TAL Materials Introduces Mixed-metal Upconverting Phosphors for Security and Authentication

TAL Materials, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI-based nanomaterials R&D company, has developed a family of upconverting phosphor nanopowders which can be used in a number of security and authentication applications such as security printing and invisible bar-codes.

TAL has exclusively licensed unique flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) technology developed by its founder, University of Michigan Professor Richard M. Laine, that provides for production of mixed-metal oxide nanopowders. TAL's FSP technology has the ability to easily mix very specific levels of metal oxides, including rare-earths, to produce nanomaterials with precise composition control.

Upconverting phoshpor (UP) nanopowders exhibit a phenomena not occurring in nature - they emit visible light when exposed to infrared light. UP nanopowders produced with TAL's unique FSP technology have two distinctive advantages over other UP materials available in the market:

• Patented FSP technology allows TAL to make custom-made mixed-metal UP powders with customer-specific spectral characteristics;
• Small size of the particles provides for use of TAL's UP powders in applications where other UPs proved unusable, such as security inks for inkjet printers.

TAL is also working on a number of other nanomaterials-related projects which include, among others, development of high-end orthopedic prostheses, fuel cells materials, photonic grade ceramics, and coatings for specialty glass.

Posted 14^th December 2001