Page 59 - Plastics News February 2026
P. 59
PRODUCT NEWS
selected by the Greater Akron Polymer Inno- Capacitor film technology
vation Hub, which is deploying $42M in funding
over four years to advance sustainable polymer In November 2025, Peak Nano secured two
solutions. The Hub's efforts include establishing US patents that position American manufactur-
a polymer pilot facility and supporting startups ers to advance high-performance capacitor film
and scaleups in the region. technology. The breakthrough addresses sup-
ply chain vulnerabilities while delivering perfor-
"The Polymer Industry Cluster was created to mance improvements for power grid, defense,
tackle shared problems that no single company and emerging fusion energy applications.
can solve," Dorfi explained.
The company announced the patents as it pre-
In the current phase of the project, Peak Nano pares to launch the nation's first domestic fa-
and its partners will produce prototype biode- cility for polymer capacitor film production in
gradable nanolayer film systems and test them early 2026. Peak Nano said this move will estab-
on commercial equipment used for food and lish it as America's sole source for domestically
medical packaging. Future phases will include bi- manufactured biaxially oriented polypropylene
odegradability testing, cost modeling, and scal- (BOPP) films materials currently available only
ing up production to supply brand owners and from overseas suppliers.
converters.
"Through rigorous third-party validation, these
"This collaboration is about turning leadership in patents demonstrate a significant leap forward
advanced materials into commercial reality with in capacitor film design," Ponting explained.
regional economic impact," said Jean-Claude "With innovative polymer architecture at the
Kihn, former CTO of The Goodyear Tire and Rub- nanoscale, our technologies eliminate the key
ber Company and co-chairman of the Hub's In- shortcomings of legacy materials, resulting in
novation and Commercialization Committee. "By films that provide enhanced energy storage, op-
backing Peak Nano's technology and scale-up in erational longevity, and durability."
Ohio, we're helping translate the state's century-
long polymer heritage into next-generation sus- Established in 2016 to bring patented nanotech-
tainable materials and high-value jobs." nology from the laboratory to commercial appli-
cations, Peak Nano is tackling challenges across
Peak Nano's innovative approach to sustainable the power grid, fusion, electric vehicles, aero-
packaging not only addresses pressing environ- space, and defense. With AI-powered design
mental challenges but also positions Ohio as a and advanced nanolayered technology, Peak
leader in advanced materials and polymer sci- Nano's drop-in-ready, industry-disrupting solu-
ence. With the support of the Innovation Hub tions dramatically boost systems' performance.
and regional partners, the company is poised to
bring its biodegradable nanolayer films to mar- The company's NanoPlex technology for films
ket, paving the way for a more sustainable fu- and optics — protected by more than 20 glob-
ture. al patents — is fully designed, engineered, and
February 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 59
