ALTAIR -WKN:902675...was ist da los??

Altair Nanotechnologies Signs Agreement With Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc.
MONDAY, APRIL 04, 2005 10:06 AM
- Market Wire

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RENO, NV, Apr 04, 2005 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (ALTI) and Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (ABAT) a U.S. and Chinese-owned company with factories in Harbin, People's Republic of China, announced today that they have signed a mutually exclusive development agreement for lithium polymer batteries in China. This agreement covers the incorporation of Altair's battery electrode nano-materials into ABAT's existing polymer battery product lines. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Altair's lithium ion battery electrode materials, which provide rapid recharge cycles and potentially longer life for rechargeable batteries, have generated interest from U.S. and international battery manufacturers. The agreement with ABAT specifically focuses on development of high power, lithium polymer batteries for use in electric vehicles. ABAT is China's leading high capacity advanced lithium polymer battery supplier and has been manufacturing high capacity batteries since 2003. The company, with 1200 employees and projected revenues of $40 million for 2005, manufactures lithium polymer batteries that are used in electric buses, automobiles, motorcycles and mining equipment. ABAT is completing the installation and commissioning of their third manufacturing line in Harbin, China.

"We are very pleased to be teaming with Altair. We believe that by using the Altair anode and cathode nano-materials in our batteries, new markets will open up because of the fast charge time," said Mr. Zhiguo Fu, Chairman of ABAT. "And, the superior life cycle performance of the electrodes will enable us to deliver a more economical solution."

"ABAT has built a reputation as a state-of-the-art polymer lithium ion battery manufacturing company with their focus on high capacity, environmentally friendly battery designs," commented Altair Nanotechnologies CEO Dr. Alan J. Gotcher. "In our first of multiple market applications for Altair's nanotechnology-based battery electrode materials, we are delighted to partner with a company such as ABAT for the electric vehicle market in China."


Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense

Alti

10:03AM Altair Nanotechnologies and Bateman Engineering announce joint venture (ALTI) 4.22 +0.13: Co announced that it has signed a binding memorandum of understanding with Bateman Engineering BV to form a strategic joint venture. The new venture, "Altairnano-Bateman Titania, Inc." will leverage ALTI's proprietary and patented titanium dioxide pigment manufacturing process and Bateman's engineering expertise to focus on the worldwide development and manufacture of pigment products and services.


Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense

Advanced Battery Technologies, as its penny-stock status suggests, is a very, very small player in the multibillion-dollar battery market, with only $1.5 million of sales last year. Interesting to note that in its press release, Altair mentions that ABT employs 1,200 people and is forecasting $40 million in sales for 2005. We have no idea where Altair got those figures, and we suspect our ignorance is universal. According to ABAT's 10-K filed only last week:

"Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. is a holding company with one subsidiary: Cashtech Investment Limited, a British Virgin Islands corporation. Cashtech Investment Limited has only one asset, which is 70% of the capital stock of Heilongjiang ZhongQiang Power-Tech Co., Ltd., a China limited liability company ("ZQ Power-Tech"). Advanced Battery has only two employees: its Chairman and its Secretary. ZQ Power-Tech has 360 employees. 28 are involved in administration and 8 in marketing."

ABT also mentioned a cancelled contract worth $25 million that it hopes will be renewed sometime in 2005, but that is still not $40 million.

If the technology is as good as Altair claims, we are surprised to note it is a small Chinese niche producer that was first to ink a deal of any description. That is not to take anything away from Altair, which is still free to sign other players. The deal is a mutually exclusive one leaving both parties free to maneuver, but we will only begin to call the technology one with Rule Breaker potential if and when the big guns in battery manufacturing -- Sony, Sanyo, and Gillette (NYSE: G) -- line up at Altair's door.

We cannot say whether Advanced Battery is now worth three times its value of 24 hours earlier. We do not own shares since we do not buy penny stocks, but if we did, we know what we would be doing with those profits today.

Come on, Altair, you claim you have a world-beating technology. Get out and sell it!

We want to promote nano-inspired commercial breakthroughs. We want to find the Rule Breakers it will produce. But give us more than a Chinese holding company, and give us accurate information in your press releases. Then perhaps we will give you some benefit of the doubt.



Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense

Altair hat heute bekantgegeben wann die Zahlen für das 1.Quarter 2005 rauskommen...am 12 Mai um 11.00 AM localtime..also um 17.00 hierzulande....wette dass die mit positiven Zahlen auftrumpfen werden.......

