NEWS SOURCE: Kubota Research Associates Inc.

HOCKESSIN, DE – May 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Kubota Research Associates, Inc., headquartered in Hockessin, Delaware, announces P-Wave(TM) MemBond(TM), a revolutionary waterproof bonding process for the assembly of fuel cells, based upon the patented P-Wave(TM) technology, which clears major performance and cost obstacles to the manufacture of commercially viable fuel cells.

Concurrently, Ion Power, Inc., headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, and Kubota Research Associates, Inc. announce a strategic alliance leveraging technology and materials expertise to accelerate fuel cell research and drive its progress toward commercial applications. Ion Power is a major supplier of Nafion(R) to the fuel cell industry. The two companies will collaborate on technology development and co-market solutions to the industry.

Available to the fuel cell research industry, effective immediately, is a turnkey packaged offering, which facilitates the bonding of NAFION(R) and other PEM materials to metallic bipolar plates. Based upon the patent pending P-Wave(TM) Pseudo Process Technology, this advance makes it possible to bond the PEM directly to metals like aluminum, titanium, nickel or stainless steel and other materials such as graphite and polymeric materials to form a chemically resistant bond that does not degrade on long-term exposure to the highly acidic water environment within the fuel cell. The manufacturing process is simplified significantly by using P-Wave(TM) technology and opens the door to producing smaller and lighter fuel cells with long life.

Kubota Research’s patented P-Wave(TM) NIR radiation equipment which focuses near IR energy at the interface for joining materials, combined with the patent pending P-Wave(TM) MemBond(TM) Technology, has made possible the unprecedented joining of polymeric materials to metal for the construction of fuel cells without using adhesives or compression seals that deteriorate over time. Using lightweight metals for the anode and cathode elements of a fuel cell will perpetuate miniaturization and manufacturing efficiency, expanding fuel cell technology into mass markets.

The base offering from Kubota Research is in the form of an R&D lab kit at $35,000, and it includes:

1. Kubota Research P-Wave(TM) 300H NIR Radiation Unit

2. P-Wave(TM) MemBond(TM) Solution – 250 milliliter

Available options include a vacuum system to assist fuel cell assembly, a bench-top silkscreen unit to apply MemBond(TM), and contract engineering services to support the design and development of multi-axial robotics to assist in production implementation.

Company Information

Kubota Research Associates, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Kubota Research Associates Inc. is a technology company that has developed and patented the award winning P-Wave(TM) technology, a unique new process for joining plastics and manufacturing advanced composites. The company manufactures and markets plastic joining systems, while providing custom-engineered plastic fabrication solutions to the worldwide market. The P-Wave(TM) Pseudo Process Technology invented by Kubota Research is a core technology for a range of new continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites, and now for the assembly of durable fuel cells.

Research supporting the development of P-Wave(TM) Pseudo Process Technology has been done under NSF grant #0512869 from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Visit http://www.kubotaresearch.com

Ion Power, Inc.

Ion Power is a privately held company located in Northern Delaware, and was founded in 1999 to promote the use of NAFION(R); DuPont’s premier perfluorosulfonic acid polymer. Utilizing over 60 years of combined industrial experience in working with NAFION(R), Ion Power’s mission is to develop, manufacture, and distribute value-added products containing DuPont? NAFION(R) PFSA materials. In particular, Ion Power has developed several patented technologies for the manufacture of membrane electrode assemblies for use in fuel cells. Ion Power also performs government sponsored research on the development of new applications using the NAFION(R) material. Visit http://www.ion-power.com

NAFION(R) is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.

For more information, contact Jim Callough of Kubota Research Associates, Inc. at 817-847-5006.

News issued by: Kubota Research Associates, Inc.

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Original Story ID: (1601) :: 2006-05-0504-002

Original Keywords: Kubota Research Associates, Inc., P-Wave, MemBond, assembly of fuel cells, Ion Power, Inc Kubota Research Associates, Inc.

NEWS SOURCE: Kubota Research Associates Inc. | Published: 2006-05-04 07:00:00


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