Lockheed may fly with Bengaluru startup's nanotech

Sky's the limit

A Bengaluru-based startup whose CEO claims to have a revolutionary new method to manufacture nanotubes, has signed an MoU with American aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin.

Gadhadar Reddy of NoPo Nanotechnologies Ltd, located in Electronics City, said the company’s patented “hipco-method” of manufacturing nanotubes, made it the world’s premier supplier of such material to military vendors.

According to Reddy, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed-Martin to supply nanotubes on a “Phase 1” basis.

“Phase 1 involves evaluation against military guidelines,” Reddy explained, adding that if Lockheed was satisfied, it would move to “Phase 2” which involves implementation on fighter aircraft.

Nanotubes are described as some of the strongest materials on earth and also one of the most difficult to manufacture. One to 2 lakh times smaller than the size of a strand of human hair (which measures 100 microns), nanotubes have several applications.

Lockheed-Martin said it is evaluating the material’s conductive properties for electromagnetic interference and for lightning-protection applications.

According to Reddy, “Traditional aircraft built out of aluminum could withstand lightning strikes, because the hit would be channelled down, but modern fighter aircraft, including the Tejas, are created from composites which cannot conduct electricity. In this situation, lightning strikes can destroy the aircraft.”

Consequently, aircraft are equipped with a wire mesh to channel the lightning strike to ground but the wire mesh also adds to the weight of the aircraft, he clarified, explaining that nanotubes served the same purpose but at a significant reduction in weight. According to Phil Shaw, chief executive for Lockheed-Martin India, the MoU with NoPo is part of the company’s broader support of local industry.

“The MoUs announced are both a reflection of our commitment to support and nurture start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises in India to translate their ideas into reality,” Shaw said.

Reddy added that nanotubes can also be used for desalination, because water can be channeled through tubes thousand times faster than biological membranes.

“The Indian Navy has invested Rs 1.2 crore to help deploy the technology for desalination in ships and submarines,” he said.

Shaw added that the company had also announced MoUs with two other organisations, including Terero Mobility, which has created an unmanned vehicle to support cargo operations of Hercules C-130 aircraft in what he described as “austere” environments. The other MoU was with Satra Robotics, which is engaged in manufacturing intelligent robotic platforms for industrial product testing automation.

'More expensive than gold'

Each gram of nanotube tech carries a price tag of $500 to $1,000. According to Reddy, NoPo has exported 150 grams so far to international partners. “This material is 10 times more expensive than gold,” Reddy said.