Zyvex Technologies, the nanotechnology company based in Columbus, Ohio, has been acquired by Ocsial. The two firms announced the deal at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo in Washington, DC on June 16. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Zyvex, founded in 1997, has contributed to the widespread use of graphene in the sporting goods industry. The company will continue to operate with its own brand identity and product line as the Zyvex Technologies division of Ocsial. Founder and current chairman, Jim Von Ehr, will join the Ocsial board of directors.  In 2005 Zyvex developed the world's first carbon nanotube enhanced products in a partnership with Easton Sports. Its nanotechnology products are integrated into a variety of sporting goods, including rims for downhill mountain bikes, lacrosse shafts and Easton baseball bats. Luxembourg-based Ocsial was founded in 2009 as the first low-cost mass producer of graphene tubes under the brand name Tuball. The merger is supposed to enable the mass availability of Tuball graphene tubes and allow for the creation of products with enhanced properties compared with what is currently available. Graphene, a single-atom thick sheet of carbon, makes long-lasting construction materials lighter, polymers stronger, and improves the electrical and thermal conductivity of composites. Unlike other technologies, many of its applications do not require changes in currently-used equipment or processes.

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