Title:     Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers: Model Partnerships
             (NSF 93-97, Revised 7/96)
Date:      May 27, 1997
Replaces:  NSF 93-97


Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers: Model Partnerships

The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Industry/University Cooperative
Research Centers (I/UCRC) Program is effecting positive change in the
performance capacity of the U.S. industrial enterprise. Over the past two
decades, the I/UCRCs have led the way to a new era of partnership between
universities and industry, featuring high-quality, industrially relevant
fundamental research, strong industrial support of and collaboration in
research and education, and direct transfer of university-developed ideas,
research results, and technology to U.S. industry to improve its competitive
posture in world markets. Through innovative education of talented graduate
and undergraduate students, the I/UCRCs are providing the next generation of
scientists and engineers with a broad, industrially oriented perspective on
science and engineering research and practice.


Process Control for Glass-Making
Glass-making, an ancient art relying more on sight and trial and error than on
science, moves into a new era with the adaptation of computers to the process.
One I/UCRC has developed a statistical process control program for
glass-making, which is the first such program to be available to the entire
industry; a number of companies are now using the technology. Two Center
member companies broke a tradition of secrecy in this industry to share their
batch and oxide data with the Center, making the research possible. The
Center's collaborative research with its members and affiliates has led to a
wide range of advances in glass-making, the characterization of glass,
measurement of the properties of molten glass, and determination of its atomic
structure.



With industrial and other support totaling 10 to 15 times the NSF investment,
I/UCRCs are a premier example of "leveraged" funding -- a model for the
Federal Government in how to cost-effectively synergize the nation's research
and development process. Indeed, this model has directly influenced several
other Centers programs that were subsequently established by NSF and other
Federal agencies. Placed in this context, the I/UCRC Program is a distinctive
driver of the growing NSF-industry-university partnership.


Integrated Portable Communicator
One I/UCRC is focusing on the development of wireless networks that will
integrate mobile telephones, residential cordless phones, pagers, and wireless
business networks. For example, the Center's Integrated Cellular and Mobility
Simulator is now being used by cellular phone companies to predict traffic
loads.



The I/UCRC Program

Currently there are more than 50 I/UCRCs, all administered by the Engineering
Education and Centers Division of NSF's Engineering Directorate. More than 750
faculty, along with 1,000 graduate students and 200 undergraduate students,
carry out the research at these Centers, which encompass 14 broad areas. A
primary purpose of the I/UCRC Program is providing high-quality
interdisciplinary education. The Centers have produced several thousand MS and
PhD graduates, who can be found throughout American industry and academe.

NSF supports these Centers through a cooperative leveraging mechanism. NSF's
financial contribution to the Centers is relatively small -- about $4 million
in FY 95. Funding from sources other than NSF is much larger, totaling more
than $63 million in FY 95. Currently, the Centers have well over 600
memberships. Of these, about 90 percent are industrial firms, with the
remaining 10 percent including State governments, National Laboratories, and
other Federal agencies. Most universities also provide direct and/or indirect
support (e.g., cost sharing) for their Centers. These Centers are truly
cooperative.

How Does It Work?

An I/UCRC often begins with a small planning grant to a university professor
who seems to exhibit the scientific, organizational, and entrepreneurial
skills necessary to form a team and initiate and run a successful Center. If
the prospective Center can obtain commitments of strong support from industry
and the affiliated university or universities, it may submit a proposal to NSF
describing the progress that has been made and documenting the team's
potential to operate successfully as an I/UCRC. Two or more universities may
also jointly propose a multi-university Center.  Following successful merit
review of the proposal, NSF may make an initial five-year I/UCRC award of up
to $100,000 annually to the Center team. When the initial five-year grant
expires, NSF funding may be extended at a reduced level of up to $50,000
annually for an additional five years. In its final year of I/UCRC Program
support, a Center may compete for a new I/UCRC award based on a proposed
research and education program involving significantly new intellectual
substance.


Flow Probe for In Situ Chemical Analysis
A flow probe system developed by an I/UCRC is the basis for sensors that can
detect such things as heavy metals in drinking water, the presence of oil or
gasoline from leaking underground storage tanks, or the movement or presence
of an underground contaminant plume at a cleanup site. The fiber optic-based
chemical probe can also be placed in-line to monitor an industrial process.
Because the flow probe is placed directly down a well or into a process line,
chemical analysis can be done in place rather than at the laboratory, saving
both time and money while perhaps providing more representative information.
The I/UCRC teamed with Sandia National Laboratories to design and build a
robust flow probe prototype for field testing at industrial sites. The
versatile, inexpensive chemical analyzer is available through a commercial
vendor beginning in 1996.

NSF's investment in the I/UCRCs is intended to seed partnered approaches to
new or emerging research areas, not to sustain the Centers indefinitely. The
Foundation intends for I/UCRCs gradually to become fully supported by
university, industry, state, and/or other non-NSF sponsors. Each I/UCRC is
expected to maintain at least $300,000 of industrial support through
membership fees, at least six industrial members, and a plan to work toward
self-sufficiency from NSF.

In addition to the basic I/UCRC award, Centers and Center researchers can
compete for other NSF support for research and education projects. At any
point -- even at the end of its life cycle -- NSF may provide funding to the
Center under special arrangements involving joint participation by other NSF
program  offices. NSF supplemental support may include collateral programs
such as a TIE project, whereby two or more Centers and their industrial
members engage in a cooperative research project of interest to all parties
(with NSF and industry sharing costs). Industry/University Cooperative
Research Fellowships are offered to Center faculty, whereby the faculty member
can spend time in a corporate research lab or factory, again with NSF sharing
the cost. Other supplements to I/UCRC awards may be made in the form of joint
sponsorship of projects with other federal agencies, Research Experiences for
Undergraduates and other educational activities, workshops, and other purposes
consistent with the goals of the Program.

The structure of a typical I/UCRC is illustrated in Figure 1. The Center
Director reports to university management -- in most cases, directly to the
Dean of Engineering. An Academic Policy Committee composed of the deans of
engineering and science and other top university officials such as the provost
and vice president for research is available to address important policy
issues such as patents and licensing, promotion, and tenure. The various
research programs usually consist of several projects with a coherent focus on
an industrial interest; they are pursued by graduate students under the
direction of faculty researchers.

Across the Program, these Centers have established an extraordinarily
effective partnership with industry. This partnership takes full advantage of
the strength of each participant. University faculty contribute their skills
in research and their understanding of the knowledge base; industrial
researchers contribute their knowledge of both the technical needs of industry
and the challenges associated with competing successfully in the marketplace.
The partnership is formalized in each Center's Industrial Advisory Board
(IAB), which advises the Center's management on all aspects of the Center,
from research project selection and evaluation to strategic planning. It is
important to note that all IAB members have common ownership of the entire
I/UCRC research portfolio; however, individual firms can provide additional
support for specific "enhancement" projects.

The partnership is given even greater depth through the direct involvement of
industry re-presentatives in research projects. Each project in the Center has
a principal researcher (typically the project's research professor) and a
monitor from industry (who may be an IAB representative or an engineer
assigned from an IAB member company). The principal researcher maintains close
oversight of the progress of the research by the student(s) and briefs the
industrial monitor on a regular basis. The monitor can, and often does, have
direct input into the direction of the research.

Advanced Driving Simulator
One I/UCRC has created real-time mechanical system simulation methods and
software that form the foundation for a National Advanced Driving Simulator
(NADS) being developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This $32
million facility will be operated by the Center's host university to support
both highway traffic safety research and automotive system design by
Government and industry. The NADS represents a quantum jump in research
capability, offering simulation in which the driver interacts with the
vehicle's controls, views an ultra-realistic scene, and experiences realistic
sounds and feelings of motion.



This extensive industrial involvement in research planning and review leads to
direct technology transfer, bridging the gap that traditionally has kept U.S.
industry from capitalizing fully and quickly on the fruits of research at
American universities. The close involvement of industry in the Centers also
eliminates the perennial problem of "Not Invented Here"; in the cooperative
research model, all Center-developed research products are owned by all the
members.



The participation of NSF, although small financially, nevertheless sets the
tone for the I/UCRCs. Strong program management ensures that each of the
Centers continues to follow the I/UCRC model -- each in its individual fashion
-- and that each remains strong. With such extensive industrial support and
participation, NSF's role is crucial in influencing industry to take a
longer-term view of its needs, with appropriate attention to research quality.
This ensures that the fundamental research conducted in the Centers continues
to add to the knowledge base that will be vital for solving the problems and
meeting the needs of the future.

