BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY
GM's breakthrough has been to devise a way to peel apart the very thin flakes of the clay, like separating pages in a book. "The greater the extent of exfoliation, the thinner the particles are, and a greater surface area is available for interaction with the polymer matrix, resulting in better performance," Taub said.
GM, Basell and Southern Clay have an agreement that grants mutual confidentiality, which is unprecedented in GM's relationship with outside suppliers. Basell has also been granted an exclusive license on GM's process to manufacture the material. "That makes our research investment — which has been substantial — a much safer bet," Windscheif said.
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