ALTAIR NANOTECHNOLOGIES INC.
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
DC 20549
____________
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of
Report (date of earliest event reported):
April 24, 2007
Altair
Nanotechnologies
Inc.
|
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in its
Charter)
|
Canada
|
|
1-12497
|
|
33-1084375
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
|
(Commission
File Number)
|
|
(IRS
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
204
Edison Way
Reno,
NV
|
|
89502
|
(Address
of Principal Executive
Offices)
|
|
(Zip
Code)
|
|
Registrant's
Telephone Number, Including Area
Code:
|
|
|
(775)
856-2500
|
|
N/A
|
(Former
name, former address, and formal fiscal
year, if changed since last report)
|
Check
the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions (see
General
Instruction A.2. below):
[
] Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
CFR
230.425)
[
] Soliciting material
pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
CFR
240.14a-12)
[
] Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[
] Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)
Item
1.01 Entry into
Material Definitive Agreement
On
April
24, 2007, Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (the “Company”) and The Sherwin-Williams
Company (“Sherwin”) entered into agreements related to the formation of Alsher
Titania LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“AlSher Titania”). AlSher
Titania is a joint venture combining certain technologies of the Company and
Sherwin in order to develop and produce titanium dioxide pigment for use in
paint and coatings and nano titanium dioxide materials for use in a variety
of
applications, including those related to removing contaminants from air and
water.
The
agreements include a Contribution Agreement dated April 24, 2007 (the
“Contribution Agreement”) among Altairnano, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company (“Altairnano”), Sherwin and AlSher Titania. Pursuant
to the Contribution Agreement, Altairnano contributed to AlSher Titania the
rights set forth in the Altair License described below and certain pilot plants
assets with a book value, net of depreciation, of $3,110,000, and Sherwin agreed
to contribute to AlSher Titania cash and a license agreement related to a
technology for the manufacture of titanium dioxide using the digestion of
ilmenite in hydrocholoric acid.
Pursuant
to a License Agreement dated April 24, 2007 (the “Altair License”) between
Altairnano and AlSher Titania, Altairnano granted AlSher Titania an exclusive
license to use Altairnano’s technology (including its hydrochloric pigment
process) for the production of titanium dioxide pigment and other titanium
containing materials (other than battery or nanoelectrode materials). Altairnano
receives no consideration for the license other than its ownership interest
in
AlSher Titania. Certain potential improvements in the technology are licensed
back to Atlairnano subject to a royalty equal to the great of 5% of the net
sales price of derivative products or 10% of the gross margin on such products.
Absent early termination, the terms of the Altair License with respect to each
licensed patent extends through the expiration of such patent. The Altair
License also addresses ownship of existing and developed intellectual property,
rights with respect to maintenance and protection of underlying patents and
intellectual property, early termination, confidentiality and other standard
items.
As
part
of the transaction, the Company agreed to guarantee the olibgations of
Altairnano under the various agreements, the parties entered into an operating
agreements, supply agreements, additional license agreement, a services
agreement and other documents, none of which are material to the Company at
this
time.
Item
7.01 Regulation FD
Disclosure.
On
Arpril
25, the Company issued a press release entitled “Altairnano and Sherwin-Williams
Form AlSher Titania, Joint Venture Company for Pigment Market,” a copy of which
is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1
The
information set forth in this Item 7.01 and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto is
intended to be furnished and shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section
18 of the Securities Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities
of
that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing
under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act, except as expressly
set
forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item
9.01 Financial
Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
10.1 Contribution
Agreement**
10.2 License
Agreement
99.1 Press
release dated April 25, 2007.
**
Certain portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Rule 24b-2 and
are subject to a confidential treatment request.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange of 1934, the registrant has
duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly
authorized.
|
|
|
|
Altair
Nanotechnologies Inc. |
|
|
|
Dated:
April 30, 2007 |
By: |
/s/
Edward
Dickinson
|
|
Edward Dickinson |
|
Chief
Financial Officer |
4