HIGH in the sky, in super-car exhausts...or on domestic fires – Fibre Technology's unique materials find markets world-wide.

Global demand for its specialist metals has seen it more than double sales over the past five years while boosting exports to 75 per cent of output – up a third in 24 months.

Key to its success is a patented ability to 'spin' molten alloys into fibres with amazing properties by lowering a rapidly-spinning, water-cooled wheel into molten metal.

"The metal cools at the rate of a million degrees per second, a figure calculated by Nottingham University," said chief executive officer Brian Irvine.

That incredibly fast temperature change causes the metal to 'spin off' in strands, like stainless steel candy floss. It also produces crystalline structures making it extremely ductile and resistant to high temperatures.

Finding new uses and markets has made Fibre Technology Ltd a contender for the Nottingham Post's Browne Jacobson-sponsored Business Innovation Award and the Lloyds Bank Corporate-markets-backed International Trade Award.

The Pinxton company, which employs 20 people, expects to turn over £4 million next year.

Some of its strands are used in car exhausts on vehicles as diverse as Ferraris, Aston Martins and Mini Coopers. Others are used in such hostile environments as petro-chemical plants.

"Frequently ours is the only material which can do the job, with our name specified by the designers," said Mr Irvine.

Historically the company has a big market in providing reinforcement for ceramic vessels used in steel works, cement and aluminium plants.

In another arena, fibres sandwiched between metal skins produce "a self-reinforced composite: strong as steel and light as aluminium, with auto and aerospace industry applications".

A recent use was discovered accidentally when Mr Irvine's father's found that a composite sheet in his fire grate reduced his coal bills by a third.

"It was examined at Nottingham University and they confirmed the fuel saving. Physical factors apart, combustion efficiency is aided by a catalytic reaction.

"Their tests – not ours – show a typical three-bed semi can save £315 to £470 a season after deducting costs of the composite sheets."