Interview
Thermalytica’s Improved, Nano-scale Insulation Technology Could Change the World

It’s not something that is a concern to many, but thermal insulation is a key component of many important systems around the world. It keeps homes warm, conserves energy at factories, and is even central to piping and ships that transport fluids and gases like LNG and ammonia around the world. Faulty or inadequate insulation means that energy can be lost or leaked, costing businesses and customers money.

Thermalytica is a Japanese startup founded by Kazuo Konuma, Rudder Wu, and two others in 2021, which aims to enable better insulation through the use of a new technology, called TIISA. TIISA is a unique and superior thermal solution that can address challenges across a wide range of temperature environments, including energy infrastructure, aviation, and space.

“A lot of energy goes to waste in the form of heat because we cannot recover the wasted heat,” said Rudder Wu, Thermalytica’s Chief Technology Officer and, formally, a material scientist. “There’s a huge business market opportunity.”

Traditionally, most insulation relies on thickness to achieve efficiency, which have improved in recent decades, but have reached their technological limit and can’t be easily made more efficient, says Wu.

“The development and improvement of aerogel materials has come to an end,” said Wu. “So we started to think outside the box, on the structure itself, which not many people have worked on. And we found we could improve the function by quite a substantial amount.”

TIISA utilizes an entirely new design process. Unlike standard aerogels, TIISA incorporates closed pores within its porous structure. This helps significantly reduce heat transfer caused by gas flow. In traditional materials, gas trapped inside the pores can move around and transfer heat, but in TIISA, the closed pores block this movement, making it much more effective at insulating.

Moreover, the particles in TIISA are just 300 nanometers size, which is one-thousandth the size of typical aerogel particles. Smaller particles mean that the material can be packed more densely and block heat transfer more efficiently. This small size also contributes to its enhanced insulation properties while maintaining a lightweight structure.

“It can be on panels, it can be in teaser sheets, or in insulation paint,” said Wu. “Depending on their needs, we can propose different solutions.”

TIISA was initially developed at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science, and is an example of a startup seeking to commercialize academic research. Thermalytica is supported by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization and has an ongoing collaboration with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and has started testing its product with partners, and is piloting expanded production.

“We know that there's a huge potential for TIISA because we got so many different, but very positive feedback from our testing partners,” said Wu. “With the pilot plant, we really want to go higher and get closer to mass production.”

One reason for that potential? Making systems more efficient through better insulation could play a big role in reducing energy consumption and saving money – and addressing climate change. In fact, Thermalytica considers themselves a cleantech startup, even though they aren’t producing renewable energy or directly addressing the impacts of global warming. That is because their product can help companies reduce emissions through better insulation, and alongside existing technology, or in existing facilities.

“Let's minimize our consumption by improving the efficiency,” said Wu. “Our insulation can allow customers to use less energy to produce the same amount of products”

TIISA can address needs in many industries. They especially see potential in factories, which is Thermalytica’s initial focus area.

“We’ve received a lot of inquiries and interest from manufacturing companies,” said Ryo Sasamoto, Thermalytica’s head of corporate strategy. “They are still struggling to reduce their scope one CO2 emissions, so there's a very big opportunity in the short term.”

One region that is a focus is Southeast Asia, which is seeing an expansion in manufacturing as companies shift production away from China. With the support of JETRO, Thermalytica has set up a subsidiary in Singapore, and is exploring partnerships in countries like Thailand and others in the region.

“Actually, many of our business relations were initiated through JETRO connections,” said Sasamoto. “Now we are conducting several proof of concept studies in Southeast Asian countries.”

Increased climate and ESG requirements in major markets, like Europe and North America, could also play a role, as factory owners need to consider making their operations greener. Many companies in the region aren’t yet considering efficiency or climate in the plans, but Wu sees an opportunity.

“In Southeast Asia they don't really have very high awareness in terms of energy efficiency or of CO2 emission compared to more developed countries,” said Wu. “We are trying to promote the idea that you don't really have to change your production line.”

Wu and Sasamoto also see potential in Europe to help insulate older homes where their lightweight product can improve energy efficiency.

But in order to meet that potential, Thermalytica has to shift from testing, research, and pilot production towards full scale production, which will require investment. With commercial production, then, they hope, can they start playing a role more broadly, in making the world more efficient, and subsequently, more green.

“I want Thermalytica to play a key role to contribute to reducing carbon emissions for many companies, and help the world achieve 2050 carbon neutrality targets,” said Sasamoto.