NIST Awards $71 Million for High-Risk Research in New Technologies Including Nanomaterials

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced up to $71 million in funding through its Technology Innovation Program (TIP) for 20 new cost-sharing projects that will support innovative, high-risk research in new technologies that address critical national needs. The new projects will include developing unmanned, hovering aircraft for bridge inspections, a high-speed sorting system for recycling aerospace metals, and nanomaterials for advanced batteries, among other projects. The awards will be matched by other funding sources to achieve nearly $150 million in new research over the next two to five years.

Manufacturing has a rich history and has long been a significant part of the American economy. The United States is the world’s leading producer of manufactured goods. Standing alone, the 2002 manufacturing sector represented the fifth-largest economy in the world—larger than China’s economy as a whole. However, by 2007, the sector had fallen to eighth place, exceeding Spain’s total economy. The 2007 manufacturing sector represented 11.7 percent of the total GDP ($1,615.8 billion out of $13,841.3 billion total) and supported 14 million jobs, or about 10.1 percent of the total U.S. employment. The sector also leads in innovation, accounting for more than 90 percent of all U.S. patents registered annually. Transformative research often achieves broad national impact only through incorporation into manufactured products. To preserve this element of our economy, the manufacturing sector will need to continue to implement technology advancements in the coming years.

“President Obama is leading an effort to drive economic growth and solve national problems by deploying a 21st Century economy,” U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Dennis Hightower said. “These new projects will develop new technology and material that will play a critical role in modernizing infrastructure and developing the manufacturing sector across the country.”

TIP is a merit-based, competitive program that provides cost-shared funding for research projects by single small- or medium-sized businesses or by joint ventures that also may include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations and national laboratories.

The 20 projects announced today were selected from a TIP competition announced on March 26, 2009, seeking projects addressing two broad areas of national interest:

* The practical application of advanced materials including nanomaterials, advanced alloys and composites in manufacturing
* The monitoring or repair of major public infrastructure systems, including water systems, dams and levees, and bridges, roads and highways.

TIP focused on developing new materials based on nanotechnology, advanced composites and so-called “superalloys” or smart materials—and expanding the capacity to incorporate these materials into new products—because many experts consider accelerated development of these advanced materials critical to potential growth in U.S. manufacturing.

The goals for this part of the competition were detailed in the white paper, “Accelerating the Incorporation of Materials Advances into Manufacturing Processes” available at www.nist.gov/tip/comp_09/white_papers/manuf_wp_032009.pdf.

TIP’s second area of focus—civil infrastructure technology—built on TIP’s 2008 solicitation for new sensor technologies to improve the monitoring of large-scale civil infrastructure, including bridges or pipelines. This year’s competition emphasized technologies to detect structural damage in water resource systems like water and wastewater pipelines, dams, levees and waterway locks, as well as bridges and roadways, and added a second focus on new technologies for repair and retrofit of existing structures.

The goals for this part of the competition were detailed in the white paper “Advanced Sensing Technologies and Advanced Repair Materials for the Infrastructure: Water Systems, Dams, Levees, Bridges, Roads, and Highways” available at www.nist.gov/tip/comp_09/white_papers/ci_wp_031909.pdf.

Additional information on the Technology Innovation Program is available at www.nist.gov/tip.

See the full list of 2009 TIP project awards and links to additional details for each below.

As a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Technology Innovation Program 2009 R&D Awards:
Advanced Materials in Manufacturing

Production of Low-Cost, High-Quality Metallic and Semiconducting Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Inks
Brewer Science, Inc. (Rolla, Mo.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $6.527 M
* Total project cost (est.): $13.910 M

Develop technologies for the cost-effective production of high-purity, high-quality, metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotube “inks” to enable commercial production of a wide variety of high-performing electronic devices for energy, flexible electronic and sensor applications.   

Functionalized Nano Graphene for Next-Generation Nano-Enhanced Products
Angstron Materials, LLC (Dayton, Ohio)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.494 M
* Total project cost (est.): $2.988 M

Develop processes for mass-producing chemically modified (“functionalized”) nano graphene for next-generation products, particularly for the energy industries.