Smart Design Optimizes Batch Processing
Batch chemical manufacturers strive to bring new products to market quickly
and cost-effectively while minimizing environmental emissions. It is
preferable to prevent rather than treat pollution, but this goal has been
elusive and costly to attain. One I/UCRC has now developed and commercialized
a software package that meets the need. BatchDesign KIT (BDK) is a smart CAD
system that guides the designer of a batch process (e.g., chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, military ordnance) toward an optimum process design, with the
lowest possible environmental emissions and cost, while staying within
economic or regulatory constraints. One of the unique features of BDK is its
capability to automatically translate a chemist's "batch sheet," or chemical
recipe, into an equipment flow diagram. BDK operates on an expert system
platform developed by Gensym Corporation, one of the Center's sponsors;
several other member companies tested the product. Gensym began marketing BDK
in early 1996.



NSF also helps to ensure high standards among the I/UCRCs through a mechanism
that is unique to this program: Independent professional Evaluators are
engaged to study the industry-university interaction onsite, both
qualitatively and quantitatively, to determine (1) the quality and impact of
Center research, (2) the satisfaction level of faculty who participate in the
program, and (3) the degree of satisfaction of industrial participants. A
historical profile of each Center is maintained; and annual assessments are
conducted of Center processes and results, finances, and structural issues.
One indication of the high quality of I/UCRC research is that faculty publish
their work in the most prestigious journals. I/UCRC faculty as well as
students regularly win awards from the professional societies for their
innovative research.

Measures of Success

Perhaps the strongest indication of the value of these Centers to industry is
the continued and growing participation of industry, even during periods of
economic fluctuation. While industrial in-house R&D continues to decline
nationally, another indicator of the positive impact the I/UCRCs are having is
the R&D activity they spark among their members. In FY 95, I/UCRC research
resulted in at least $55 million in "follow-on" R&D funding invest-ments by
member firms. The total industrial R&D investment attributable to the I/UCRCs
in FY 95 came to almost $110 million. This "new money" investment by I/UCRC
members may be the most tangible evidence that successful transfer of
knowledge and ideas is occurring. The follow-on investment by companies
demonstrates that they derive something from the I/UCRCs that they believe
merits further development and commercialization.

Machines That Can Maintain All-day Accuracy
Machine tools often lose their fine tolerance and accuracy over time. New
technology developed by an I/UCRC pursuing measurement and manufacturing
control research has made a significant impact on the machine-tool and
aerospace industries. The real-time error compensation (RTEC) techniques
developed by Center researchers have been successfully commercialized by a
machine tool builder, Saginaw Machine Systems, Inc. The RTEC technology allows
manufacturers to produce high-quality parts and achieve all-day accuracy
regardless of the ambient temperature fluctuations. The RTEC also has been
successfully implemented by Boeing Commercial Airplane Company to improve and
maintain the accuracy of their manufacturing equipment.



From the standpoint of member companies, one of the outstanding benefits of
participation in an I/UCRC is the opportunity to work with graduate students
who are being exposed to industrial needs and practices and who have learned
to pursue their research with a view toward improving the competitiveness of
U.S. industry. Graduates of I/UCRCs represent for their employers an effective
and long-lasting form of knowledge transfer.

Pneumatic Fracturing to Remove Soil Contaminants
An I/UCRC devoted to hazardous substance management research has developed a
novel way to speed up the removal of contaminants from subsurface geologic
formations. This in situ method involves injecting high-pressure air to create
fractures in the soil and rock matrix. The "pneumatic fracturing" process
allows subsurface liquid and vapor contaminants to be transported and
extracted more quickly, thus permitting existing in situ technologies to be
extended to more difficult geologic conditions. This project was funded by a
number of agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, AT&T, BP America,
the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Air Force, and Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. AT&T provided support for testing the
full-size prototype system at one of their manufacturing facilities. A U.S.
Patent has been issued, and commercialization is underway.


To industry, it is results that count. And evaluator surveys show that
industry is satisfied with the results of I/UCRC membership -- not just in
terms of new products and processes (as described in the enclosed fact
sheets), but also in terms of access to the best new ideas and first-rate
prospective employees. Their enthusiastic participation and support are the
proof of their satisfaction.

Engineering Education and Centers Division
Directorate for Engineering
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
(703) 306-1383
(703) 306-0326 Fax
(703) 306-0090 TDD
E-mail: eng-eec@nsf.gov

NSF 93-97a (rev. 7/96)



INDEX


Advanced Manufacturing
Center for Grinding Research and Development (CGRD)
(University of Connecticut)

Material Handling Research Center (MHRC)
(Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Arkansas)

Center for Machine-Tool Systems Research (CMTSR)
(University of Illinois)

Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE)
(Iowa State University)

Center for Dimensional Measurement and Control in Manufacturing
(University of Michigan at Ann Arbor)

Web Handling Research Center (WHRC)
(Oklahoma State University)


Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology
Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center (BSAC)
(University of California, Berkeley)


Advanced Materials and Processing
Center for Microcontamination Control (CMC)
(University of Arizona)

Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research  (CISR)
(Carnegie Mellon University)

Center for Applied Polymer Research (CAPRI)
(Case Western Reserve University)

Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center (ASPPRC)
(Colorado School of Mines)

Advanced Materials and Processing (cont.)
Cooperative Research Center in Coatings Eastern Michigan University (EMU),
   Michigan
Molecular Institute (MMI), and North Dakota State University (NDSU))

Polymer Interfaces Center (PIC)
(Lehigh University)

Biodegradable Polymer Research Center (BPRC)
(University of Massachusetts at Lowell)

Center for Micro-engineered Materials (CMEM)
(University of New Mexico, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories,
   New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Mexico Highlands
   University)

Center for Glass Research
(New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University)

Center for Electromagnetics Research (CER)
(Northeastern University)

Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology (CSET)
(Northwestern University and Georgia Institute of Technology)

Corrosion in Multiphase Systems Center (CMSC)
(Ohio University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Particulate Materials Center
(The Pennsylvania State University)

Center for Ceramic Research
(Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Composites Design Center
(Stanford University)




Chemical Processing
The Center for Separations Using Thin Films (CSTF)
(University of Colorado at Boulder)

Research Center for Energetic Materials (RCEM)
(New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology)

Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research (CPPR)
(Purdue University)

Measurement and Control Engineering Center (MCEC)
(University of Tennessee at Knoxville with Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Center for Process Analytical Chemistry (CPAC)
(University of Washington)


Civil Infrastructure Systems
The Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics (CBPT)
(Carnegie Mellon University)


Advanced Electronics
Center for Optoelectronic Devices, Interconnects, and Packaging (COEDIP)
(University of Arizona and the University of Maryland)

Center for Ultra-high Speed Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICAS)
(University of California at San Diego with San Diego State University)

Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Packaging of Microwave,
Optical and Digital Electronics (CAMPmode)
(University of Colorado at Boulder)

Center for Dielectric Studies (CDS)
(Intercollege Materials Research Laboratory, Penn State University)

Center for Electronic Materials, Devices, and Systems (CEMDAS)
(The University of Texas at Arlington and Texas A&M University)

Advanced Electronics (cont.)
Center for Design of Analog-Digital Integrated Circuits (CDADIC)
(Washington State University, University of Washington, Oregon State
   University, and State University of New York at Stony Brook)


Biotechnology
Industry/University Center for Biosurfaces (IUCB)
(State University of New York at Buffalo, The University of Memphis, New York
   State College of Ceramics at Alfred University)


Advanced Computing
Software Engineering Research Center (SERC)
(Purdue University, University of Florida, and Oregon Associated Universities)

Center for Advanced Computing and Communication (CACC)
(North Carolina State University and Duke University)


Information and Communications
Center for Information Management Research (CIMR)
(University of Arizona and Georgia Institute of Technology)

Research Center for Wireless Information Networks (WINLAB)
(Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Center for Advanced Communications
(Villanova University)


Energy and Environment
Advanced Control of Energy and Power Systems (ACEPS)
(Colorado School of Mines, Arizona State University, Wichita State University)

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC)
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Energy and Environment (cont.)
Emission Reduction Research Center (ERRC)
(New Jersey Institute of Technology)

Hazardous Substance Management Research Center (HSMRC)
(New Jersey Institute of Technology)

Queen's University Environmental Science and Technology Research Centre
   (QUESTOR)
(The Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Ocean Technology Center (OTC)
(University of Rhode Island)


Management of Technology
Center for Innovation Management Studies (CIMS)
(Lehigh University)


Aeronautics and Surface
Transportation
Center for Virtual Proving Ground Simulation: Mechanical and
Electromechanical Systems
(The University of Iowa and the University of Texas at Austin)


Health Care
Center for Health Management Research (CHMR)
(Arizona State University and the Network for Health Care Management)

Center in Ergonomics
(Texas Engineering Experiment Station -- The Texas A&M University System)


Agriculture
Center for Aseptic Processing and Packaging Studies (CAPPS)
(North Carolina State University and the University of California at Davis)

Center for Integrated Pest Management
(North Carolina State University)





Center for Grinding Research and
Development (CGRD)

University of Connecticut

Advanced grinding techniques contribute to America's manufacturing
   competitiveness

Center Mission and Rationale
The Center for Grinding Research and Development (CGRD) was established by the
University of Connecticut School of Engineering in conjunction with several
companies from Connecticut and other states to conduct advanced research in
grinding and related technologies. The Center's sponsors include major U.S.
automotive, engine, machine tool, and chemical manufacturers, as well as
grinding equipment and material suppliers.

