DuPont Brings Wireless Charging to Your Kitchen Counter

DuPont has joined the Power Matters Alliance in the hopes of becoming a player in the fast growing and changing consumer electronics market. The makers of chemical will soon deliver wireless charging to your kitchen countertops.

DuPont is hoping to embed Power Matters Alliance wireless charging specifications into countertops made with its Corian material.

“The next phase in wireless power is seeing it embedded into surfaces used for furnishing solutions,” said Ron Resnick, President of PMA.  ”DuPont has been driving innovation for decades in the area of advanced materials. DuPont™ Corian® solid surface is a globally renowned premium solution in the markets of furnishing and interior design, both commercial and residential. The collaboration between PMA and DuPont Building Innovations marks another step forward in the PMA’s vision to make smart wireless power a ubiquitous part of our lives.

Corian is a non-porous material that serves as an alternative to natural materials like quartz and granite. As a result of its non-porous properties, Corian could also be used in laboratories and hospitals. This means that not only could DuPont bring wireless charging to your home counter surfaces, but also to laboratories, hospitals, and other areas as the material could be easily cleaned and sanitized.

Though wireless charging is beginning to gain momentum, there are competing standards right now, which could cause consumer confusion. As a result of competing standards, different wireless charging accessories may not be compatible with various smartphones. Companies like Samsung are hedging their bets on which standard will win by joining all the different standards alliances.

More recently, Intel has announced its intentions of potentially integrating wireless charging into laptops and Ultrabooks. This would not only allow the notebooks to be charged wirelessly, but the notebook could also deliver a wireless charge to nearby smartphones and tablets, which could help users eliminate the need to plug their phones into the Ultrabook’s USB port to charge.