Argonide
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nanotechnology, Water filtration |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Fred Tepper |
| Headquarters | Florida , United States |
| Products | NanoCeram nanometal powders, water filtration media |
Argonide Corporation is a nanotechnology firm based in Florida, established in 1994 by American entrepreneur Fred Tepper, with the aim of employing former scientists from the Russian government. Starting in 1997, Argonide began offering nanometal powders manufactured using the exploding wire method (EWM).
Their primary product, NanoCeram, employs aluminum oxide nanofibers to achieve advanced water filtration. Initially developed at the Design Technology Center (DTC) located in Tomsk, Russia, NanoCeram is incorporated into glass and cellulose non-woven materials, serving as an exceptionally efficient filtration medium. The aluminum oxide fibers, measuring approximately 2 nanometers in diameter, attract contaminants such as dirt, bacteria, viruses, and proteins through an electrostatic mechanism. NanoCeram offers particle removal performance comparable to ultrafiltration, while allowing much greater flow rates under similar pressure conditions.
Argonide was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by NASA to provide water filters for the Space Shuttle missions. In 2002, the company earned an R&D 100 Award, highlighting it as one of the top 100 technologically innovative products according to R&D Magazine.