The Center's goals are to --
*       Conduct fundamental and advanced studies of the grinding process and
complementary areas
*       Provide appropriate solutions to specific industrial problems
*       Provide industrial personnel and university engineering students with
the education and experience necessary to manage diverse problems in the
grinding industry.

Research Program
In its core research program sponsored by its industrial advisors, the Center
investigates problems related to the grinding of bearing rings, gears,
ceramics, and aerospace materials. The Center pursues research in cylindrical
and surface grinding, centerless grinding, coolant system evaluation, metals,
ceramics, acoustic emission monitoring, and processes. This research is
conducted in laboratories housing state-of-the-art metrology, materials
analysis, and grinding equipment.

The Center sponsors research in five major areas --
*       Grinding Machine and Grinding Process Dynamics -- These studies
investigate the ways in which factors such as vibration and geometric
instability influence the quality of components after grinding and focus on
the problems encountered when grinding cylindrical components, such as bearing
rings. Typical problems that adversely affect the performance of ground
components include lobing and chatter (surface imperfections) in centerless
grinding. Centerless grinding modes studied include: shoe-centerless, plunge,
and throughfeed types.
*       Truing and Dressing of Grinding Wheels -- Superabrasive products such
as cubic boron nitride (CBN) offer advantages over conventional abrasives such
as aluminum oxide, including increased part-to-part consistency, longer wheel
life, and better workpiece surface integrity. However, because of its hardness,
CBN presents problems with truing (material removal to ensure wheel roundness)
and dressing (removal of wheel matrix material to expose the cutting edges of
grits). The Center is studying the conditions under which the conventional
mechanical method of dressing wheels -- in which a diamond-edged tool contacts
the grinding wheel to remove material -- can be applied to CBN wheels.


*       Thermal Aspects of the Grinding Process -- In assessing the ways in
which heat generated by grinding affects the grinding wheel and workpiece,
this area of investigation applies finite-element and analytical methods to
simulate the grinding process. The models are then verified experimentally.
The models developed in these studies will ultimately help the users of
grinding machines to modify production parameters -- such as wheel speed and
in-feed rate -- to prevent workpiece damage.

*       Grinding Fluid Studies -- CGRD is performing studies to optimize the
application of fluids in ceramic grinding. This research (1) investigates the
effect on grinding performance of methods for applying grinding fluids and (2)
assesses the fluids' effectiveness in minimizing thermal damage. The Center
also conducts studies of the harmful effects of grinding fluids because --
despite their effectiveness in cooling, lubricating, and flushing waste --
grinding fluids can cause environmental and health hazards. For example,
CGRD-supported projects are investigating the microbial contamination of
grinding fluids and ways to improve the applications of biocides in the fluid.

*       Monitoring and Control -- Within the UConn Grinding Center, research
is being conducted on process monitoring and applying of corrective control
strategies. Using acoustic emission (AE) sensing and digital signal
processing, high-speed gap elimination and dressing verification are being
studied. Also, the application of AE monitoring to detect thermal damage
in-process is being carried out. This work attempts to reduce wheel approach
time and minimize the dressing amount taken from the grinding wheel, creating
higher throughput and reducing abrasives cost. Truing and dressing of CBN
grinding wheels is also being studied to identify conditions where the wheels
quickly cut efficiently, with minimum conditioning required.

Special Center Activities
*       With two industry partners, the Center is designing and building a
prototype of a production grinder that surpasses current machines in part
quality and production of ground components, while lowering cost. This work is
being done under the Advanced Grinding Machine Initiative, funded by the
Defense Logistics Agency through NSF. Grinding at such high speeds is a
serious technological challenge. The Center and its partners, Bryant Grinder
Corporation and The Torrington Company, are meeting the challenge with
open-architecture control, acoustic sensing, high structural stiffness,
high-velocity coolant application, advanced hydrostatic technology (in
slideway, support shoes, and spindle), a cubic boron nitride wheel, and
designs for safety and environmental cleanliness. Overall, the program will
allow the U.S. bearing industry to explore the advantages of high-speed
grinding technology, including higher productivity, lower costs, higher
part-to-part consistency, and less thermal damage to parts.

*       The Center worked with Hamilton Standard to eliminate the chipping of
nitrided spool valves. The process in question was the production of fuel
control valves involving a two-step nitriding process and no-coolant final
grinding. Our goal was to determine the cause of the chipping, the point in
the manufacturing cycle where it is initiated, and to recommend economically
feasible remedies to the causes. Hamilton Standard provided funds to support
the research effort, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in
savings from reduced scrap and rework.

*       In a joint project with the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation at
Iowa State University, the Center is developing a method of using Barkhausen
magnetic noise (residual stress) detection equipment in detecting grinding
damage. Damage in bearing parts caused by improper grinding procedures causes
early failure during service, a major concern in the automobile and aviation
industry. The grinding industry needs a technique that can reliably and
quickly detect possible grinding damage in parts during manufacturing. Results
are being gathered from automobile wheel-bearing components ground under a
variety of controlled conditions. Preliminary test data validates the method:
experiments indicate that Barkhausen measurements on parts ground under
progressively decreasing amounts of coolant can detect residual stress changes
in the surface of test pieces.

*       In another joint project, with the Center for Ceramic Research (CCR)
at Rutgers University, the Center is investigating cost-effective methods of
grinding a range of ceramics with minimum surface and sub-surface damage, at
high stock removal rates. UConn Grinding Center will process the ceramic
materials and develop an analytical thermal model of the grinding process.
Rutgers CCR will measure the depth of damage and conduct 4-point bend tests to
study strength degradation. This project is of particular interest to bearing
and electronic industries.

*       The University of Connecticut, through the UConn Grinding and
Precision Manufacturing Centers, hosted the International Manufacturing
Engineering Conference (IMEC) in August 1996. This biannual conference of the
International Foundation for Production Research attracted 200 international
participants during the 3-day period. Official sponsors of the conference were
CIRP, NSF, and ASME.

Education and Communication at CGRD
The Center offers two graduate-level courses in grinding that are open to
industrial members as well. The Center also sponsors the development of
technician-level training that can bring greater technical understanding to
the shop floor. One such course is offered at the Waterbury State Technical
College to provide shop foremen and operators with an introduction to grinding
technology.

M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered by CGRD in conjunction with the departments
of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering. Students
associated with the Center conduct their thesis research on a topic of proven
industrial interest.

CGRD keeps pace with international developments in grinding. One example of
this is Center director Trevor Howes' NSF-sponsored tour of precision
engineering centers in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in the spring of 1995.
Such activities assist the Center in shaping a research and development
program tailored to provide the highest value to domestic industries.





Center Headquarters

Center Director: Professor Trevor D. Howes
Center for Grinding Research and Development
Middle Turnpike (Rt. 44), Longley Building
University of Connecticut, U-119
Storrs, CT 06269-5119
Phone:	(860) 486-2883
Fax:	(860) 486-2269
E-mail:	howes@pmc.uconn.edu

Center Evaluator: Professor Donald Hempel
Department of Marketing
University of Connecticut, U-119
Storrs, CT 06269-5119
Phone:	(860) 486-2291
Fax:	(860) 486-2096
E-mail:	donhemp@sbaserv.sba.uconn.edu

NSF 93-97b (rev. 7/96)



Material Handling Research Center (MHRC)

Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Arkansas


Improved tools and strategies to store, move, and control materials will
reduce logistics costs

Center Mission and Rationale
The United States spends nearly a trillion dollars each year on the logistics
of material flow. An increasingly complex global economy revolves around the
movement of goods, including raw materials and subassemblies. The Material
Handling Research Center (MHRC) is the only research organization in the
United States devoted exclusively to the systems needed to facilitate and
manage material flow. The material handling system extends from the last
value-adding step at a supplier through the entire production process and
distribution network until a product is received by the customer. Companies
may also become responsible for the return or disposal of packaging material
and/or shipping containers. Germany, for example, requires that manufacturers
collect all packing material and return it to the manufacturing site for
disposal. Other countries are considering similar measures.

