Three years ago, Ceramitec 2009 attracted about 15,000 visitors connected with all aspects of industries that use or manufacture ceramic materials. Three years later, Ceramitec 2012 organizers are planning for a similar success for the May 22-25 event in Munich. Credit: AlexSchelbert.de; Munich Trade Fairs Intl.

Ceramitec 2012 bills itself as the “industry’s leading trade fair,” and it would be fruitless to argue the point.

The fair occurs every three years and is global in its reach. The last event in 2009 attracted more than 650 exhibitors from 35 countries and somewhere around 15,000 visitors from 84 countries. That’s right, 15,000 visitors in one place at one time with ceramics on their minds. Organizers are working to make sure this year’s event in Munich is even more successful. It will be May 22-25 in Munich, Germany at the Munich Messe International.

The subtheme of the fair is “Technologies | Innovations | Materials.” The four-day event is comprehensive. Snooping around on the fair’s website, I learned that the fair is targeting very traditional ceramic industries like brick, tile, whiteware and tableware. However, it is also targeting highly engineered ceramic industries like electronics, powder metallurgy, refractories and more.

Vendors will be exhibiting the latest materials, testing rigs and production tools and equipment available for producing ceramic products.

To augment the international theme, there will be an India Day, where the focus will be on the growing ceramic industry in India. This builds on a round table visit that was part of the follow-up to Ceramitec 2009.

The week promises to be a very big one for the ceramics world. The International Symposium on Ceramic Materials and Components for Energy and Environmental Applications (an ACerS endorsed meeting) runs during the early part of the week, May 20-23, in Dresden. Organizers for both events have worked out a collaboration whereby the last day of CMCEE will be held at Ceramitec at the Munich Messe, which is expected to bring another 600-800 ceramic engineers and scientists to the trade fair.

So, if ceramics is your business, think about being in Germany this May. I’ll keep you tuned in to any other news I hear about either of these events.

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Rod Lanthorne, Kyocera, Joel Moskowitz, Ceradyne, and David Morse, Corning address “Emerging Business and Technology Opportunities” at the 1st Ceramic Leadership Summit in 2010. Credit: ACerS.

Most of the meetings we organize here at ACerS have a strong technical slant, as they should. But, eventually, science and technology need to leave the lab and find their ways into the marketplace.

Like anyone else needing to navigate unfamiliar territory, it helps to get directions. And that, is what the Ceramic Leadership Summit is all about—navigating the business side of our world alongside those who know the terrain.

Mark Mecklenborg has been involved in all aspects of CLS since the beginning in his role as ACerS director of meetings. I asked him to tell us more about the 3rd CLS taking place this July 17 in Chicago. Abstracts and program details are at the end of his report.

Mark’s report:

The 4th International Congress on Ceramics focuses on Shaping the Future of Ceramics. As part of the Congress, ACerS is running its 3rd Ceramics Leadership Summit as a one-day track focusing on technology transfer and entrepreneurship. The 3rd Ceramic Leadership Summit track is sponsored by Morgan Crucible.

Summits are designed to foster interaction and innovation. This diagram was drawn by a participant at the 2nd CLS in 2011 while networking with colleagues.

ACerS first launched the Ceramic Leadership Summit in 2010 to explore business opportunities, emerging technologies and critical issues that challenge the ceramic and glass materials community.  Since then, the Summits have been all about business and technology leadership and connecting leaders within the community.

Including the 3rd CLS within the Congress allows it to expand to address a global audience. The first two Ceramic Leadership Summits provided rich opportunities to explore business and technology topics with leaders from mostly within the United States.  However, by including this track within the larger International Congress on Ceramics, we are able to provide participants with even greater prospects to network with business leaders from around the world and focus on more global issues.

The 3rd Ceramic Leadership Summit Track includes an ICC4-wide plenary lecture from Delbert Day, “From Academia to Business.” Day will describe how research at the Missouri University of Science and Technology to develop glass microspheres for treating patients with inoperable liver cancer was ‘spun off’ and ultimately led to the formation of a start-up company that currently manufactures a range of specialized glass products for the health care, electronics, transportation and aerospace industry. Day has “walked the walk” as the university’s Curators’ Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering and senior investigator of the Graduate Center for Materials Research. He is founder of the of Mo-Sci Corporation and served for many years as its chairman and president.

2nd CLS participants during Q&A session on business opportunities and strategies.

Following Day’s plenary lecture, the Ceramic Leadership Summit track will feature a panel discussion— Technology Entrepreneurship - the Next Generation of Technology Transfer — organized by Richard Weber, Materials Development Inc., and moderated by Tim Lavengood, Evanston Technology Innovation Center. The panel will explore the development of commercial products through “directed R&D,” with a focus on U.S.-based small business ventures.

