Meet the Innovators: H-Trap One LLC

2019 NASA iTech Cycle II Finalist: 

H-Trap One LLC of Las Cruces, New Mexico

Innovation:

An innovative coating that enables safe, novel and low-cost solutions to protect hydrogen pipeline infrastructure

What is your technology?

Currently, few materials can safely trap and store hydrogen. Our technology is the H2 Elastomer, a hydrogen trapping biopolymer that is produced by yeast. Since it’s produced from a living organism, it’s also green. We think it can be a small part of our journey to independence from using coal and oil as our primary means of energy and plastic production.

What should people know about your team?

I – H-Trap One founder Luis Morales – was studying biochemistry and developing a company with my sister at Arrowhead Center, which is part of New Mexico State University when I saw this promising new technology that had been created within the department of microbiology. Since then, we’ve taken the idea for H2 Elastomer through the National Science Foundation’s regional I-Corps program to do customer discovery. We are ready to develop our proof of concept and do pilot tests on scaling up production.

What do you look forward to most about the NASA iTech forum?

I look forward to the potential to create partnerships that can propel our innovation to the next level. It's also green chile season in New Mexico, so I am really looking forward to eating as much green chile as possible.

This information was provided by H-Trap One LLC. NASA iTech is a year-long effort to find innovative ideas that could address challenges facing space exploration. Ten competition finalists will present their ideas Oct. 7-8, 2019, at a NASA iTech forum in Las Cruces, New Mexico. At the culmination of the forum, three winning teams will be selected and recognized during a non-monetary awards ceremony.