FibeRio receives $1.5 million grant
The Monitor story headlined “UTPA receives $1.5M grant for FibeRio” in the Sept. 15 edition on page 1A requires clarification. The grant mentioned in the article was awarded to FibeRio, a private company. The term “Forcespinning” should have been capitalized for trademark purposes. The lab mentioned at the University of Texas-Pan American is a university lab.
EDINBURG — The University of Texas-Pan American's first regional technology startup company has received more than $1.5 million in grant money to commercialize its nanotechnology.
The Texas Emerging Technology Fund awarded the funds to FibeRio Technology Corp., a private company that markets nanofiber production technology. The McAllen Chamber of Commerce also gave the business a $10,000 Innovation Grant Award during a ceremony at the school’s International Trade and Technology building Tuesday morning.
“What you see happening today is a first-class operation,” said Steve Ahlenius, president and chief executive officer for the chamber. “If you create something here with local people … those jobs and those companies will stay here.”
Nanofibers, strands of material that are thinner than a human hair, have led to breakthroughs in medicine, textiles and nearly every other industry.
The conventional process to create the fibers is expensive, time-consuming and uses a lot of electricity. But researchers at UTPA created a new process dubbed “Forcespinning” to eliminate electricity use and speed up fiber production.
The grant will help researchers design equipment to spin tiny particles together on a spindle to create the nanofibers using centrifugal force.
Conventional methods yield less than half a gram of fibers per hour, said Karen Lozano a mechanical engineering professor at UTPA and one of the technology’s creators. The FibeRio process makes about 8 grams per minute.
“It’s cheaper, and it’s higher quality,” said Lozano, who also serves as chief technology officer of FibeRio. “Nanofibers are expensive.”
At a university lab on Tuesday, students tinkered with a prototype while Lozano looked at Petri dishes filled with colorful strands of tiny nanofibers.
“As an undergrad, I was always interested in Dr. Lozano’s work, especially nanomaterials,” said Richard Patlan, now a second-year master’s student at UTPA who helps the professor in the lab.
Patlan, 27, is focusing his graduate thesis on his work with Lozano.
The grant money will be added to private financing the company has already received from El Paso-based Cottonwood Technology Corp.
Researchers said the new production process will revolutionize nanofiber fabrication, putting the Rio Grande Valley on the map for high-tech companies.
By 2014, FibeRio expects to create 110 jobs and generate about $84 million in net revenue. UTPA has an equity share in the business.
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Ana Ley covers business and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.
