About Us

Aeroclay, Inc is a start-up company dedicated to commercializing an advanced material aerogel technology. It is formulated using an eco-friendly water-based chemistry that incorporates clay and polymer blends. AeroClay® is known for its extremely low density and like aerogels, is 95-99% air by volume. AeroClay® is made using a simple conversion process that yields a diverse family of high-performance multi-purpose materials applicable to divergent industries including energy, pharma/medical, transportation, aerospace, defense and construction. AeroClay®, a platform technology, is easily differentiated from aerogels in its ability to create materials with a variety of properties beyond the insular properties available in colloidal silica aerogels.

Aeroclay, Inc’s products are based on a unique patented technology developed at Case Western Reserve University. Aeroclay, Inc owns the exclusive license to produce and market these products. Our products provide significant value by improving energy efficiencies and providing other unique characteristics to our customers. We accomplish this by reducing weight and increasing insular, sorbent and/or sound-absorbing properties. Our pilot-sized freeze drying equipment enables us to manufacture samples and prototypes as well as serve customers that require smaller batches of products. Prototypes and light production are accomplished through our proven processes. Our products are monitored continuously throughout the entire manufacturing process to ensure that the end products are not only of the highest quality, but also that they are uniform and meet specifications.

AeroClay® composites can be made using sustainable, eco-friendly polymers. Converting AeroClay® from its raw form to a finished good is a very benign process. Typically the only waste generated in manufacturing is water, which can be recycled. In developing sustainable composites, Aeroclay, Inc. has adopted the following four principles of sustainability:

• Effectiveness-products must add value, both social and economic
• Efficiency-doing more with less. Light weight, expanded performance through its mechanical properties
• Cyclic-optimizing recovery through natural (biodegradation) or industrial (recycling) systems
• Safe-minimizing risk to humans or ecosystems

Background

Aeroclay, Inc. is an Ohio C Corporation officially formed in 2010. Aeroclay, Inc is licensing the underlying intellectual properties from Case Western Reserve University. Aeroclay, Inc's value proposition and the products under development are based on technology developed at Case Western Reserve University.

AeroClay® composites offer significant value to its customers by providing extremely light weight materials that possess improved and sought after mechanical properties, demonstrating opportunities for energy efficiencies and temperature tolerance, and allowing for variability in form including the ability to be molded into custom shapes. Our use of freeze drying as the key manufacturing process gives added flexibility to incorporate multiple components into AeroClay® applications. Taking all of these features and capabilities into account, we provide our customer with increased manufacturing and/or assembly efficiencies along with a lightweight, porous material with mechanical properties.

Our Team

• Lauren B. Wolf, Chief Executive Officer and Acting Chief Financial Officer – Lauren possess over 25 years of experience focusing on entrepreneurial success with a strong emphasis on developing and strengthening organizational infrastructures, raising capital, and financial reporting. Proven track record as a solid builder of relationships between partners to manage goals, brand initiatives and communicate mission messages.
  
  
• Thomas Parker, Vice President of Operations – Thomas brings AeroClay, Inc the experience of having developed and operated all aspects of a new and unique business, including interactions with global customers and vendors, technical development, logistics and all ancillary operations that are critical to the growth of a successful business. His creativity and ability to look at opportunities from a variety of perspectives will benefit the growth of AeroClay. As a member of the leadership team Tom focuses his efforts on evaluating new product opportunities, interacting with prototype and manufacturing processes, and in relationship management.
  
  
• David Schiraldi, PhD, Chief Science Officer – Dr. Schiraldi has more than 20 years of experience in research and development and commercialization of polymer-based products before moving to academia, where he currently chairs the Department of Macromolecular Chemistry and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dave brings a blend of commercial perspective to his research and development activities and those of his students. He is a well published scientist and holds numerous patents.
  
  
• Matthew D. Gawryla, PhD, Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation – Matt has joined the company as Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation. Matt received his PhD from Case Western Reserve University in 2009 and is said to have written “the book” on this technology as it was the topic of his dissertation. He is extremely knowledgeable about the process and properties of the AeroClay® materials and provides insight into the vast opportunities the technology brings to our Company. He works in this leadership role to develop new applications with customers using existing formulas and new, application specific materials.
  
  
• Hanford Dixon, Director of Public Relations – After retiring from a successful career with the Cleveland Browns as All-Pro Corner Back, Hanford Dixon has become a successful member of the media and owner of his own real estate company. He has now joined AeroClay as our manager of public relations, where he brings his articulate style and ability to build relationships to the world of technology.