Transformational Casting Technology for Fabrication of Ultra-High Performance Lightweight Aluminum and Magnesium Nanocomposites
The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System (Madison, Wis.) (Lead)
Eck Industries, Inc. (Manitowoc, Wis.)
Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials, Inc. (Houston, Texas)
Oshkosh Corporation (Oshkosh, Wis.)
* Project duration: 5 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $4.863 M
* Total project cost (est.): $10.092 M

Develop a novel casting technology, based on ultrasonic cavitation dispersion of nanoparticles in metal melts, for large-scale production of aluminum and magnesium matrix nanocomposites.

High-Speed, Continuous Manufacturing of Nano-Doped Magnesium Diboride Superconductors for Next-Generation MRI Systems
Hyper Tech Research, Inc. (Columbus, Ohio)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $3 M
* Total project cost (est.): $6.05 M

Develop a practical, industrial scale continuous manufacturing process for magnesium diboride superconducting wires and other wire products requiring a hollow metal tube around a powder-based core.   

PRINT® Nanomanufacturing: Enabling Rationally Designed Nanoparticles for Next-Generation Therapeutics
Liquidia Technologies, Inc. (Durham, N.C.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $2.971 M
* Total project cost (est.): $5.942 M

Scale up to practical commercial volumes a novel nanoparticle manufacturing process based on nanoscale molding to produce engineered nanoparticles of specific sizes, shapes and materials for therapeutic applications.

Silicon Nanowire Production for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries
Amprius, Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.)
* Project duration: 2 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $3 M
* Total project cost (est.): $6 M

Develop a unique, high-throughput, continuous manufacturing process for producing a novel, nanostructured silicon-based anode material for lithium batteries.  Amprius’ immediate goals include commercialization of silicon-based anode materials with 10 times the capacity of current carbon anodes, offering an increase in cell capacity of roughly 40%.

Integrated Multiscale Modeling for Development of Machinable Advanced Alloys and Corresponding Component Machining Processes
Third Wave Systems, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.564 M
* Total project cost (est.): $3.170 M

Develop and demonstrate integrated multiscale physics-based predictive modeling for developing more machinable advanced alloys and the corresponding component machining processing data needed by manufacturers.

High Volume Production of Nanocomposite Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
A123Systems, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $2.864 M
* Total project cost (est.): $6 M

Develop a new composite nanomaterial for lithium-ion battery cathodes for significantly increased battery performance together with improved manufacturing techniques to lower overall costs.

Building U.S. Strategic Metals Competitiveness Through Integration of Advanced Sensor Technologies
wTe Corporation (Bedford, Mass.) (Lead)
National Recovery Technology, Inc. (Nashville, Tenn.)
Energy Research Company (Staten Island, N.Y.)
* Project duration: 4 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $5.670 M
* Total project cost (est.): $11.532 M

Develop and scale-up to commercial levels a suite of novel, optoelectronic inspection technologies to accurately identify and sort aerospace metals such as titanium and nickel/cobalt superalloys at ultra-high speeds so they can be recycled more cost effectively and also to enhance melting capacity for existing furnaces by measuring composition in-situ, in real time.

Homogeneous Three-Dimensional Pultruded Processing of PEEK, PEI, and PPS High Temperature Thermoplastic Composite Profiles
Ebert Composites Corporation (Chula Vista, Calif.)
* Project duration: 2 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.866 M
* Total project cost (est.): $4.018 M

Develop a state-of-the-art manufacturing process to automate, on a large scale, the production of three-dimensional fiber composites with high temperature thermoplastics.

High-Risk, Low-Cost Carbon Nanofiber Manufacturing Process Scale-Up
eSpin Technologies, Inc. (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $3 M
* Total project cost (est.): $6.006 M

Develop a commercial-scale manufacturing process for producing self-supporting, non-woven fabrics of both natural and activated carbon nanofibers. 

Development and Scale-Up of Nanocomposites with Sub-10nm Particles

Pixelligent Technologies, LLC (College Park, Md.) (Lead)
Brewer Science, Inc. (Rolla, Mo.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $4.089 M
* Total project cost (est.): $8.178 M

Develop new processes and technologies for scaling up the production of high quality nanocomposites, by incorporating nanocrystals with precisely controlled size, shape, and surface chemistry into a polymer matrix for demanding and high-volume industrial applications. 

Technology Innovation Program 2009 R&D Awards:
Monitoring and Retrofit of Civil Infrastructure

Civil Infrastructure Inspection and Monitoring Using Unmanned Air Vehicles
The Droid Works, Inc. dba CyPhy Works (Framingham, Mass.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $2.453 M
* Total project cost (est.): $4.996 M

Develop the technologies required to create small, hovering, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) for use in the inspection and monitoring of large-scale civil infrastructure elements such as bridges and dams. 

