Berkeley Lab researchers synthesized a molecule that mimics catalytically active triangular molybdenum disulfide edge-sites. The result is an entire layer of catalytically active material. Molybdenum atoms are shown as green, sulfur as yellow. Credit: Christopher Chang, Berkeley Lab.

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Structural batteries to lighten load for frontline soldiers

BAE Systems is developing structural batteries for both military and consumer applications. This is accomplished by merging battery chemistry into composite materials that can be molded into complex 3D shapes that form the structure of a device. For example, for the military, BAE is developing structural batteries as components of the electronic gear in soldiers’ rucksacks, which can currently weigh up to 76 kilograms (167 lbs). This approach would eliminate the need for traditional batteries, which add to the weight in the bag. The company is looking into integration of lithium-ion and lithium-polymer chemistry for use in consumer electronics, as well demonstrating the ability to store useful energy in composites such as carbon fiber and glass-reinforced plastic.

Interview: Diversifying key to success, Kyocera’s chief says; head of North American arm says broad portfolio helped Japanese firm grow

Rod Lanthorne covered a lot of ground during a recent interview at Kyocera International’s headquarters in San Diego. And he didn’t leave the lobby. Lanthorne, head of the North American arm of Japan’s Kyocera Corp., showed off displays highlighting a number of Kyocera products, from cellphones to solar panels to ceramic semiconductor parts to thermal print heads for copiers. “We have a broad-based technology business portfolio primarily because (founder Kazuo Inamori) was trying to protect the enterprise and the employees” through diversification, Lanthorne said. “That runs counter to what Wall Street wants.”

‘Team Alfred & Guliin’ enters Solar Decathlon China 2013

“Team Alfred,” which will include students from Alfred University, Alfred State College and Guilin University of Technology (China), has officially entered the Solar Decathlon China 2013. Organized by Peking University, the Solar Decathlon China 2013 is “an internationally award-winning program, challenging collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered energy efficient houses.”
Students on all three campuses are being invited to sign up to be part of Team Alfred, which will start work this semester on designing the solar houses. Two will be built; one in Alfred, NY, and one at Guilin University. “This is just an incredible opportunity for our students as we begin our new program in renewable energy engineering,” said Doreen Edwards, dean of the Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering at AU.

Hydrogen from acidic water: Berkeley Lab researchers develop a potential low-cost alternative to platinum for splitting water

A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the widely used industrial catalyst molybdenite has been developed by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. This technique holds promise for the creation of catalytic materials that can serve as effective low-cost alternatives to platinum for generating hydrogen gas from water that is acidic. The research team synthesized a molecule to mimic the triangle-shaped molybdenum disulfide units along the edges of molybdenite crystals, which is where almost all of the catalytic activity takes place. Since the bulk of molybdenite crystalline material is relatively inert from a catalytic standpoint, molecular analogs of the catalytically active edge sites could be used to make new materials that are much more efficient and cost-effective catalysts.

XDModo solar charger sticks to the inside of a window to soak up the sun

The brainchild of a team of international designers under the umbrella of XD Design, the Window solar charger has an ABS plastic case with a PV panel surrounded by silicone pads capable of temporarily sticking to the glass of a window. On the base of the device are a full-size USB port and a mini-USB port for connecting portable devices in need of a clean energy battery boost. The charger itself contains a 1300 mAh Li-ion battery which is said to take around 13 hours of direct sunlight to reach full charge.

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Trends in federal research and development budgets. Credit: OSTP.

Last Monday, President Obama delivered his FY’13 budget proposal to Congress, and today, OSTP chief John Holdren is appearing before the House’s Committee on Science, Space and Technology to offer comments about the civilian science and technology pieces of the proposed budget.

The OSTP has posted a summary (pdf) of the R&D requests in the budget. In a concurrent press release (pdf), the OSTP outlines seven administration goals for “building and fueling America’s engines of discovery”: to expand the frontiers of human knowledge, promote economic growth with a focus on manufacturing, cultivate domestic clean energy, improve healthcare outcomes, address global climate change, manage environmental resources and strengthen national security.

The FY’13 budget requests $140.8 billion for federally supported R&D, which represents an increase of 1.4 percent ($2.0 billion) over the FY’12 enacted level. In today’s testimony (pdf), Holdren says the proposed budget is “designed to ensure that America will continue, in the President’s words, to ‘out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world’.”

