Frost & Sullivan Recognizes NeXolve For Superior Polymer Product

Withstanding the Hazards of the Space Environment

Mountain View, CA /PRNewswire/ - Based on its recent analysis of the field of nanocomposites for space applications, Frost & Sullivan recognizes NeXolve Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ManTech International Corporation (www.mantechmaterials.com), with the 2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation, for its development of the CORIN(R) XLS Polyimide. This colorless, organic/inorganic nanocomposite transparent polyimide material is highly resistant to solar radiation and atomic oxygen erosion and can be cured at room temperature, making it a possible lightweight alternative for glass that is used in space photovoltaic arrays in the low earth orbit (LEO).

Polymer-based composite structures can reduce the weight of space satellites by replacing conventional materials such as metals in support structures and glass in the photovoltaic arrays. However, polymer films and composite structures in the LEO are subjected to exposure to atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet (UV) radiation, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, and other solar radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop lightweight and environmentally durable polymeric protective coatings for use in LEO structures.

"NeXolve Corporation has addressed this need with its competitively-priced CORIN® XLS Polyimide, a product that leverages polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)," says Frost & Sullivan, Industry Analyst Archana Jayarajah. "POSS affords the atomic oxygen survivability without sacrificing the radiation durability or other mechanical properties of the base polyimide."

"In comparison with other similar materials for space applications, CORIN(R) XLS offers numerous benefits, including self-healing, AO and UV/VUV radiation durability, optical clarity, temperature stability, ease of processing with existing equipment and solvents, ease of storage, and low temperature curing," notes Jayarajah. "This multipurpose material can be processed with organic solvents for spray, dip, or casting applications, as well as with more traditional molding processes."

CORIN® XLS has a glass transition temperature in excess of 250 degrees C, and can be sprayed onto a broad range of substrates and dried at room temperature with good adhesion to form a strong and tough coating. NeXolve offers this material as a film (standard thicknesses of 0.5 mil and 1.0 mil), solvent-based liquid resin, castable resin, or a powder. Additionally, the company produces this polymer nanocomposite in multi-ton quantities with its existing production line of high-performance polyimides.

NeXolve has demonstrated its innovative product development abilities with its broad portfolio of high performance polyimide products. The CORIN(R) XLS Polyimide is just one of the company's many noteworthy product developments in this space. Another colorless polyimide manufactured by NeXolve Corporation, LaRC™-CP1 Polyimide, is a key component of NASA's experimental solar sail, which is packed inside the NASA NanoSail-D satellite. "NeXolve's LaRC™-CP2 Polyimide has similar high performance features as LaRC™-CP1, with LaRC™-CP2 exhibiting lower optical absorptivity and glass transition temperature, as well as slightly different mechanical properties," observes Jayarajah. "Both LaRC™-CP1 and LaRC™-CP2™ have been tested and rated for a ten-year life in geosynchronous earth orbit."

More information about NeXolve's CORIN(R) XLS and other High Performance Advanced Materials can be found at www.mantechmaterials.com.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About NeXolve Corporation
NeXolve is a wholly owned subsidiary of ManTech International Corporation. NeXolve provides systems engineering and technical services for the Missile Defense Agency, the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command and NASA. NeXolve is building a five-layer sunshield - roughly the size of a tennis court - for the NASA James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble. The new shield uses ManTech patented thin film polymer technology. They also developed ManTech's CORIN XLS(R), a transparent polyimide film used in space and electronics applications that last year was chosen by R&D Magazine as one of the top 100 most innovative and technologically significant new products of the year. NeXolve also makes a software assurance product called Document Detective, which helps prevent inadvertent data disclosure and works with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as PDF documents.

About ManTech International Corporation:
Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia with approximately 8,000 professionals, ManTech International Corporation is a leading provider of innovative technologies and solutions for mission-critical national security programs for the Intelligence Community; the departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security and Justice; the Space Community and other U.S. federal government customers. ManTech's expertise includes systems engineering, systems integration, software development services, enterprise architecture, cyber security, information assurance, intelligence operations and analysis support, network and critical infrastructure protection, information operations and information warfare support, information technology, communications integration, global logistics and supply chain management, and service oriented architectures. The company supports the advanced telecommunications systems that are used in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in other parts of the world; has developed a secure, collaborative communications system for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and builds and maintains secure databases that track terrorists. The company operates in the United States and 40 countries. In 2008, BusinessWeek magazine chose ManTech for its 'InfoTech 100' listing representing the best performing tech companies in the world; Forbes.com named ManTech as one of the 400 Best Big Companies in the nation; and A-Space, a Web 2.0 enhanced collaboration tool that ManTech developed for the Intelligence Community was named one of the Top 50 Inventions of the Year by Time magazine. Also in 2008, GI Jobs magazine named ManTech a Top Ten Military Friendly Employer for the third year in a row. Additional information on ManTech can be found at www.mantech.com.

About Frost & Sullivan
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SOURE: Frost & Sullivan