Automated Nondestructive Evaluation and Rehabilitation System (ANDERS) for Bridge Decks
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Piscataway, N.J.) (Lead)
Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.)
PD-LD, Inc. (Pennington, N.J.)
Mala GeoScience USA, Inc. (Charleston, S.C.)
Pennoni Associates Inc. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
* Project duration: 5 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $8.810 M
* Total project cost (est.): $17.923 M

Develop a mobile integrated system for nondestructive evaluation and repair of bridge decks, including human-operated and robotic systems that merge novel imaging and NDE techniques together with innovative intervention approaches to arrest deterioration processes. 

Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing Technology For Civil Infrastructure Management
Optellios, Inc. (Newton, Pa.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.930 M
* Total project cost (est.): $3.917 M

Develop a distributed fiber-optic sensing technology to enable real-time monitoring, identifying and locating disturbances and changes over long stretches of pipelines. 

Robotic Rehabilitation of Aging Water Pipelines
Fibrwrap Construction, Inc. (Ontario, Calif.) (Lead)
Fyfe Company, LLC (San Diego, Calif.)
The Regents of University of California, (UCI) (Irvine, Calif.)
* Project duration: 5 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $8.462 M
* Total project cost (est.): $17.582 M

Develop a prototype robot to apply carbon fiber reinforcement inside water transmission pipes, allowing trenchless repair and rehabilitation, even in smaller pipes, as much as 11 times faster than human crews. 

A Rapid Underground Pipe Rehabilitation Technology
LMK Enterprises, Inc. (Ottawa, Ill.)
* Project duration: 2 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.701 M
* Total project cost (est.): $3.411 M

Develop an advanced trenchless technology to rehabilitate the nation’s network of underground pipes by employing a novel dynamic resin-injection, molded-in-place pipe (MIPP) process, which can incorporate nanomaterials. 

Development of a Multiscale Monitoring and Health Assessment Framework for Effective Management of Levees and Flood-Control Infrastructure Systems
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.) (Lead)
Geocomp Corporation (Boxborough, Mass.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $3.462 M
* Total project cost (est.): $6.928 M

Develop a new health assessment framework, ranging from a satellite-based radar system to local sensor arrays to monitor, assess the health, and ensure the safety of levees and other distributed systems of a flood-control infrastructure. 

Development of High-Toughness, Low-Viscosity Resin for Reinforcing Pothole Patching Materials
The Regents of the University of California, (UCLA) (Los Angeles, Calif.) (Lead)
Materia Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.499 M
* Total project cost (est.): $3.051 M

Develop an innovative pothole repair technology for asphalt pavement in both warm and cold weather using an ultra-high toughness, nano-molecular resin as a reinforcement or binder for the asphalt-aggregate pothole repair material. 

Advanced Coating Technology for Infrastructure
MesoCoat, Inc. (Euclid, Ohio) (Lead)
EMTEC (Dayton, Ohio)
Polythermics (Kirkland, Wash.)
* Project duration: 3 years
* Projected TIP contribution: $1.792 M
* Total project cost (est.): $3.956 M

Develop a novel coating technology using a high-intensity infrared light source to fuse and bond nanocomposite metal coatings and claddings to large steel structures such as bridges, oil rigs and pipelines. 

Prosthetic Ligaments and Tendons Made with Carbon Nanomaterials Possess Mechanical Properties Similar to Natural Ligaments

University of Texas-Pan American Dr. Javier Macossay-Torres (Edinburg, TX) discovered that certain synthetic polymers can be formed into nanofibers and assembled into specific structures that may possess mechanical properties similar to natural ligaments and tendons. These polymers may be formed into nanofibers with particular secondary structural features that mimic structural features of natural ligaments and tendons, allowing for production of novel artificial ligaments and tendons. 

According to U.S. Patent Application 20090306775, the prosthetic ligament or tendon is comprised of: a sterile, biocompatible multifilament ligament- or tendon-mimicking (LTM) nanofibers with a secondary structure. The multifilament exhibits one or more properties selected from the group consisting of: (a) a Young modulus of about 0.1-3000 MPa; (b) a tensile strength value of about 10-100 MPa; (c) a cross-sectional area of about 1-150 mm.sup.2; (d) a stiffness of about 50-1000 N/mm; and(e) an ultimate tensile load of about 1000-6000 N.

