Microsphere Technology Ltd. (MTL) has signed an intellectual property license deal worth in excess of $1 million with Trelleborg Engineered Systems, part of Sweden’s Trelleborg Group AB. Trelleborg and MTL, which specializes in the coating of hollow glass microspheres, will collaborate on the development of new paint additives for the global civil aerospace market. MTL has been developing microsphere-related technology for use in a series of applications. In this case, the technology is aimed at weight reduction of aircraft paints with the subsequent advantage of savings in fuel consumption and carbon footprinting.

“Signing a license deal with a company of the reputation and standing of Trelleborg is an invaluable validation of MTL’s low-density pigment technology,” said Tom Johnston, Microsphere Technology’s operations director. “The environmental and economic requirement for weight-reducing technologies in the aerospace industry is clearly understood, and Trelleborg have seen the value of MTL’s new material in addressing these requirements. We look forward to working closely with Trelleborg to move the technology toward the market as rapidly as possible.”

MTL uses hollow glass microspheres as a platform on which to layer other materials, such as metals and pigments, for specific technology applications. Technology products under development include titania-coated microspheres for use in sunscreen, fluorescent microspheres for use in the flow visualization design industry, and coated spheres for breaking down many organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater.

For more information, visit www.microspheretechnology.com or www.trelleborg.com.