The Center's mission is to improve domestic productivity by developing
methodologies and tools to analyze, operate, and design material handling
systems for industry and Government. The Center performs approximately $3
million of research annually and serves about 30 companies. Forty faculty
supervise some 70 students working on projects directed at the needs of MHRC's
members. The Center also acquires technology from other countries through
technology exchange agreements.

Research Program
The research performed in the Center is divided into several program areas:

*       Manufacturing Systems. This area focuses on the scheduling of
production systems and the problems of material flow through the manufacturing
process. Emphasis is on customer-centered, high-mix, flexible production
systems. The research involves scheduling, planning, and control systems,
in-plant material transport, modeling and simulation, and computer-aided
design and operating tools. MHRC's accomplishments in this area include
determining the size and location of buffers to maximize the throughput of
flexible manufacturing system (FMS) installations, developing computer aids to
design automatic guided vehicle (AGV) networks, and selecting and assigning
components for insertion and onsertion machines.

*       Warehousing Systems. This area focuses on the efficient utilization of
cubic volume and the speed and accuracy of withdrawals and replenishment. The
research involves service times for automated systems, advanced order-picking
techniques,  location/allocation of storage, inventory reduction, and
computer-aided tools for facility design and operation. Past projects include
development of software to determine which items should be stored in a given
technology, assignment of storage locations to improve order-picking
efficiency, application of conveyors to sortation, development of operating
strategies for automatic storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), and comparison
of part-to-picker and picker-to-part systems. Future projects will integrate a
number of these advances in an artificial intelligence-based design/analysis
workstation for distribution centers and warehouses.

*       Logistics Systems. This area focuses on the interplant and intraplant
flow of material and the strategic location of manufacturing plants, depots,
and distribution centers. Ongoing research includes topics such as route
design, multichannel distribution networks, allocation of products and
customers to manufacturing and distribution centers, facilities design, and
conveyor network design. Research results include algorithms for laying out
linehaul/backhaul routes, fixed delivery routes, and collection sites for
recyclable material. Future projects will focus on a computer-based set of
design and analysis tools for the interactive investigation of a wide range of
tactical and strategic logistics issues.

*       Flexible Automation. This area focuses on improving the utility or
efficacy of existing hardware. Research topics include low-cost vision
systems, autonomous AGVs, and robotic applications. MHRC's research resulted
in the formation of a spin-off company to produce low-cost vision systems that
determine the location and orientation of objects, navigation techniques for
autonomous AGVs, and the feasibility of vision-based smart tags as an
alternative to radio frequency smart tags.

*       Information Systems. This area focuses on the information that must
accompany material movements and the application of artificial intelligence to
material handling problems. MHRC's research involves expanding the integrated
computer-aided manufacturing definition (IDEF) approach to include the
information flow as well as the material flow needed to support a
manufacturing enterprise, as well as models to handle unscheduled events such
as machine breakdowns or material shortages. Past research resulted in
software to automatically palletize random-size packages, a system to
automatically load and unload truck trailers, and an integrated production
control system to fabricate optical fibers.

The Center is also performing research to determine the best way to size and
manage reusable containers in a closed-loop system, to promote standard-size
containers and pallets, and to reduce injuries during manual material
handling.

Special Center Activities
MHRC-developed technologies have resulted in a pattern of substantial cost
savings for the Center's industrial sponsors. Selected accomplishments by the
MHRC include --

*       Assisting a major electronics manufacturing firm in redesigning its
material acquisition operation, which resulted in a reduction of
Work-in-Process (WIP) inventory by $100 million while reducing staffing
requirements by $3 million annually.

*       Developing quantitative design software that enabled a major military
avionics firm to save $400,000. The firm used the software to review an AS/RS
acquisition designed by traditional methods. The software revealed that the
equipment was significantly over-designed.

*       Developing algorithms to allocate and slot electronic chips on
automatic onsertion equipment, which resulted in productivity increases of
more than $1 million monthly for a major electronics manufacturer.

After attending discussions at MHRC, the U.S. Postal Service learned of
reusable and recyclable alternatives to wood pallets and began using plastic
pallets, which resulted in a savings of several million dollars annually.

MHRC also collaborates with other I/UCRCs as appropriate. For example, MHRC
cooperated with the Web Handling Center at Oklahoma State University to apply
a motion sensor (a correlating camera developed as part of an AGV navigation
package) to the edge motion of a continuous web. MHRC also collaborated with
the Center for Plastics Recycling Research at Rutgers University, and the two
Centers jointly designed a waste collection and recovery system for the State
of New Jersey.

In addition to hosting visiting scientists from Asia and Europe, MHRC is
negotiating a technology exchange agreement with the Fraunhofer Institute in
Dortmund, Germany, a major European center for material handling research.

MHRC provides research opportunities to minority students from the two Center
campuses, Tuskegee University, and Clark Atlanta University.

Center Headquarters

Center Director: Dr. H. Donald Ratliff
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Logistics Institute, School of
 Industrial and Systems Engineering
765 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA 30332-0205
Phone:	(404) 894-2307
Fax:	(404) 894-0390
E-mail:	hratliff@isye.gatech.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. J. David Roessner
Public Policy
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332-0345
Phone:	(404) 894-6821
E-mail:	david.roessner@pubpolicy.gatech.edu

NSF 93-97c (rev. 7/96)



Center for Machine-Tool Systems
Research (CMTSR)

University of Illinois

National manufacturing competitiveness depends on increased attention to
machine-tool development

Center Mission and Rationale
The goal of the Center for Machine-Tool Systems Research (CMTSR) is to develop
and transfer to industry innovative machine-tool concepts and systems based
upon technologies representing both incremental and fundatamental advances,
and to train students in the expert development and deployment of these
systems. The Center's ultimate mission is to spur marked improvement of
national manufacturing competitiveness through the deployment of advanced
machine-tool systems.

Research Program
Team projects in the CMTSR focus on the following three areas --

*       Agile/flexible machining and machine-tool systems

*       Machine-tool system planning and control. Tools for the effective
utilization of machine-tool systems -- e.g., planning, scheduling, control

*       Machining process development and innovation. Modeling and prediction
of product and process quality performance -- e.g., surface finish and error,
dimensional accuracy, etc. -- including both off-line design-based
considerations and on-line monitoring and control applications.

Together, faculty, students, and company members deal with these topics in
ways that shed new light on the principles of agility in machine-tool systems,
as well as on relationships between technological and cultural issues.
Technology integration themes also are thoroughly explored.



Center Activities
Company members participate in both company-designated and Center-designated
projects. Company-designated projects are initiated by each member company,
and both company researchers and university faculty and students collaborate
closely on these projects. Collectively, the member companies also solicit and
fund faculty proposals for Center-designated projects in areas determined by
the Center's industrial advisory board to be of particular interest.

Currently, 14 faculty and more than 20 students on both the Chicago and Urbana
campuses of the University of Illinois participate in some 20 ongoing company-
and Center-designated projects. Some recent projects are:

*       Machining of Ceramic Materials -- This research, centered around
Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM), has two core objectives: (1) the
development of a machining process for ceramics which has a suitably high
material removal rate and efficiency (low energy consumption), but at the same
time causes minimal surface damage and strength reduction to the ceramic
component; and (2) the characterization and comparison of the process, which
is important in the development of a robust and reliable process. So far, the
research has met with great success in the development and verification of RUM
with respect to the material removal phenomena in both the grinding and
milling processes.

*       Design and Development of Agile/Flexible Machining Fixtures -- The
goal of this research is to develop a unified fixture and machining process
design, analysis, and optimization tool to improve product quality. The
computer-based tool resulting from this research will allow an optimal design
to be reached through iterations performed on the computer, thus eliminating
the need to actually fabricate the fixture and then make adjustments to
achieve an acceptable fixture. It will allow fixture design to be optimized
subject to workpiece dimensional accuracy constraints imposed by the part
designer. Most importantly, the effect of the instantaneously varying
machining forces along the cutter path will be taken into account while
designing the fixture.

