8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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) January 13, 2011  

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-22333	36-3687863
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

1319 Marquette Drive, Romeoville, Illinois	60446
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:   (630) 771-6700

________________________________________________________________________________
(Former name or former address, 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:
	[    ]	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 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On January 12, 2011, W. Ed Tyler was appointed a Class II director of the Company. Mr. Tyler will serve as an independent director and may participate in all plans generally available to the Company's outside directors. Mr. Tyler will be eligible to receive quarterly cash compensation, reimbursements for his reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending board meetings, an option grant to purchase 10,000 shares of the Company's common stock at the closing price as of the date of issuance (the fair market value), which vests over a three year period. A copy of the related press release is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

    Exhibit 99.1.       Press release dated January 13, 2011

SIGNATURE

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (Registrant)
January 13, 2011 (Date)	/s/   FRANK CESARIO FRANK CESARIO Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit Index
99.1	Press release dated January 13, 2011

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

Nanophase Welcomes W. Ed Tyler to Its Board of Directors

ROMEOVILLE, Ill., Jan. 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanophase Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:NANX), a technology leader in nanomaterials and advanced nanoengineered products, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. W. Ed Tyler to its Board of Directors. Mr. Tyler's appointment as an independent director is effective as of January 12, 2011.

Mr. Tyler is Chairman of the Board of First Industrial Realty Trust, where he has served as a director since 2000. He has also served in recent leadership positions at Ideapoint Ventures, an early stage venture fund that focuses on nanotechnologies, and Industrial Nanotech, Inc., an entity which develops and sells nanomaterial solutions.

"We are delighted to welcome Ed to our Board," said Mr. Jess Jankowski, President and CEO of Nanophase. "We made a strong board stronger! Ed's experience working with companies to leverage technological assets toward commercial growth is ideal for this stage of Nanophase's development. I look forward to working closely with Ed."

Prior to this recent experience, Mr. Tyler served as President and CEO of Moore Corporation Limited, a provider of data capture, information design, marketing services, digital communications and print solutions. During his tenure at Moore, he led a worldwide repositioning and restructuring of the company. Earlier, Mr. Tyler worked for 24 years with R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company in Chicago, beginning his career as an electronics engineer and ultimately serving as Executive Vice President, Sector President, and Chief Technology Officer. He also was responsible for 77 Capital, an early stage venture capital subsidiary of Donnelley, where he was directly responsible for investment decisions and worked closely with the portfolio companies while participating on many of their boards.

Mr. Tyler is a former Chairman of the American Red Cross (Mid-America Chapter) and Campaign Chairman of the United Way of Lake County, and serves as a director for several small, private companies. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where he is also an adjunct faculty member.

About Nanophase Technologies

Nanophase Technologies Corporation (NANX) is a leader in nanomaterials technologies and provides nanoengineered solutions for multiple industrial product applications. Using a platform of patented and proprietary integrated nanomaterial technologies, the Company creates products with unique performance attributes from two ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 facilities. Nanophase delivers commercial quantity and quality nanoparticles, coated nanoparticles, and nanoparticle dispersions in a variety of media.  Additional information can be found on the Nanophase website, www.nanophase.com.

CONTACT: COMPANY CONTACT:
         Nancy Baldwin
         Investor Relations
         630.771.6708