From a laboratory curiosity to a commercial powder processing plant-A personal perspective

The commercial path is described for two new powder processing technologies that resulted in two new busi-nesses. Both developments started out as laboratory curiosities and had to overcome significant skepticism and technical and financial challenges along the way. One was an industrial endeavor with a major chemical com-pany to start a new business for the synthesis of advanced non-oxide powder materials using a newly discovered processing route. The other was an academic endeavor resulting in a spinoff company from the university lab, bootstrapping, merging, and finally making technology believers out of skeptics for the novel coating of particles to functionalize surfaces. Both represented significant advances in the two respective project areas. Key to both successes was an understanding of scientific and engineering fundamentals, intellectual property to protect the risk takers, and viable market opportunities for products providing for cost/performance advantages over the competition and lower cost products for the end-user. An inside perspective is provided for these two success stories with the hope that others with similar opportunities can plod forward in the face of similar inevitable headwinds. It's easy to quit and the road from a laboratory curiosity to a commercial process/product is not an easy one.

Automated summary

This passage describes the commercialization paths of two new powder processing technologies, which started as laboratory curiosities and eventually became two new businesses. Both projects faced skepticism, technical and financial challenges. One project involved a collaboration with a major chemical company to synthesize advanced non-oxide powder materials using a newly discovered processing route. The other project resulted in the establishment of a spinoff company from a university lab, focusing on novel coating of particles to functionalize surfaces. These successes were attributed to understanding scientific and engineering fundamentals, intellectual property protection, and identifying viable market opportunities.