*       Implementation and Testing of an Intelligent Controller for Nanometer-
level Precision Machine Tools -- The goal of this work is to develop an
improved servo control loop capable of sub-micrometer precision position
control in the presence of high friction. The benefits of this research will
be an increase in machined part quality. The main applications of
ultra-precision machining are in the optics and electro-optics industries for
the production of metal mirrors, aspherical lenses, and components for laser
disk players. Increasing the machining accuracy will allow costly finishing
and polishing procedures to be significantly reduced or eliminated.

The Center's accomplishments include the following--

*       Two patents based on the Center's research on constant velocity (CV)
joint wear measurement and analysis have been filed. They are: "Method and
Means for Measuring Wear in Constant Velocity Joints" (an instrument which
provides a direct, quantitative method of CV joint track wear), and "Spline
Counting Mechanism" (a handheld device for measuring certain important
parameters of splines).

*       The Center conducted a research project in the area of motion control
for irregular shape generation. Specifically, the project dealt with the
dynamic variable depth of cut machining of non-circular engine cylinder bore
to compensate for bore deformation. Based on this research, a new camshaft
turning process is being developed that would eliminate the current practice
of milling and grinding. Researchers are currently collaborating with a
machine-tool builder and a camshaft manufacturer to further develop this
technology.

*       In concert with Machine Tool Agile Manufacturing Research Institute
(MTAMRI) researchers, the CMTSR faculty have worked on the development of
software testbeds using the World Wide Web to improve the accessibility of
machining process simulation technologies. The purpose of software testbeds is
to facilitate the development, testing, and utilization of software for the
design and application of machine-tool systems. The software testbeds will
allow industrial partners to access software on university computers and
experiment with its application on real problems of the day.

Research facilities and equipment at the Center include the Discovery
Bridgeport milling machining; two special-purpose transfer-line workstations
for milling, turning, and cylinderboring; an OKUMA vertical machining center;
a state-of-the-art variable spindle-speed machining head; a variety of
metrology equipment and instrumentation, including Kistler dynamometers,
surface profilometers, a Talyrond and tool-analyzer microscope; two Coordinate
Measuring Machines (CMM); and high-speed data acquisition systems.


Center Headquarters

Center Director: Prof. Shiv G. Kapoor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
361 Computer and Systems Research Laboratory
1308 W. Main Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone:	(217) 333-3432
Fax:	(217) 244-9956
E-mail:	s-kapoor@uiuc.edu


Center Evaluator: Prof. Devanathan Sudharshan
Department of Business Administration
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
315 David Kinley Hall
1206 S. Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone:	(217) 333-1691
Fax:	(217) 244-7969
E-mail:	sudharsh@ux6.cso.uiuc.edu

NSF 93-97d (rev. 7/96)



Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE)

Iowa State University

Advances in nondestructive evaluation can enhance the quality and reliability
of manufactured products

Center Mission and Rationale
Nondestructive evaluation is the use of measurement techniques to
noninvasively determine the integrity of a material component or structure.
The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE) uses quantitative approaches
to develop nondestructive evaluation as an engineering tool applicable
throughout the life cycle of a component. The Center's emphasis is on the
fields of aviation, transportation, energy, and manufacturing. Its mission is
to conduct directed research that advances the science of nondestructive
evaluation and ensures the integrity of structures and materials.

Research Program
CNDE conducts a full spectrum of research ranging from measurement models,
which describe the fundamental interaction between probing methods and the
flaws and properties of materials, to development of one-of-a-kind prototype
instruments. Areas in which the Center is currently conducting research
include --

*       Ultrasonics

*       Electromagnetic measurements

*       Image enhancement techniques

*       Microfocus radiography

*       Magnetic techniques

*       Microwave techniques

*       Neural networks

*       Nondestructive characterization of materials.

Because the field of nondestructive evaluation requires a multidisciplinary
approach, contributions from various engineering disciplines and physical
sciences are essential. Faculty and scientific staff from 3 colleges and 6
departments contribute to the research efforts at  Iowa State University
(ISU). The Center's researchers currently include more than 40 faculty members
and professional and scientific staff, as well as some 60 graduate students
and postdocs.

In addition to participating in the Industry/University Cooperative Research
Centers Program, CNDE is active in other major research programs --

*       The Integration of Design, Nondestructive Evaluation, and
Manufacturing Sciences Program, funded by the National Institute of Standards
and Technology, incorporates product reliability and life-cycle costing into
the designer's computer-aided-design station, which also ensures
inspectability at the design stage.

*       The FAA Center for Aviation Systems Reliability is a research and
technology development program, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.
This program helps provide solutions to pressing aircraft nondestructive
inspection (NDE) and maintenance problems for commercial airline operators and
manufacturers in the United States.

*       The Iowa Demonstration Laboratory is an outreach effort funded by Iowa
State University to aid in technology transfer to Iowa businesses.

Special Center Activities
Some of the Center's research, technology transfer, and education/training
accomplishments include --

*       Developed a novel method based on shear wave polarization to determine
percentages of plies with different fiber directions in composite materials

*       Field tested a new ultrasonic transducer (Dripless Bubbler), at the
Aging Aircraft Nondestructive Inspection Validation Center, for inspection of
lap joints and adhesive bonds in aircraft fuselage

*       Developed an improved understanding of the relationship of ultrasonic
backscattered noise to instrumental and material factors

*       Developed a model relating backscattered noise in titanium alloys to
microstructure, which may provide a basis for modifying materials processing
procedures to reduce noise

*       Developed a Bayesian methodology for prediction of inspection
intervals during manufacture for process control applications

*       Developed a new, visualization-based ray-tracing and beam model
ultrasonic simulator; improved the speed of the beam model simulations by a
factor of 60

*       Developed a magnetic flux leakage modeling method for predicting the
amplitude of signals based on a non-iterative linear model. This has the
potential to improve modeling speeds by several orders of magnitude, making
probability of detection calculations significantly more practical

*       Developed eddy current and ultrasonic modeling software which was
transferred to sponsors for validation and use

*       Awarded and initiated a planning grant to establish the North Central
Center for Advanced Engineering Technology Education in NDE/NDT in cooperation
with the Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department, the
National Science Foundation, and six upper Midwest community colleges

*       Distributed instructional video "NDI for Corrosion Detection" to over
150 members of the aviation community for use in their in-house training
programs. The video is used by all six major U.S. carriers.

Many companies, including Amoco, ARCO, the Association of American Railroads,
Boeing, Chrysler, EPRI, General Electric, Grumman, Hercules, Martin Marietta,
McDonnell Douglas, Pratt & Whitney, Shell, Westinghouse, and others have used
advances developed by CNDE in their manufacturing and service businesses.

Facilities
Most of CNDE's facilities are housed in ISU's Applied Sciences Complex. CNDE
equipment and instrumentation at the Complex include a microfocus x-ray unit
with digital camera, high-and low-frequency ultrasonic pulse instruments, eddy
current and laser equipment for photoinductive scanning, very low-frequency
magnetic scanning equipment, and a unique "test bed" for validation of models
and work related to the role of NDE and materials in concurrent engineering
and life cycle management.

Center Headquarters

Center Director: Dr. Donald O. Thompson
Center for Nondestructive Evaluation
Iowa State University
Applied Sciences Complex II
1915 Scholl Road
Ames, IA 50011
Phone:	(515) 294-8152
Fax:	(515) 294-7771
E-mail:	cnde@cnde.iastate.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. Anton J. Netusil
Professional Studies Department
N 247 C Lagomarcino Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Phone:	(515) 294-6216
Fax:	(515) 294-4942
E-mail:	netusil@iastate.edu

NSF 93-97e (rev. 7/96)



Center for Dimensional Measurement and Control in Manufacturing

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Improved product and process measurements are cost-effective and enhance
product quality

Center Mission and Rationale
The Center for Dimensional Measurement and Control in Manufacturing (formerly
known as the Center for Mechanical and Optical Coordinate Measuring Machines)
was established to improve manufacturing quality through measurements and
process control. Due to the pressure of global competition, it is likely that
manufacturers will rely increasingly on improved product and process
measurements as a cost-effective means of enhancing product quality.

The primary goals of the Center are to conduct research aimed at improving the
accuracy and speed of process measurements, to successfully manage and use the
measurement data, and to develop effective control methods for process
improvement.

Research Program
The Center typically conducts from two to five projects in each of the
following focus areas --

*       Measurement Principles and Techniques

*       Measurement and Control in Machining

*       Measurement and Control in Stamping

*       Measurement and Control for Assembly and Materials Joining.

Research and development are carried out under the supervision of University
of Michigan (UM) professors and research scientists in the college of
engineering. The Center also employs undergraduate and graduate student
research assistants as well as postdoctoral research fellows and research
engineers.