The second project is with Randsburg International Gold Corporation, a North American exploration company. The project is also a Raw Material Evaluation study to determine the suitability of its ore body for TiO2 pigment manufacturing. Randsburg has identified TiO2 pigment as one of the high-value products to be produced from ore mined at its Titan deposit in Ontario, Canada.

These projects use the Altair Hydrochloride Pigment ("AHP") Process to extract titanium and to manufacture titanium dioxide pigment from low-cost, titanium-rich ore. The AHP Process is the first new, commercially viable TiO2 pigment production process in nearly half a century delivering a cost-effective, environmentally friendly process to manufacture pigment. Altairnano Bateman Titania is offering technology and services to develop, design, construct and commission TiO2 pigment manufacturing plants, especially in emerging countries that increasingly use titanium dioxide-based pigments in paints for housing, automobiles and in plastics. These countries have had, and continue to forecast, high growth rates (e.g. 15%) for pigment consumption.

The AHP Process is a disruptive technology because it threatens the TiO2 pigment supply chain established over the last 50 years. It enables companies in emerging markets such as China, India, Southeast Asia and Africa to enter the TiO2 pigment supply market with an environmentally friendly manufacturing process that has a cost structure substantially lower than current supply methods. The Altair Process is economic for plants producing 30,000 tons a year to large-scale manufacturing exceeding 100,000 tons per year. This is an important capability in emerging economies and to specialist pigment producers as it enables these smaller companies with limited capital resources to affordably enter the market. These plants can be readily expanded to larger scale manufacturing operations as customer demands grow.

The ability to alter the worldwide supply chain for TiO2 pigment requires Altairnano Bateman Titania to not disclose commercial relationships so that its customer relationships will be protected until the new production plants are operating. In many cases this will restrict Altairnano Bateman Titania's ability to name specific customers until the projects are at a late stage of development, particularly where the customer is an existing pigment feedstock seller or TiO2 pigment consumer.

There will typically be six phases in the evaluation, design, construction and commission of a manufacturing plant based on the AHP process:

--  Raw Material Evaluation.  This phase starts with assessing a mineral
   resource for suitability for TiO2 pigment production in the AHP process.
   Ilmenite is the world's most abundant titanium resource and is the
   preferred feedstock to the AHP process. This phase involves conducting an
   in-depth chemical and mineralogical testing program. A pre-feasibility
   study may also be performed depending on the outcome of the testing
   program. During this phase, Altairnano Bateman Titania typically receives
   fees from conducting the minerals evaluation, process development and pre-
   feasibility studies.
--  Definitive Feasibility Study.  A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) is
   prepared and will be used to raise money to pay for plant construction,
   commissioning and working capital. In this phase, Altairnano Bateman
   Titania will receive engineering fees for work performed producing the
   study.
--  Flow Sheet Development and TiO2 Pigment Sample Preparation.  When the
   DFS is approved, pilot plant operation commences in order to develop the
   resource-specific engineering flowsheet and produce TiO2 pigment for
   marketing purposes. Short pilot plant campaigns are conducted using bulk
   samples produced from the client's resource to determine the processing
   requirements to produce sample TiO2 pigment. These runs will produce
   pigment samples for use in market development. This phase typically will
   involve the use of a pilot plant at Altairnano Bateman Titania's
   headquarters, or in some cases could involve the construction of a small,
   project-specific pilot or demonstration plant. Altairnano Bateman Titania
   typically receives fees for conducting this phase and for completing the
   detailed engineering study that will lead to the construction of a limited
   production plant.
--  Detailed Plant Engineering & Design.  In this phase, detailed
   engineering studies and designs for the TiO2 pigment manufacturing plant
   are completed. Altairnano Bateman Titania typically receives fees for the
   design of the plant.
--  Plant Construction and Commissioning.  The construction of the full
   production plant typically follows completion of design. During this phase,
   Altairnano Bateman Titania will receive fees for the construction and
   commissioning of the plant.
--  Ongoing Plant Operations.  Once the plant is operational, Altairnano
   Bateman Titania will receive ongoing royalties from the pigment revenue
   stream and may also receive additional fees for plant design upgrades,
   maintenance and operational support.
..........

Altair wird dieses Jahr zu einem Nano-Highflyer werden...

...dies vor den Zahlen am 12.05......wird 2005 noch min.100% machen