Macossay-Torres' invention generally involves the production of ligament- or tendon-mimicking nanofibers ("LTM nanofibers") that may be used as artificial (prosthetic) ligaments or tendons. The production and use of LTM nanofibers  may be manufactured from carbon nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene, graphene oxide, and/or other graphene derivatives. The LTM nanofibers may be designed to exhibit secondary structural features that offer improved biocompatibility and mechanical characteristics over nanofibers and other materials that lack such secondary structure features.

A non-limiting example of a class of LTM nanofibers is polyurethanes (that is, a polyurethane nanofiber). Non-limiting examples of polyurethanes include Lycra®, Hydrothane®, Elasthane® and Biospan®. Other examples of classes of polymer nanofibers include poly(ether urethanes), poly(ester urethanes), poly(carbonate urethanes), silicone containing poly(ether urethanes), silicone containing poly(ester urethanes), silicone containing poly (carbonate urethanes), polyureas (and derivatives), and blends thereof.

Ligaments and tendons are bands or sheets of fibrous connective tissue that provide support and stability to the musculoskeletal system. Ligaments extend between adjacent bone structures and serve a primary function of providing appropriate stability to the bone structures to maintain them in an aligned, spaced relation, particularly when subjected to loads in tension or upon torsional movement. Tendons, also capable of withstanding tension, are tough bands of fibrous connective tissue that usually connect muscle to bone

Figures 12a, 12b and 12c show artificial ligaments (300) made by Dr. Macossay-Torres compared with a dime (304) in size as well as their ability to flex and straighten. 

-

India Plans to be a Nanotechnology Leader by 2020, Orders High End Nanofabrication Equipment from Midas Systems of Korea

The Nano Science & Technology Consortium (NSTC) located at Noida, India, announced a tie-up with Midas Systems, Korea to supply high-end nanofabrication equipment in India. “With this collaboration we hope to be able to supply high-end equipment to various industries in India. Our dream is to see India as a leader in Nanotechnology by the year 2020,” said Mr. Puneet Mehrotra, Director, NSTC.

NSTC is a primary player in the upcoming field of Nanotechnology. NSTC functions as a Nanotechnology platform in India, and facilitates collaborations between academia, corporate houses and institutions within India and abroad. It also facilitates awareness creation in the area of Nanotechnology through distance learning programs and corporate trainings.

Midas Systems, Korea develops and produces various high end equipments such as Spin Coaters, Nano Imprint equipment and Mask Aligners. These equipments are required by laboratories and companies related to semiconductors, MEMS, Bioelements and Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has been projected as the biggest new revolution after the IT wave, with US Government estimates positioning it as a $1 trillion industry by 2015. Various universities in India have begun introducing NanoScience as part of their syllabi. Notable among these are the UP Technical University, MP Technical University, Punjab Technical University and many others. Experts estimate that the industry will soon require up to one million nanotechnology trained personnel per year within the next 5 years.

The NanoScience and Technology Consortium(NSTC), located at Noida, India is a unique body that acts as a Nanotechnology platform, bringing together various stakeholders in the nanotechnology revolution. The body facilitates collaboration between various players in India and abroad, and also carries out various activities in the area of Nanotechnology awareness through e-learning. The organization has signed various international MOU’s and has approximately 250 corporate and institutional members. In addition to technology transfer, the organization carries out corporate trainings and various publication activities, and publishes India’s leading journal in Nanotechnology, entitled NanoTrends.

Midas Systems, Korea, develops and produces Mask Aligner, Nanoimprint and Spin Coater equipment required by laboratories and companies related to semiconductors, MEMS, bioelements and nanotechnology.

Sony Reveals a System for Using Quantum Dots for CGI Techniques in Movies and Video Games

Sony Corporation (Tokyo, JP) and  Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (Culver City, CA) reveal a system for using quantum nanodots in motion pictures or video games in United States Patent  7,629,994 that is superior to current CGI (computer generated image) technology. According to inventor Bruce Dobrin,  a quantum nanodot processing system includes at least one image capture camera configured to capture scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and at least one marker capture camera configured to capture motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one quantum nanodot (QD) marker, wherein the at least one marker capture camera is tuned to capture narrowband IR signals emitted by the at least one QD marker. 