Special Center Activities
The Center has served as an incubator for a variety of spin-off activities.
For example --

*       Saginaw Machine Systems, Inc. (SMS), and UM won one of the eleven
awards in the first-round (1991) competition of the Advanced Technology
Program (ATP), sponsored by the Department of Commerce through the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); the project was on geometric and
thermal error compensation in machine tools.

*       Several Center members teamed up with UM researchers to obtain a
second-round (1992) NIST technology commercialization grant. As a result of
this spin-off activity, the Automotive Body Consortium (ABC) was formed. The
ABC, Chrysler, General Motors, and UM used this second NIST/ATP award to
conduct joint research in automotive body assembly. Known as the "2mm
Program," the objective of this project is to reduce overall assembly
variation on an auto body to less than 2mm.

*       Giddings and Lewis Measurement Systems (formerly Sheffield) and the UM
won a 1993 NIST/ATP grant to develop enabling technologies for Coordinate
Measuring Machines (CMMs) which would maintain higher levels of accuracy in
harsh manufacturing environments.

*       SMS and UM collaborated in another research program sponsored by the
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). This program also focuses
on enhancing machine tool performance. Participants include GM and Ford.

*       In 1994, SMS and the UM were awarded a two-year research grant from
the Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop a dynamic compensation system
to improve current error compensation techniques. Research will also explore
ways to remove some of the technical barriers preventing commercialization of
demonstrated techniques.

A sample of ongoing Center projects includes--

*       Non-Contact Wheel Alignment. Front-end alignment problems are a top
warranty concern for auto makers. The current procedures for setting and
checking alignment are slow, inaccurate, and difficult to maintain. This
project explores non-contact measurement alternatives which can provide fast,
accurate, consistent methods of wheel alignment.

*       Sensor Synthesis for Monitoring Automotive Body Assembly. Optical
Coordinate Measuring Machines (OCMMs) are used to perform in-line measurements
of a car body. As many as 80 sensors are installed to measure more than 100
dimensions. Many of these dimensions are strongly correlated, indicating
redundancy in the measurements. This project develops principles and
algorithms to optimize the distribution of measurement systems.

*       Active Vibration Control for CMMs. CMMs are widely used because of
their accuracy and flexibility. Unfortunately, they are also slow and
extremely sensitive to various disturbances, including structural vibration.
This project uses control methods to compensate for structural vibration in
order to optimize accuracy and efficiency.

*       Springback Analysis in Sheet Stamping. Elastic springback is a major
source of dimensional variation in sheet metal stamping. Improved
understanding of factors such as biaxial hardening, elastic recovery, and
friction laws can be used to predict springback more accurately. Accurate
springback predictions can help improve the dimensional quality of sheet metal
panels.

*       Signature Analysis for Stamping Control. Stamping process control
currently relies on periodic inspections of stamped parts -- i.e., it uses the
product to determine if the process is under control. This project changes the
focus by monitoring the process itself to define a "signature." This signature
can then be used to monitor the process directly, which will allow for earlier
or even preventative intervention.

*       Chatter Prediction and Prevention Techniques. Chatter, a self-excited
vibration, is a major problem in machining. Modern materials and higher
demands for precision make this problem even more critical. The objective of
this project is to develop advanced on-line chatter prevention techniques
through on-line prediction and suppression of chatter.

Members of our Center include automobile manufactures and their suppliers, an
aerospace manufacturer, members of the machine tool industry, and companies in
the field of sensors. This broad spectrum of sponsors helps drive the
diversity of manufacturing research embraced by the Center.

Research facilities and equipment at the Center include two CMMs, an OCMM, an
open architecture Computer Numerical Control (CNC) controller, two CNC milling
machine centers, three CNC turning centers, a laser interferometer, a
six-degrees-of-freedom laser tracking system, an infrared imaging system, an
adaptive tooling system, and an intelligent workstation.





Center Headquarters

Center Director: Prof. Jun Ni
University of Michigan
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
2424 G. G. Brown Building
2350 Hayward Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125
Phone:	(313) 763-5299
Fax:	(313) 936-0363
E-mail:	Jun_Ni@umich.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. Mitch Fleischer
Industrial Technology Institute
P.O. Box 1485
2901 Hubbard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone:	(313) 769-4368
Fax:	(313) 769-4064

NSF 93-97f (rev. 7/96)



Web Handling Research Center (WHRC)

Oklahoma State University

Enhanced understanding of fundamental issues in the handling of continuous,
thin, and flexible materials can increase product quality

Center Mission and Rationale
The term web is used to describe materials that are manufactured and processed
in a continuous-strip form. Web materials cover a broad spectrum from
extremely thin plastics to paper, textiles, metals, and composites. Web
processing extends to almost every industry today and allows manufacturers to
mass-produce a variety of products from materials that originate as a
continuous strip of material. The widespread use of web processing results
from the ease and cost-effectiveness of manufacturing and handling materials
in continuous-strip form instead of sheets, the need to automate many
manufacturing processes, and the need to increase product quality.

Web handling refers to the physical mechanics related to the transport and
control of continuous-strip materials (webs) through processes and machines. A
primary goal of web handling is to transport the material without incurring
defects and losses.

The mission of the Web Handling Research Center (WHRC) -- the only
organization of its type in the world -- is to advance the knowledge base in
technologies applicable to the transport and control of continuous-strip
materials. Primary activities include fundamental and generic research, as
well as knowledge and information transfer to and from its industrial sponsors
and to small- to medium-sized manufacturing firms.

Research Program
The WHRC research program emphasizes the following strategies --

*       Mathematical model development for fundamental elements in
web-transport systems based on first principles

*       Experimental parameter identification and model validation

*       Computer modeling and simulation.

Fundamental and generic research studies are conducted in the following target
areas --

*       Mechanics of winding. Emphasis is placed on the development of a
fundamental knowledge base through studies of nip mechanics, buckling in
center-wound rolls, tension losses in winding, air entrainment in wound rolls,
and viscoelastic and hydroscopic effects in wound rolls. The goal of these
studies is to develop improved models that can be used to predict the behavior
of a roll during winding. A U.S. patent has been granted on an acoustic roll
structure measurement system.

*       Longitudinal dynamics and tension control. As web-transport speeds are
increased, precise control of tension at each processing section in a
multispan web-transport system and dynamic stabilization of the overall system
become more important. This research focuses on the modeling, analysis, and
control of web-transport systems. A computer-based  program (Web Transport
System) has been developed for use in the analysis and design of open-loop and
closed-loop web-transport systems.

*       Lateral dynamics and control. The first major contribution to the open
literature on web handling was the Ph.D. dissertation of John J. Shelton in
1966. This seminal work dealt with the lateral dynamics of a moving web.
During the past several years, research in this area has focused on stochastic
modeling and real-time control of the lateral motion of a moving web.

*       Out-of-plane dynamics. Web flutter is a serious obstacle to high-speed
operation of web machines. Flutter can lead to breaks or wrinkling in machines
that handle paper, registration errors in printing presses, and damage to
coatings on polymer sheets. WHRC research in this area focuses on predicting
the critical operating conditions at which flutter starts and predicting
flutter amplitude if a machine is operated above the flutter threshold.

*       Wrinkling. Web quality can be degraded if wrinkling occurs across
rollers or within wound rolls. This research focuses on determining how
wrinkles form as a function of the parameters of web lines and web materials.

*       Measurement of tension. There is a well-recognized need for a
noncontact method of measuring the cross-web distribution of longitudinal
tension in a moving web. This research focuses on the development of a compact
tension-measuring system that uses a point-source pneumatic pulse excitation
and measures the time of motion of the pulse in the web from the excitation
point to the measurement point.

WHRC also conducts research on special topics, such as air films, spreading,
and traction. Web quality and efficient web processing depend critically on
the air film that exists between moving webs and rollers and between winding
webs and wound rolls. Air film research focuses on determining the mechanisms
through which grooved and textured rollers improve traction and on developing
models to predict the effects of grooves and texture on air film development.

Spreading devices are used in web processing systems to reduce wrinkles by
inducing a lateral stress into the web. WHRC is working to develop algorithms
and software tools to study displacements and stress distributions induced in
webs by curved axis and concave rollers, as well as friction forces between
webs and rollers.

Web transport, spreading, and winding are all affected by the available
traction between the web and rollers or between the web and roll. Traction
research focuses on the development of algorithms that accurately predict the
available traction as a function of operational and physical parameters.

