Honolulu-based Oceanit Laboratories Inc. is looking to patent a nanotechnology concrete mix that creates stronger material for use in buildings, bridges and roads.

Companies worldwide are working on ways to incorporate so called carbon nanotubes into concrete. In addition to increasing toughness the nanotubes, which are thousands of times thinner than a human hair, are highly conductive. That means that they could be used to create a kind of nervous system within concrete that could be used to detect cracking and weaknesses in structures.

However many hurdles remain in the path of the promising technology, including high costs and technical barriers such as how to create a commercial nanoconcrete manufacturing process. Now Oceanit claims it has solved a key problem — how to homogeneously mix the tiny nanotubes into a thick substance such as cement. The company is seeking to patent a process in which nanotubes are suspended in a liquid concentrate that is added to water used to make cement.

Oceanit has applied for a $500,000 federal research and development grant to develop the technology in coordination with state and county transportation officials. Initially, the nanoconcrete would be tested for durability and strength. Ultimately Oceanit hopes the technology will revolutionize the way the structural integrity of concrete is monitored, though that application could take years to develop.

"The carbon nanotube mixture we're patenting acts like a spider web within the concrete," said Oceanit spokesman Ian Kitajima. "Stresses in the concrete material are sensed by this internal web. Small pulses of electricity are sent through this nano-web within the concrete. Changes in the web reflect changes in a bridge's structure, which affects the return signal that could be used to determine the health of a building."

For now, any use of nanotechnology in cement will be limited to specialized applications because nanotubes cost more than their weight in gold.

"It is a very expensive material today, but it's being produced in higher and higher quantities every year," Kitajima said.

Potential transportation applications include portions of roadways and bridges that need stronger construction material or require more intensive monitoring, said Barry Fukunaga, director of the state Department of Transportation.

"It's a real innovative kind of a product that they've come up with," he said. "It's the kind of thing where it may be more costly, but in certain applications it could be a good investment because of its durability and sensing qualities."

Oceanit's nanoconcrete process was developed during the last year by the company's senior nanotechnology engineer, Vinod Veedu. During the next year or two Oceanit will decide whether to license the technology or create a spin-off company, Kitajima said. The technology could potentially be used in other water-based products, including certain kinds of paint.

"The question is where are these applications out there that we can build a business on?" Kitajima said.

Other Oceanit spin-offs include Honolulu-based medical device maker Hoana Medical and Honolulu-based Nanopoint, which is developing cellular imaging products for disease research.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com.