In the afternoon, the track includes five case studies describing technology transfer and how entrepreneurial companies have been formed or are currently being formed.  The case studies come from a around the world, including Slovenia, China, Spain, Japan and the U.S.

Here are the program details on the 3rd Ceramic Leadership Summit Track.

3rd Ceramic Leadership Summit Track
Sponsored by Morgan Crucible

Tuesday July 17, 2012

8:45 am - 9:40 am
ICC4 Plenary Lecture
From Academia to Business
Delbert Day, Mo-Sci Corp. and Missouri University of Science and Technology

“There is increasing recognition that the research being conducted in our nation’s universities can lead to discoveries and inventions which can be of significant economic value when they are commercialized. This presentation describes how research the university to develop glass microspheres for treating patients with inoperable liver cancer was ’spun off’ and ultimately led to the formation of a start-up company, which currently manufactures many specialized glass products for the health care, electronics, transportation and aerospace industry.  He will describe the important roles of the federal, state, and local governments, the university and others in this successful technology transfer effort.  Day will also discuss some of the challenges an entrepreneur can expect to encounter in starting a new business.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Panel discussion
Technology Entrepreneurship — the Next Generation of Technology Transfer

Many people perceive the United States as the leader in entrepreneurship and technology transfer from basic research to a commercial setting. This moderated panel discussion will explore the development of commercial products through directed R&D with a focus on U.S.-based small business ventures. It will follow a plenary talk by the founder of a successful ceramic materials company that takes technologies from the lab bench to established commercial products. The panel members — entrepreneurs, investors and technology transfer experts — will each make brief opening remarks. They will be followed by a question and answer session in which the moderator will develop the theme of starting, funding, staffing and growing technology-based businesses. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Session Chair: Richard Weber, Materials Development Inc.
Moderator: Tim Lavengood, Evanston Technology Innovation Center

Panel members

Delbert Day (see above)
Collin Anderson, Digital Innovations (a successful technology business)
Alex Arzoumanidis, Psylotech Inc. (an early-stage technology business)
Jonathan Goodman, Synthesis Intellectual Property LLC (attorney who specializes in intellectual property matters)
Leslie Millar, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (head of the school’s Office of Technology Management

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch and ICC4 Plenary Speaker (TBD)

1:40 pm - 3:40 pm
International Technology Transfer & Entrepreneurship Case Studies:

1. Entrepreneurial Success of Balder Ltd.: Electro-optic Light Shutters for Eye Protection
Janez Pirs, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia

Balder Ltd. is a small, medium high-tech, privately owned, spin-off company of Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia. Balder was funded in late 1990s in order to commercialize the IP of the institute in the field of Liquid Crystals, in particular to produce and market automatic LCD light filters for eye protection in welding and various medical applications. As the institute’s spin-off company, Balder actively participated in a number of the institute’s applied research projects financed by several international research programs (e.g., EU and NATO SfP). The research results of these projects provided Balder the key novel knowledge in the field of LCD light shutters, which are summarized in six patents (EU and U.S.). Since 2000, Balder’s world market share was constantly growing (≥15%). However, there were hurdles along the way to the top of the niche world market (for example, a lawsuit alleging IP infringement plus the global economic crisis) that severely hurt Balder’s sales in 2009-2010. Thanks to the new-generation products launched on the market during the crisis, Balder managed to fully recover.

2. Development and Commercialization of High Performance Ceramics for Oil and Natural Gas Recovery
John Hellmann, Pennsylvania State University, U.S.

Developments in horizontal drilling technology offer unprecedented access to domestic oil and natural gas deposits, thereby placing the U.S. on the verge of sustained energy independence. Critical to this technology are spherical ceramic aggregates, known as proppants, which are used for enhancing oil and gas recovery from hydrofractured wells. However, ceramic proppants are derived from sintered aluminosilicates such as bauxite, a material that is becoming increasingly scarce in the quality and quantities necessary to meet market demand for proppants. This presentation summarizes our development and commercialization of glass–ceramic proppants from alternative raw materials derived from industrial waste streams. These proppants, manufactured from basalt-based mine tailings and drill cuttings from shale gas wells, rival sintered bauxite-based proppants with regard to strength, hardness, specific gravity and conductivity in industry standard testing. Progression from lab demonstration to large-scale processing and commercialization of these proppants is discussed.

3. From Technology Innovation to Industrialization: A Case of Ceramic Microbeads Based on Gel-bead Forming
Jinlong Yang, Tsinghua University, China

Researchers at the university invented a new method to prepare microbeads of ceramics was invented: gel-bead forming. They successfully developed three new products based on this work, including grinding media, pen-microbeads and far-infrared beads. Yang will discuss many of the experiences and practices about technology transfer they encountered. Usually, a big company is interested in reliable technology, not lab technology (especially for new processing). The process from lab technology to middle-scale production line is very important for technology transfer of ceramic microbeads. But a technology innovation is often not enough for a startup company. It also needs an innovative and competitive product and a good business model. Sometimes, a good business model is more important than technology in itself. In addition, the scientist’s investment at the beginning of industrialization from lab to market is a key step to increase the confidence of investor. A new product with low associated costs and good performance is a more attractive force than new processing alone.