Special Center Activities
In addition to research activities, Center personnel are actively engaged in
knowledge and information transfer and in laboratory development. The Center
transfers knowledge and information to its industrial sponsors through
semi-annual meetings, workshops and seminars, faculty consultation, periodic
faculty visits to industry, visits to the Center by sponsor personnel, reports
and theses, and bibliographic and patent databases.

A major activity of the Center is the organization of an International
Conference on Web Handling. Held every two years since 1991, the International
Conference typically involves more than 200 participants from ten or more
countries. As a service to sponsors as well as to small and medium-sized
manufacturing firms, the Center offers two applications seminars on web
handling each year

The Center's facilities have been developed with considerable assistance from
its industrial sponsors, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Oklahoma
Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Key facilities at WHRC
include a Beloit Winder (winding mechanics), a Fife Machine (wrinkling
studies), a 3M Machine (tension control and measurement), a Roisum Machine
(air-film studies), and the Computer-Aided Design and Interactive Graphics
Laboratory (IBM RS 6000, Sun, and Macintosh workstations). The facilities have
been enhanced substantially by the addition of a modularized high speed web
line, capable of running 30" wide webs at transport speeds up to 5000 ft. per
minute. The web line was specially designed to support fundamental
experimental studies of winding, wrinkling, and longitudinal dynamics. A new
web line is being designed especially for fundamental experimental studies on
air film and by the installation in late 1995 of a special high-speed "web
line" designed and manufactured by Worldwide Converting Machinery in
cooperation with Reliance Electric Company.

Corporate sponsors of WHRC include manufactures of a wide range of web
materials such as packaging films, photographic film, metal foils, paper
products, and composite materials, along with equipment manufacturers and raw
materials suppliers. Other sponsors include private foundations and the
Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

Since inception of the Center, the sponsors have played a key role in the
evaluation of projects, the identification of new projects, and the advisement
of the principal investigators. Inputs are sought on a continuing basis from
the IAB members on potential new projects. A research needs assessment is
conducted once each year. Inputs from industry participants often form the
basis for new project proposals at subsequent meetings, as well as changes in
the scope of continuing projects.



Center Headquarters

Center Director: Dr. Karl N. Reid
Web Handling Research Center
College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology
Oklahoma State University
111 Engineering North
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone:	(405) 744-5140
Fax:	(405) 744-7545
E-mail:	kreid@okway.okstate.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. David Mandeville
School of Industrial Engineering and Management
Oklahoma State University
322A Engineering North
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone:	(405) 744-6055
Fax:	(405) 744-6187
E-mail: dmandev@okway.okstate.edu

NSF 93-97g (rev. 7/96)



Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center (BSAC)

University of California, Berkeley

The Center is working to create tomorrow's integrated microelectromechanical
systems

Center Mission and Rationale
The mission of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) is to develop a
science, engineering, and technology base for microsensors, microactuators,
mechanical microstructures, and microdynamic systems. The Center builds upon a
well-developed arsenal of design and fabrication tools, which make possible
today's microelectronic devices and integrated circuits, to create tomorrow's
integrated microelectromechanical systems. Achieving this goal depends heavily
on research advances in electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biomedical
engineering and materials science.

Research Program
Founded in 1986, the Center is supported by more than 20 industrial and
national laboratory members, with whom it collaborates closely. Frequently,
researchers at BSAC base their device concepts on the requirements of Center
members. Often, members test devices or structures made at BSAC or supply the
Center with materials to evaluate.

The Center's research thrusts are in the following areas:

*       Scientific fundamentals -- Physics and engineering at small
dimensions, materials and mechanisms for microdevices, ultrasound and energy
transduction in microstructures, material properties fluid flow in small
channels, and new physical phenomena for sensing and/or actuating.

*       Fabrication techniques -- Technologies for material sculpting, bulk
and surface micromachining, deposition of piezoelectric and magnetic films,
control over basic material properties, compatible fabrication of
micromechanical and microelectronic devices and circuits, novel etch release
methods, high-aspect ratio microstructures, and material joining and cutting.

*       Microdevices for sensing and actuation -- Force, pressure, and
motion-sensitive devices; microfluidic pumps, valves, and flow-rate measuring
devices; ultrasonic flexural-wave devices; microphones, chemical sensors, and
chemical-reaction devices; optical microdevices, micropositioning and
microgripper devices, mechanically resonant microdevices; and miniature
inertial instruments such as accelerometers, angular rate sensors, and angular
accelerometers.

*       Integrated microsystems -- Integrated process development for
micromechanics and microelectronics where Complimentary Metal-Oxide-Silicon
(CMOS) circuitry is fabricated along with microstructures, integrated-circuit
microphones, contactless integrated electrostatic voltmeters, microminiature
light choppers, resonant-element microcircuits and systems,
microaccelerometers, microminiature rate-gyros, micro-flow systems for
biological and chemical applications, high-accuracy, high-bandwidth
micropositioners for disk drives, and microphotonic systems.

Recent research projects at BSAC include electronic filters with internal
micromechanical elements that  perform filtering, sophisticated biochemical
processing in a micromachined container, advanced micromachined inertial
instruments, high-aspect ratio microactuators, and novel piezoelectric sonic
output devices.

Special Center Activities
The Center uses the microfabrication facility of the University of California
at Berkeley, which is one of the most advanced lab sites in the field because
of the small size and variety of integrated circuit components that can be
made there. Mask-making is done on-site. Students perform most of the
fabrication, and the facility allows carefully monitored nonstandard
processing to be performed in the laboratory, allowing unusual design
flexibility. The Center's multidisciplinary student mix (engineering and
science students in the electrical, mechanical, chemical, material science,
and bioengineering areas) brings a broad skills base to BSAC. In addition, the
Center employs full-time staff who specialize in process optimization and
novel fabrication techniques.

Examples of unique devices fabricated by BSAC include microphones, ultrasonic
sensors, microhypodermic injection needles, microsignal processing filters,
microencapsulation shells, micropumps, and micromixers that employ both
low-stress membranes and piezoelectric films. BSAC develops and processes to
combine sensor structures with both low- and high-temperature metallization to
make truly integrated sensors and actuators.

Other Center activities include --

*       Research programs for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral
students, employing more than 35 graduate research assistants. Center alumni
currently guide programs in microelectromechanical systems at several major
laboratories and universities, including UCLA, University of Michigan,
Carnegie Mellon University, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

*       Past or present collaboration with the Center for Nondestructive
Evaluation at Iowa State University, the Center for Process Analytical
Chemistry at the University of Washington, the Center for Dielectric Materials
at The Pennsylvania State University, Case-Western Reserve University, and the
Center for Engineering Tribology at Northwestern University

*       Collaborative research with faculty colleagues at Berkeley and other
universities including the University of California at Davis, Stanford, MIT,
and the University of Michigan.

Center Headquarters

Center Directors:       Roger T. Howe, Richard S. Muller, Albert P. Pisano,
                        Richard M. White
Associate Directors: Bernhard Boser, Kristofer Pister
Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center
University of California, Berkeley
Department of EECS
497 Cory Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1770
Phone:	(510) 643-6690
Fax:	(510) 643-6637
Fax:	(510) 643-5599 (for Dr. Pisano only)
E-mail:	sensor@eecs.diva.berkeley.edu

Center Evaluator: Howard Levine
198 Bret Harte Road
Berkeley, CA 94708
Phone:	(510) 849-0358

NSF 93-97h (rev. 7/96)



Center for Microcontamination Control (CMC)

The University of Arizona

Reduction of defects in semiconductor manufacturing is fundamental to U.S.
competitiveness in semiconductor devices

Center Mission and Rationale
Contamination by foreign particles accounts for more than 90 percent of the
defects encountered in processing semiconductor devices scaled to submicron
dimensions. The Center for Microcontamination Control (CMC) particularly
focuses on contamination in equipment, gases, and liquid chemicals.

Foreign-particle contamination in the atmosphere of a process chamber, in a
gas stream, or in a liquid chemical can affect lithography, diffusion, or
implantation operations. Homogeneous contamination in gases and liquids may
cause deposits on a surface that result in performance problems in
semiconductor devices. Contamination may also affect a chemical reaction and
the deposition or removal of a film.

The CMC's research goals are to --

*       Conduct interdisciplinary research on microcontamination control that
is of interest to the semiconductor manufacturing community

*       Transfer both competitive and precompetitive technology to its member
partners

*       Provide an environment for cooperative research between industrial
partners and the university

*       Educate students in the fundamental disciplines necessary to advance
semiconductor manufacturing

*       Increase fundamental knowledge of areas related to microcontamination
control

Research Program
CMC activities involve eight departments at the University of Arizona:
electrical and computer engineering, chemical engineering, materials science
and engineering, management and policy, physics, chemistry, optical sciences,
and soil and water sciences. More than 25 faculty members bring their diverse
skills to the Center's research program.