Three agencies have been identified as critical to fulfilling the nation’s mission to maintain and advance its economic position: the NSF, DOE and NIST. (Holdren describes them as “jewel-in-the-crown” agencies — an ironic description for agencies that are tasked with driving the economy of a country founded on militant rejection of all things regal, but I digress.) Holdren’s testimony notes that the administration has been working to continue efforts begun under the Bush administration (as part of the America COMPETES Act) to gradually double the budgets (pdf) of these three agencies. The Budget Control Act of 2011 will slow, but not halt, that priority.

Culling through the R&D summary posted on OSTP’s website, provides a glimpse of how things may shake out for the materials science community based on the proposed R&D budgets for agencies that fund the largest chunks of materials science research:

National Science Foundation — $7.4 billion, an increase of 4.8 percent over 2012 enacted levels.

Department of Defense — $71.2 billion for R&D, a $1.5 billion decrease from 2012. The funding request includes $11.9 billion for early-stage science and technology progreams, $2.8 billion for DARPA and maintains basic research (6.1) at $2.1 billiion.

NASA — $9.6 billiion for R&D on an overall budget on $17.7 billiion, a 2.2 percent ($203 million) bump for R&D, but probably not enough to bring NASA technology up to levels recently recommended by the National Research Council.

DOE — $11.9 billion, an 8.0 percent ($884 milliion) increase in R&D over 2012 enacted levels. ARPA-E is written in for $350 million, and the DOE budget targets $290 million specifically “to expand activities on innovative manufacturing processes and advanced materials.”

NIST — $708 milion for NIST’s intramural labs, a tidy 13.8 percent over 2012 enacted levels, reflecting the administration’s efforts to double its budget. The agency is home to the Hollings Manuacturing Extension Partnership ($128 milliion request) and the new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia program ($21 million request).

Department of Homeland Security — $729 million, up 26.3 percent from enacted 2012. The huge increase is to restore cuts imposed in 2012. DHS efforts touch the materials community through R&D on nuclear materials, explosives detection and chemical/biological response systems.

Department of Education — $398 million. This R&D funding addresses the president’s goal of training 100,000 STEM teachers in the next decade and developing educational strategies.

The R&D budget includes budgets for three multi-agency initiatives, including the National Nanotechnology Initiative. The NNI member agencies “focus on R&D of materials, devices and systems that exploit the unique … properties that emerge in materials at the nanoscale.” The requested budget is for $1.8 billion, an increase of $70 million over the 2012 enacted budget.

Finally, the contentious issue of hydraulic fracturing (”fracking”) is getting some attention in the budget with collaborative funding streams through DOE, EPA and the Department of the Interior to “understand and minimize the potential environmental, health, and safety impacts of natural gas and oil production.” That’s a broad-ranging mission statement, but materials science has a role to play, for example, with engineered proppants.

For play-by-play commentary, stay tuned to the AAAS website, “R&D Budget and Policy Program.” They do a good job tracking developments and slicing out the parts that are relevant to the science and technology communities. Since 1976, AAAS has issued a comprehensive analysis of the federal R&D budget. Last year it was available in May, so look for a similar report about FY’13 in a few months. The OSTP website, of course, stays abreast of budget developments.

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Samples of decorative glass bottles made by PacificGlas. Credit: PacificGlas.

• It has been announced that PacificGlas will commission a new electric furnace and two production lines in June 2013, at its plant located 300 kilometers south of Seoul, Korea. The furnace is expected to have a capacity of 20 tons per day.

 

• Container glass such as bottles or jars for preserves is, at present, produced in a two-stage forming process. As part of a recent research project (“EinFormGlas”), the theoretical principles for a single-stage process have now been worked out. This process makes it possible to substantially decrease raw material and energy consumption.

 

• Saint-Gobain is said to be on the verge of handing over to Pilkington its half of Flovetro. Flovetro owns in San Salvo, Italy, the homonym automotive float plant.

 

• World crude steel production reached 1,527 Mt for the year of 2011; this is an increase of 6.8 % compared to 2010 and is a record for global crude steel production. All the major steel-producing countries, apart from Japan and Spain, showed growth in 2011. Growth was particularly robust in Turkey, South Korea and Italy.

 

• Mechel OAO, one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announced the launch of the reconstructed coke oven battery #5 at Mechel Mining OAO’s subsidiary Mechel-Coke OOO. This means that all of Mechel-Coke OOO’s eight coke oven batteries are now operational.

 

• IFGL Refractories has seen its total income go up 36.62 % to Rs 203.38 crore (Rs 148.87 crore lakh) on stand-alone basis in nine months ended on Dec. 31, 2011.

 

• Saudi Arabia has renewed its ban on cement exports, after partially lifting it in 2009, due to rising demand at home where multi-billion infrastructure projects are under way, state news agency SPA reported on Monday.

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