transmission when they are wet.

A snippet from the original article by-

Jeannie Kever (University of Houston)

HOUSTON, March 31, 2020— Seamus Curran never liked playing defense. Mention a problem, and he wants to take charge.

The coronavirus, it turns out, is no different. Curran, a professor of physics at the University of Houston who is well-known for his work commercializing nanotechnologies, is using a hydrophobic coating he developed almost a decade ago to improve the ability of surgical masks to protect against transmission of the virus.

“Standard masks are somewhat porous, and especially if they get wet, they can allow the virus to penetrate,” Curran said, noting that goes both ways – people infected with the virus could spread it even through a mask, while people who aren’t sick could still become infected, despite wearing a mask.

(Read more…)

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The link to Integricote’s media release about this work! https://www.integricote.com/news-events-1/2020/3/30/media-release

Coated mask

Uncoated mask

Coating that effectively prevents wood pellets from water damage

Wood pellets are formed from sawdust or other ground woody components that are used as a renewable energy source. Wood production has changed, according to the IEA*, from 6-7 Mt (2006); 14.3 Mt (2010) to 26 Mt (2015).

There are very defined classifications (ISO 17225-2) on pellet sizes, weights, and moisture content. One of the physical challenges with wood pellets is that in contact with water they fall apart very quickly. We would like to announce that using an ultra thin coating we can make these pellets water repellent.

Please enjoy the video.

[*Thran et al (2017), 'Global Wood Pellet Industry and Trade Study', IEA Bioenergy Task 40, June 2017]