4. Thermoelectric Power Generation in Wide Temperature Region
Ryoji Funahashi, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology, Japan

Oxide thermoelectric materials are considered to be promising ones because of their durability against high temperature, cost, no content of toxic elements, and so on. Many types of modules using p-type Ca₃Co₄O₉ and n-type CaMnO₃ have been produced. They show good generation power density higher than 4 kilowatts per cubic meter. To enhance power generation and conversion efficiency, scientists and engineers produced cascaded modules consisting of oxide and Bi₂Te₃ modules. For example, they have produced thermoelectric heat-recovery systems, which are composed of a heat-collection block, cascaded modules and a water jacket for cooling. Such a system includes 16 pieces of oxide/Bi₂Te₃ cascaded modules. The dimension of the system is about 300 mm cube. Power generation has been measured using a kerosene burner. When the temperature of input gas was 1123 K, maximum power from one thermoelectric heat recovery system reached 120 W.

5. Case Study on Neoker
Carmen Cerecedo, general manager and CEO, Neoker S.L., Spain

Neoker manufactures the NKR single-crystal alumina fibers for reinforcement of high performance composites.

3:45 pm to 6:00 pm
Exhibit and Interactive Technology Forum

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Katherine Faber, president of the 4th International Congress on Ceramics, on “Shaping the Future of Ceramics.” Credit: ACerS.

I really enjoy going to meetings. The big, conference kind, that is — not so much the day-to-day inhouse kind!

Conferences give me the chance to follow the buzz: the who, what, where and how of ceramic technology. I get the technical details from the sessions, but I get the most out talking to meeting the attendees about their work, what trends they are seeing, who they are collaborating with, what problems they are encountering, etc.

There is just no substitute for the “live action” that happens at a meeting. So, I’m really looking forward to the 4th International Congress on Ceramics this July in Chicago.

International Ceramic Federation convenes these international congresses biennially in cooperation with several international societies. ACerS is the host and organizing society of this fourth congress. ACerS had the privilege of hosting and organizing the first ICC in Toronto in 2006 and is very pleased to reprise the role.

The theme of this congress is “Shaping the Future of Ceramics,” and as you might expect, this refers not just to processing and properties, but also to the business of ceramic science, engineering, product development and manufacturing.

Katherine Faber, president of the ICC4 says the meeting is “designed to bring together international leaders in business and research to investigate new opportunities and emerging opportunities in terms of ceramic design and ceramic manufacturing.”

Indeed, the meeting is organized into themes that reflect this goal: Aerospace; Aerospace; Biology and Medicine; Electro-, Magnetic-, Optical-Ceramics and Devices; Environment, Energy and Transportation; Infrastructure; Nanostructured Ceramics; Security and Strategic Materials; and Workforce Development. Over 600 international attendees representing business, academia and government are expected.

The technical program, Faber says, “is geared toward emerging opportunities in energy, health, transportation and aerospace. We’ll also hear about nanotechnology and nanodevices, as well as other electrical, optical and magnetic materials.”

It seems natural, then, that this year ACerS’s Ceramic Leadership Summit be incorporated into ICC4. The CLS, now in its third year, is a forum for exploring and addressing the business issues and challenges facing the ceramics and glass industries, in both realms of established industries and emerging technologies.

Faber notes, that the combined meeting is an opportunity to bring together those “creating the knowledge and doing the innovating,” to the mutual benefit of all.

There is a lot more going on—an innovative poster session, a short course on sintering, keynote and plenary talks—all in the pleasant setting of downtown Chicago. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing with you a sampling of the talks that are scheduled for ICC4 and CLS and other updates as we learn about them.

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Computer simulations show that metal oxides in water go through many short-lived shapes and structures (see story below). Credit: William Casey, UC Davis.

Check ‘em out:

Scorpions inspire scientists in making tougher surfaces for machinery

Researchers studied the bumps and grooves on the scorpions’ backs, scanning the creatures with a 3D laser device and developing a computer program that modeled the flow of sand-laden air over the scorpions. The team used the model in computer simulations to develop actual patterned surfaces to test which patterns perform best. At the same time, the erosion tests were conducted in the simple erosion wind tunnel for groove surface bionic samples at various impact conditions. Their results showed that a series of small grooves at a 30-degree angle to the flowing gas or liquid give steel surfaces the best protection from erosion.

