A young and brand new Italian start-up aims to revolutionize water treatment processes with carbon nanotubes. Innovacarbon specializes in nanotechnology and they aim to resolve all kinds of environmental issues with this technology.
Innovation Origins talked with CEO and Production Manager Danilo Vuono about the importance and future of Innovacarbon.
What does Innovacarbon do?
Innovacarbon is a company that specializes in nanotechnology. In particular, its mission is based on research efforts which concern the new application of CNTs, graphene and other nano-materials, which Innovacarbon want to launch in the most diverse market sectors. You will be hearing a lot about us soon. We don’t want to go into any further details yet.
What was the motivation to create Innovacarbon?
Everything that INNOVACARBON does, results from evaluating the needs of manufacturers. This requires finding new and cheaper technology with regard to wastewater treatment, which includes achieving higher purification levels compared to older and/or more traditional technologies.
What is special about Innovacarbon?
INNOVACARBON has the knowledge and know-how to propose a new kind of absorption material for the market. These nano-materials are called carbon nanotubes. At the moment, there are no real applications for nanotubes (CNTs) in environmental areas. For the first time, INNOVACARBON is able to resolve technical problems which are currently holding back the application of nanotubes in water treatment. The material can absorp a wide range of organic compounds in water, it can be regenerated and reused. Absorped compounds can be recovered and if need be, reused in production processes.
Innovacarbon doesn’t want to stop at just one product when it comes to its innovation activities. Research into Materials Science has not yet reached its limits. And this start-up has found a way to apply the best of nanotechnology in real life situations.
Being aware of the quality and practicality of its products makes the start-up stand out from the pack.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
“The biggest obstacle has been to convince the scientific world that nanotubes can be used to ‘sanitize water’. Nanomaterials, if used in the right way, really can be the materials of the future.”
What makes nanotechnology, or nanomaterials the “material of the future”?
Nanomaterials have huge potential for applications in various diverse technology fields. Within engineering, within medicine and in environmental areas. We will see more and more utilization of nanomaterials, not just due to their tiny dimensions, but also because of their absorption properties, mechanical strength, time-release capacities for drugs and so on …
How are you convincing scientists that nanomaterials can be used for water treatment?
We resolved the drag flow problem of carbon nanotubes. This is a well-known issue when these nanomaterials are used as powders. The problem is not insurmountable in itself, but the cost of machines using powdered CNTs can be very high. We are able to synthesize carbon nanotubes on the external surface of inert materials. Innovacarbon’s simple solution allows for the purification of water which is inexpensive and effective. Our synthesis method is also much cheaper. Which is unusual for a nanomaterial.
What has been the most gratifying moment?
The most gratifying moment was when INNOVACARBON won the National Award for Innovation in Verona. Being a winner at the awards ceremony two months ago at the Senate of Italian Republic was our biggest accomplishment.
What can we expect from Innovacarbon in the coming years?
Within 5 years, the company will have an important, international role as an innovative cleantech leader.
Vuono has every confidence that the start-up will see the great success and huge sales of the product within the next year .
What is your ultimate goal?
To create the perfect material and be able to resolve a huge number of environmental and energy issues.
Team: Danilo Vuono, CEO R&D and Production Manager; Basiliano Roberto, Logistics and HR Manager; Laura Lamonica, Communication and Compliance Manager; and Diana Calderazzo, Administration and Commercial Manager.
Year of foundation: 2019
Financing: working to acquire investors and/or partners.
Number of employees: 4
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