ElectriPlast: A "Hot" Product for Cold Weather

The

Right

Recipe

for Cold

Weather
Gear



By Vince S.
ElectriPlast Blog Editor


[Blog Note: This is another of a series of articles based on ElectriPlast patents. It is dedicated to plfminthemiddle, a shareholder who suggested this topic a few months ago.]


Imagine that you are a musher in “The Last Great Race on Earth,” the world famous Anchorage to Nome Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a grueling 1,150 mile dash over snowy mountain ridges, frozen rivers, dense icy forests, and desolate windswept tundra.

Or, as an avid hunter, you are in the wilds of northern Saskatchewan, braving temperatures as low as -28°, hoping to bag the whitetail that will make the editors of the Boone and Crockett Record Book mention you and your trophy deer in their next edition.

Or, you’re a member of a PBS film crew shooting a video on life in the extreme cold areas of the great north, where blizzards often bring temperatures of minus 20 degrees.

Whatever the sub-zero temperature, what is the common thread that is critical to the safety of each of the stalwarts in the above scenarios? Absolutely! Clearly, the answer is extreme cold weather survival gear, without which it would not be possible for those intrepid individuals to survive in extreme cold weather climates. Yet, every year, numerous people world-wide are exposed to prolonged freezing temperatures, and many lose their lives because of improper protection.

Cold weather drains body heat. Too much heat loss can cause the inner body temperature to fall to dangerously low levels, causing hypothermia and death. As early cultures pushed deeper into extreme cold areas of the globe in search of game, they learned to defeat the elements by making protective clothing from the furs and skins of animals. Over time, dramatic changes in clothing have seen the introduction of man-made fibers such as nylon, polyester, Lycra®, and Gore-Tex®, among others, all of which have made protective clothing drier, warmer, and better insulated. As the technology evolved, those who live, work and play in extreme cold climates--native peoples, sportsmen, natural resources explorers, military and law enforcement personnel, gas, oil and construction workers and others--have greatly benefited.

Several ElectriPlast patents held by Integral Technologies are very likely to join the long list of technologies that increase the comfort and protect the lives of those who work or play in extreme cold climates.

ElectriPlast: The Next Generation of Cold Weather Gear


ElectriPlast-based woven cloth or webbed materials can be sandwich laminated to one or more layers of materials such as Polyester, Teflon, Kevlar or other resin-based materials to provide protection against the elements. This conductive fabric may then be cut into desired shapes and sizes, such as parkas, trousers, tents, sleeping bags, footwear, etc. ElectriPlast fabrics can be used to make better, cheaper, less bulky protective clothing. Moreover, when laminated to various rubbers or plastics, warmer and better waterproofed boots, gloves, Anoraks, and other extreme climate gear will result.

Another advantage of gear made with ElectriPlast: It can be connected to batteries embedded in the clothing (think heated jackets, pants, hats, gloves, socks, and the like) or to batteries in snowmobiles or Arctic vehicles like the Tucker Sno Cat, the Foremost Nodwell or the Piston Bully. Moreover, the conductive qualities of ElectriPlast will bring “heat to your seat,” the seat of your vehicle, that is, not to mention your steering wheel.

ElectriPlast Means Smart Cold Weather Gear


As ElectriPlast-based materials enter the textile manufacturing mainstream, this multi-billion dollar industry will be forever changed, reflecting “smarter” clothing that will incorporate heating systems, wearable computers, communications capabilities and medical sensors, to name a few.

So, whether you intend to compete in the Iditarod; squeeze off the shot that bags that monster whitetail buck; or film polar bear habitat for PBS, chances are ElectriPlast will be there in the future to make your extreme cold weather protective clothing more comfortable.

According to a recent article, Jump-Start the Stimulus: Build A Better Battery, published on the Internet site, Newswise, “…Integral is currently working to apply their innovations toward the creation of antennas, apparel, appliances, audio and visual devices, automotive products, batteries, cables, computers, electrical and heating systems, and more.”

“Given some of the surreal figures being tossed around as part of the stimulus, it is important to note that ElectriPlast is not just a theory but proven technology,” says CEO Bill Robinson, “we know we’re onto something special.”

Well, sir, the ball is now in your court, so to speak, to prove exactly what we are “on to” by producing a contract.

ElectriPlast: Jump-Start the Stimulus

Build


a Better

Battery



By: Newswise
Fri, 20 Feb 2009, 13:00 ET



During recent Congressional hearings concerning America’s troubled automotive industry, much of the criticism lodged against Detroit centered around the Motor City’s generations-long unwillingness to embrace fuel efficiency and environmentally sound practices. Attempting to redress that imbalance, President Obama’s economic stimulus and recovery package yokes the nation’s financial future to greener and more environmentally sound practices. Included in this landmark piece of $787 billion legislation is a $40 billion provision intended for energy efficient and renewable programs, including $2 billion earmarked for advanced battery systems.


“Lighter, more efficient batteries could hold the key to a more economically and environmentally sound future,” says William Robinson, chairman and CEO of Bellingham-based Integral Technologies Inc., a development-stage company that may have created a new building block for a better Detroit. “While you can’t change the basics of how a battery works, you can change the materials that are used to create it.”


Integral has done just that, developing a moldable conductive plastic named ElectriPlast, a polymer blend that can be used to conduct electricity. ElectriPlast consists of small single pellets design compounded with metal fibers that, when poured into a molding machine and shaped, may help streamline production of batteries and electronics.


With ElectriPlast replacing lead or stainless steel, batteries could be created that would be 20 to 30 pounds lighter than traditional batteries used today; on average most components would weigh 80 percent less than standard metal counterparts. Lighter doesn’t only mean faster, it also means greener. Today, decreased vehicle weight translates into lower fuel consumption. Tomorrow, a better, more efficient battery likely holds the key to widespread popularity of hybrid and electric cars, and the nation curbing its dependence on fossil fuels.


After spending years perfecting hundreds of formulations and blends of the material, Integral is actively showcasing ElectriPlast to various industries. There are more than 118 patents filed around the product and its use. Along with their official manufacturing partner, Jasper Rubber Products, Integral is currently working to apply their innovations toward the creation of antennas, apparel, appliances, audio and visual devices, automotive products, batteries, cables, computers, electrical and heating systems, and more.


“Given some of the surreal figures being tossed around as part of the stimulus, it is important to note that ElectriPlast is not just a theory but proven technology,” says Robinson, “we know we’re onto something special.”


Source: Integral Technologies Inc.
Article Found at website: www.reliableplant.com