US inactivity regarding strategic materials criticized at Washington hearing

At a hearing Jan. 26 before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Jeff Green testified that the US has lost critical supply chain capabilities and significant technological capital to China and that the lack of a deliberately thought-out U.S. policy for strategic and critical materials has resulted in economic and national security vulnerabilities. The hearing on “China’s Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States” examined Chinese efforts to acquire and manage various natural resources. Green president of the J.A. Green & Co., assists industrial clients in government relations, business development and strategic planning matters and is the former staff director to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

Imaging ‘invisible’ dopant atoms in semiconductor nanocrystals

In semiconductor nanocrystals, the physical effects of deliberately included impurities, called dopants, may depend on the dopant position with the crystal. To date, there has not been an effective technique to determine the location of individual dopant atoms in nanocrystals. IRG-4 researchers demonstrated that a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy can be used to reveal the position of such “invisible” dopants.he physical effects of deliberately included impurities, called dopants, may depend on the dopant position with the crystal. To date, there has not been an effective technique to determine the location of individual dopant atoms in nanocrystals. IRG-4 researchers demonstrated that a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy can be used to reveal the position of such “invisible” dopants.

Nano research could impact flexible electronic devices

A discovery by a research team at North Dakota State University, Fargo, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shows that the flexibility and durability of carbon nanotube films and coatings are intimately linked to their electronic properties. The research could one day impact flexible electronic devices such as solar cells and wearable sensors.

Metal oxide simulations could help green technology

University of California, Davis, researchers have proposed a radical new way of thinking about the chemical reactions between water and metal oxides, the most common minerals on Earth. Using computer simulations and comparing the resulting animations with lab experiments they found that the behavior of an atom on the surface of the cluster can be affected by an atom some distance away. Instead of moving through a sequence of transitional forms, as had been assumed, metal oxides interacting with water fall into a variety of “metastable states” - short-lived intermediates, the researchers found.

Team develops cheaper way of separating nanotubes

Researchers in London have developed a cheaper way of producing high-quality carbon nanotubes in larger quantities than existing methods. A team from the London Center for Nanotechnology has licensed the process, which separates nanotubes into usable quantities without damaging them, to German-based industrial gases company the Linde Group. LCN’s solution was to charge the nanotubes with electrons so that they naturally repel each other, by reacting them with an alkali metal such as sodium in a solution of ammonia. This solution of separated nanotubes can then be used for manufacturing things such as composites, or the nanotubes can be precipitated out of the solution.

Collaborative learning in networks

“We found that collective exploration improved average success over independent exploration because good solutions could diffuse through the network. In contrast to prior work, however, we found that efficient networks outperformed inefficient networks, even in a problem space with qualitative properties thought to favor inefficient networks. We explain this result in terms of individual-level explore-exploit decisions, which we find were influenced by the network structure as well as by strategic considerations and the relative payoff between maxima. We conclude by discussing implications for real-world problem solving and possible extensions.”

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Some of the German delegation of participants in the first Global Young Investigators Forum at ICACC. Thomas Fisher (third from left) was the principle organizer of the forum.

The 36th convening of the International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites is in its second day in Daytona Beach, Fla. This year’s meeting attracted over 1,000 engineers and scientists from 41 countries, who will be presenting about 850 papers. According to the organizers, this year, for the first time, the number of foreign attendees has surpassed the number of US attendees.

Two factors are contributing to the strong international participation: the first European Union–USA Ceramics Summit and the first Global Young Investigators Forum. The EU-USA summit is taking place on Monday and Tuesday and attracted about 25 talks with participants from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, Belgium, Poland and Spain.

The Global Young Investigators Forum starts tomorrow and runs through the end of the week. The GYIF is a new innovation this year, and all indications are that it’s an idea that is long overdue. Thomas Fisher, PhD candidate at the University of Cologne, Germany, organized the Forum, which will have 45 presentations from PhD candidates and post-docs from more than 14 countries. I’ll have more to tell about the Forum later.

I’m told the weather in Daytona Beach in January can be hit or miss, and since Sunday, it’s been all “hit,” with temperatures in the upper 70s and sunshine.

Here is a catalog of some of the things I’ve been seeing.

George Wicks, ACerS president, and Sanjay Mathur, program chair.

ICACC'12 kicked off with a lively reception on Sunday.

Colleagues and friends met at the reception. Pictured from the left, Lise Schioler, George Quinn and Eileen De Guire.

Jay Singh presented the Society with a gift on behalf of the Indian Ceramic Society. Pictured with Jay are Charlie Spahr (ACerS executive director), George Wicks and Megan Bricker (ACerS director of membership).

Monday's plenary session drew a rapt audience.

David Marshall delivered the first plenary talk and was awarded the James I. Mueller Award.

The beach was no distraction for these attendees.

Andrew Portune of Nottingham, Md., is enjoying the meeting.

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