The QD markers can be suspended in water-based ink or paint which is then applied to an actor and/or object. In another adaptation, the QD markers are added to any medium, such as ink, paint, plastic, clothing, temporary tattoo material, or other similar material.  The scenes marked with hidden marks can be processed so that the actors and/or objects are later replaced, deleted, or inserted from the scenes. 

In one implementation, the IR cameras are configured to capture the motion and surfaces of multiple actors and/or objects using QD markers attached to the actors/objects. In another implementation, the IR cameras are configured so that each IR camera detects different QD marker(s) tuned to a specific IR frequency. This implementation allows the IR cameras to discriminate between actors/objects within a capture volume. For example, three QD markers tuned to emit IR signals are attached to three different actors, and three IR marker capture cameras, each configured to capture only one QD marker, are used to discriminate between three actors. 

The integrated data from image capture and marker capture cameras can be used in applications other than movies or video games, such as advertising, online or offline computer content (e.g., web advertising or computer help systems), any other animated computer graphics video applications, or other applications including machine vision applications. In another example, the QD markers can be tuned to emit signals other than IR signals such as signals in UV, microwave, or any other frequency range.   

Quantum nanodot markers have been used to measure golf ball flight characteristics and club head swing characteristics. A quantum dot monitoring system has measured flight characteristics of at least one object moving in a predetermined field-of-view using fluorescent properties of markers such as quantum nanodots. This system uses fluorescent properties exhibited by quantum nanodots that when radiated by light of a certain wavelength the quantum nanodots immediately re-radiate at broad spectrum of wavelengths causing the quantum nanodots to brightly fluoresce. These properties allow the monitor system to track the trajectory of a very brightly radiating golf ball.

European Green Cars Initiative Budgets $7.5 Billion, Focus on Electrification of Road Transport

The European Green Cars Initiative is one of the three Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) included in the European Commission's recovery package. The budget for this initiative is expected to be $7.5 billion (€5 B) to boost to the automotive industry in a time of economic hardship, and support the development of new, sustainable forms of road transport. Of this financial envelope, $6 (€4) billion will be made available through loans by the European Investment Bank (EIB), and $1.5 (€1) billion through support to research, with equal contribution from the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) and from the private sector. The scope of this initiative is broader than the two other PPP, and research is just one part of it. Several coordinated calls for research proposals were launched in July 2009. These financial support measures are supplemented by demand-side measures, involving regulatory action by Member States and the EU, such as the reduction of car registration taxes on low CO2 cars to stimulate car purchase by citizens.

Greening road transport is necessary to achieve EU and world targets in emissions reductions. In the EU, 19% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions and 28% of CO2 emissions in 2005 are linked to the transport sector. More than 90% of total EU transport emissions are due to road transport. While total EU emissions declined, transport emissions increased continuously between 1990 and 2005 due to high growth in both passenger (28 %) and freight transport (62 %).

Research is underway to develop sustainable transport methods. Such "eco-innovation" will serve both to protect the environment, and to offer competitive advantage to those seeking to create new innovation-driven markets. Nanotechnology is expected to play an increasing role in making road travel greener by reducing car weight, increasing fuel efficiency, and improving battery and fuel cell functions.

Despite its name, the Green Cars Initiative is not only for passenger cars. Under the Green Cars Initiative, the research topics include:
• Research for trucks;
• Research on greening internal combustion engines;
• Research on bio methane use;
• Logistics, transport system optimization; and
• Research on electric and hybrid vehicles, notably research on:
o High density batteries;
o Electric engines; and
o Smart electricity grids and their interfaces with vehicles.

Under FP7, four Calls were launched in July 2009 to implement the Green Cars Initiative, with an overall budget of around $150 (€100) million. The Commission's Directorates-General for Research, Transport and Energy, and Information Society will each launch Calls that focus on electrification of road transport, along with a fourth, joint call on Electric Batteries. In other words, the funding for road transport projects under FP7 in 2010 will all be focused on the electrification of road transport and research into hybrid technologies; a critical mass which is expected to produce a step change in innovation in these technologies.

In the following FP7 Calls, in 2011, the topics for projects to be funded should broaden to the other areas of the Green Cars Initiative: research into trucks, internal combustion engines, logistics, and intelligent transport systems. In 2011, there could be also a Joint Call on “smart grid and recharging systems” between several services of the Commission.