Applied 2D’s founder is betting on hexagonal boron nitride as the new tool for material toughness
Readel's goal is to use coatings to provide higher efficiency and uptime to industrial systems that experience fouling, corrosion, and high friction in thier manufacturing.
About two years ago, we first sat down with Alec Readel, the founder of Applied 2D Materials. At the time, he had an idea to launch a business around a licensable technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Today, he is a fellow in the Innovation Crossroads program, proving how hexagonal boron nitride can be used as a protective ceramic coating for metals.
Readel’s goal is to use coatings to provide higher efficiency and uptime to industrial systems that experience fouling, corrosion, and high friction in thier manufacturing.
Q: What is the problem you are trying to solve?
The problem at a high level is that industrial processes are being pushed into increasingly harsh environments. We’re always demanding more. The materials we have end up being the bottleneck, and so coatings can play a big role in this.
Q: How can hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) strengthen our materials?
Coatings really come into three categories: polymers, metallics, and ceramics. Polymers have trouble withstanding really high temperatures. Metallics have trouble withstanding harsh chemicals, and then ceramics are brittle; they crack and they’re also porous. So hexagonal boron nitride is a material that kind of checks all three of these boxes. And now that we have this license from Oak Ridge National Lab to apply it as a coating, it’s really a revolutionary opportunity.
Q: What has growth looked like the last two years?
We essentially went from zero to one. We knew we needed support. We knew we needed a license, and we actually got both of those through ORNL with Innovation Crossroads. That led us to a phase one SBIR with the Office of Naval Research, along with some matching funds from Launch Tennessee. We have a leased facility with a piece of equipment that we can start using for testing.
Q: How has Innovation Crossroads played a role in your development?
To put it lightly, Innovation Crossroads has been a game-changer for us. I don’t know how we could have gotten here without it. The advisors have been so helpful on the business side and the technical side.
Q: Why should people be paying attention to what you’re building?
Breakthroughs are more likely to happen with access rather than a good idea, and that could not be more true for what we’re doing. New materials for process improvement are not a new idea by any means. But we have access like never before! Plus, we have the talent within a 20-mile radius to pull it off.
You can watch Alec Readel present on Applied 2D Materials at 865 Fest on September 29.
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