Seram Coatings AS originates from NTNU, and was established in December 2014 to commercialize the invention ThermaSiC. It is a powder based on silicon carbide (SiC) that turns into a wear coating by so-called thermal spraying. Many people have tried to make such a powder based on SiC, but no one has succeeded until Nuria Espallargas and Fahmi Mubarok did it at NTNU.
ThermaSiCs are resistant to wear, corrosion and temperature, and therefore have a wide range of applications, such as aluminum production and glass production. In addition, low weight and great strength make the product interesting for space applications.
The inventors nominated for the European Inventor Award
The European Patent Office (EPO) honors inventors who, through ground-breaking innovation, improve lives, advance technology and create jobs. The invention of Nuria and Fahmi is so groundbreaking that they, together with two other candidates, were nominated for this prestigious award in the category of small and medium-sized enterprises in 2022.
Nuria Espallargas and Fahmi Mubarok about their inventionom oppfinnelsen
Banebrytende spray-on keramiske belegg
Today Nuria Espallargas is a technology entrepreneur, professor at NTNU and sits on the board for Seram Coatings. Fahmi Mubarok is Assosiate Professor at ITS Surabaya and holds a small position in the R&D-department of Seram Coatings.
Patented in several countries
ThermaSiC is patented in a number of countries. They have recently applied for a patent for a new invention.
NTNU started the process of patent application and did a lot of work itself in close partnership with Dehns in the UK. Seram Coatings has continued its work with Dehns and also holds regular conferences with NTNU TTO's patent experts.
Seram Coatings wants to drive further product development, and they have started a number of long-term test projects, each of which can give the company great commercial opportunities. They have invested over NOK 8 million in test equipment for thermal spraying, including the apparatus used industrially to make coatings from the powder.
– For us, it is particularly critical to have patent protection in order to stand stronger should someone manage to copy our product. We also learn more about the competitive situation by applying for patents and at the same time you get a picture of which other players are strong in the same or adjacent technology fields. Although the patent world is not always completely easy to understand or work optimally, we see patent protection as very valuable.
Jens Lehrmann
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