Toronto, ON — A Toronto researcher is being recognized for inventing two breakthrough materials that are poised to revolutionize the automotive industry, giving car manufacturers lighter, high-impact components they need to design cars that use less energy to drive longer distances, whether fueled by gas or electric batteries.
The game-changing work has earned Nello David Sansone a Mitacs Innovation Award — Outstanding Innovation, awarded by Mitacs, a leading innovation organization that connects businesses and researchers with unrivalled access to talent, financial support, and the partnerships needed to turn ideas into impactful innovations. The award will be presented at a ceremony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on November 17.
Sansone — a post-doctoral researcher working in University of Toronto’s Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML) under the supervision of Professor Patrick Lee — is being recognized for designing lightweight alternatives to the industry-standard glass-filled polypropylene (plastic) materials currently used by car manufacturers. The breakthrough materials, which achieve a 20 percent improvement in strength while reducing weight by 18 percent, are significant because they align with the industry’s sustainability goals, contributing to lower emissions and supporting net-zero goals.
Both materials were developed in partnership with OEM supplier Aurora, ON-based Axiom Group, where Sansone spent six years working alongside industry engineers. “That firsthand experience on the industry floor, made possible through Mitacs, was life-changing for me,” said Sansone, whose passion for materials dates back to his childhood when he learned to make pasta and cured meats alongside his grandparents.
Sansone’s flagship invention — Gratek, which is being marketed by Axiom and expected to be contracted to a major car manufacturer before the end of this year — marks the first composite material to introduce graphene on an industrial scale. Although graphene is one of the strongest and lightest materials known, car manufacturers have struggled to apply it because it has a high susceptibility to clustering during processing, creating areas of high stress concentration, which makes parts prone to failure, explained Sansone.
With Gratek, Sansone devised a way for the graphene to bond to the glass fibres in the plastic, preventing it from clustering and maximizing its performance. Using a very small amount (less than one percent) of graphene, Gratek makes it possible to remove 20 percent of the glass fibres in industry-standard polypropylene. “That’s how we get an 18 to 20 percent weight reduction, but we’re not sacrificing strength,” he explained.
The second material is Clatek, which is reinforced with a bio-derived and bio-based natural nanomaterial (halloysite nanotubes) that performs similarly to Gratek and is expected to be commercially available within two years. Unlike the graphene-based material, which is black and therefore limited to producing car interior or outward-facing components that are black only, Clatek is white and can be dyed with pigments or paints for use in a broader range of applications.
An added benefit is that the lower glass content of both materials offers a significant advantage in machine efficiency, reducing wear and tear on equipment. Right now, manufacturers are constantly replacing processing equipment due to the degradation caused by heavier, glass-filled materials, explained Sansone.
Leveraging the knowledge he gained through his work with Axiom, Sansone is also in the midst of advancing AegisX™ Transparent Armour and AegisX™ Textile Armour technologies — products he designed as co-founder of a U of T spin-off called NanoMorphix. These first-of-their-kind systems are engineered for ballistic and blast resistance, enabling protection across defense, personal body armour, and high-security automotive and architectural applications.
“None of this would have happened without Mitacs and the incredible collaboration between all of the team partners,” said Sansone, who is currently seeking a strategic partner to manufacturer the coating. “That one opportunity turned out to be way bigger than I ever imagined it would be.”
The Mitacs Award Innovation Award — Outstanding Innovation recognizes extraordinary talent from across Canada whose Mitacs-funded research has potential to achieve larger societal and economic impacts, driving innovation and broadening our understanding of the world around us. Mitacs programs are supported by funding from the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments across the country.
Sansone is one of 11 Mitacs award winners nationally, chosen from thousands of researchers who take part in Mitacs programs each year. Additional 2025 award categories include: four additional winners for Outstanding Innovation, Inclusive Innovator of the Year, two winners for Canadian Start-Up Innovator of the Year, Canadian Enterprise Innovator of the Year, and two winners for Outstanding Research Leadership.
In congratulating the winners, Mitacs CEO Dr. Stephen Lucas reflected on the importance of innovation talent in shaping Canada’s future. “At a time when we need to build a stronger and more resilient economy, these eleven innovators and organizations demonstrate what’s possible when we invest in ideas, talent, and innovation,” Dr. Lucas said.
For more information about the Mitacs awards and a full list of winners, visit www.mitacs.ca/newsroom.
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