CMC's research contributions include the following --

*       Developing metrology tools to measure low-level contamination in gases

*       Developing metrology tools to measure low-level contamination in
ultrapure water

*       Developing metrology tools to measure electrostatic discharge events
near semiconductor circuits

*       Characterizing the behavior of materials used in ultrapure gas
distribution systems

*       Strengthening the fundamental understanding of particle-surface
interactions in liquids

*       Contributing to the understanding of the fundamental behavior of
particles at liquid-solid-gas interfaces

*       Modeling particle behavior in a flowing gas stream

*       Increasing the understanding of the behavior of light scattering from
a particle on a surface

*       Using lasers to measure extremely low-level contamination in gas
streams.

Special Center Activities
Using conclusions from a project initially funded by the entire membership,
QRP Inc. sponsored an additional project that resulted in the development of
an electrostatic discharge detector, referred to as a "static bug." CMC then
transferred the technology of electrostatic discharge detection to QRP as the
exclusive licensee for manufacturing the detector. The static bug, which looks
like a dual inline pin (DIP) package common to the semiconductor industry, is
being designed as a low-cost item; it will be used to detect whether
microchips have been damaged by exposure to electrostatic  discharge during
shipping. The detector is to be included in shipping packages and read at the
receiving end by a quality-control technician. If the detector has been
tripped, then the chips in that package should be tested.

A CMC researcher has developed a radically new ultrasensitive method using the
DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to characterize the bacterial content of
ultrapure water. The goal of this project is to create a standard method to
measure the bacterial count in an ultrapure water sample. The semiconductor
industry anticipates needing water that contains less than one bacterium per
liter -- but the purity tests that are currently available are not that
sensitive and require 3 to 5 days to culture any bacteria that might be
present. PCR will untwist the bacterial DNA helix and cause it to be regrown
as two double helices. The process is repeated up to 25 times in succession,
creating a large quantity of DNA that can be observed by gel chromatography.
By using this technique, in 5 hours a researcher is able to measure quantities
as low as one bacterium per liter of water.

Computer software developed in the CMC calculates the scattered light from a
particle on an oxidized semiconductor wafer. This computer program is used by
Tencor Instruments, a member firm, to aid customers in calibrating particle
counters. It was also used to design a new generation of highly efficient
surface scanners. Tencor performed experimental measurements that described
"haze" scattering -- the scattering from background surface roughness of the
wafer. By combining Tencor's research with CMC's calculations of light
scattered from particles, Tencor engineers were able to design a new wafer
scanner, the Surfscan 6400, which can detect 0.2 micrometer diameter particles
in a background of 20,000 ppm haze.

Based on CMC's research results in wet cleaning, one member company redesigned
its wet-cleaning stations and reported a significant reduction in
liquid-generated particulates. The company has reduced, by a factor of ten,
the number of particles added to the silicon wafers used to manufacture
integrated circuits.

Some of the Center's other accomplishments in the area of technology transfer
include --

*       Transferring the technology of carbon dioxide snow cleaning to an
equipment manufacturer

*       Transferring laser technology to a start-up firm for use in defect
control

*       Assisting member companies in planning manufacturing facilities for
the future, and establishing the CMC Forum; one forum topic is the role of
mini-and macro-environments in future manufacturing facilities

*       Translating papers of interest from Japanese to English and
distributing them to CMC members

The Center's educational program has provided a cross-disciplinary research
environment with myriad opportunities for students and faculty from across the
campus. Fifteen Ph.D. and M.S. students have completed their degree programs
with support from CMC. The Center has sponsored or cosponsored several short
courses for its industrial partners.

The Center's facilities include the following--

*       Garment and equipment test tower: a Class 1 facility for use in
evaluating gowns, wearing apparel, and equipment (one of four such facilities
in the United States)

*       Class 10 cleanroom (240 sq. ft.) containing a Tencor 5000 and an
Hitachi-Deco 310D surface particle scanner

*       Airborne laser-particle counters, liquid-particle counters, and a
condensation-nucleus counter

*       Access to the University of Arizona Microelectronics Laboratory, which
contains 2,000 square feet of Class 100 teaching and research space, including
the only atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer in a U.S.
university.

Center Headquarters

Center Director: John F. O'Hanlon
Center for Microcontamination Control
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone:	(520) 621-3397
Fax:	(520) 621-8881
E-mail:	ohanlon@ece.arizona.edu


Center Evaluator: David A. Tansik
McClelland Hall, 405-R
College of Business and Public Administration
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone:	(520) 621-1710
Fax:	(520) 621-7483

NSF 93-97i (rev. 7/96)



Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research (CISR)

Carnegie Mellon University

CISR is the largest academic research program for the steel industry in North
America

Center Mission and Rationale
The primary goal of CISR is to conduct basic and long-term research relevant
to iron and steel production. The objectives of CISR are to --

*       Perform fundamental research in ironmaking, steelmaking, refining, and
casting

*       Educate and develop students with strong technical skills applicable
to the steel and steel-support industries

*       Establish a forum to discuss the long-term research needs of the
industry and an organization to perform the research developed through these
discussions

*       Provide a mechanism for leveraging industrial funds through
cooperative research and Government support.

Research Program
In 1984, Carnegie Mellon University received a grant from the National Science
Foundation (NSF) to plan and develop a cooperative research center in iron and
steelmaking. CISR began operations in 1985 with 11 charter members. By 1992
the Center had 25 members and a total research budget of more than $1 million.
CISR includes faculty from the materials science and engineering, electrical
and computer engineering, and chemical engineering departments and employs
four full-time research professionals.

In addition to computer systems and standard high-temperature equipment, the
Center also has several unique facilities including x-ray fluorescence for
investigating high-temperature reactions and processes (greater than 1550
degrees  C) and an x-ray for measuring high-temperature interfacial properties.

CISR is conducting research in three primary areas --

* Ironmaking. The major emphasis in ironmaking at CISR is on bath smelting and
ironmaking technologies. Research is under way to develop a basic
understanding of a new bath-smelting process that may replace the blast
furnace. In bath smelting, coal, ore, and oxygen are reacted in an iron bath
and the off gas is used for partial prereduction. Ongoing work includes
studies on reduction reaction, slag foaming, and process modeling.

* Refining. CISR research has focused on refining processes in areas such as
oxygen steelmaking, the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), and the ladle, and on
specialty steels in Argon Oxygen Decarburization  (AOD). CISR is working to
improve steel refining -- in particular, nitrogen and phosphorus removal,
inclusion removal, and vacuum degassing.

* Casting. Casting research is focused on inclusion removal, horizontal
casting, the determination of interfacial properties, the application of
electromagnetics, and the production of steel strip. Current areas of emphasis
are the mechanisms of liquid inclusion generation and elimination, shaping and
levitation of liquid metals, and characterization of low carbon and stainless
steel strip.

Recent or ongoing research projects include--

*       Water Modeling of the Top Gas Stirring in the BOF and the AISI Smelter

*       Kinetic Studies of the Carbon-CO2 Reaction

*       Optimization of Post Combustion in Steelmaking Processes

*       Measurement of FeO Activity in Bath Smelting Slags

*       Post Smelting Phase Separation and Chemical Reactions

*       Determination Activity of TiO2 in Blast Furnace Slags

*       Improved Hot Metal Desulfurization

*       Nitrogen Reactions in the EAF and OSM

*       Influence of Chromium on the Dissociation of CO2 on Liquid Iron

*       Determination of the Activity of Silicon and Aluminum in Stainless
Steel

*       Nitrogen Removal in the Ladle

*       Scale Formation on Iron Alloys

*       Scale Formation on Carbon Steels

*       Application of Electromagnetics in the Steel Industry

*       Environmental Aspects of Mold Slag Usage

*       Mold Powder Crystallization Temperatures in the CaO-Al2O3 -SiO2 System

*       Slag Entrainment in Continuous Casting: Studies of the Effects of
Physical Fluid Properties upon Emulsification

*       Mold Slag Interfacial Tension

*       Strip Casting Fundamentals.

Special Center Activities
CISR actively involves students and industry in its research program. The
Center's co-director received a $150,000 grant from the ISS Foundation to
support an undergraduate research program with 10 student participants.

CISR has been successful in attracting industrial associates from France, The
Netherlands, Australia, Korea, and South Africa.

Center Headquarters

Co-Director: R. J. Fruehan
Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research
Carnegie Mellon University
3325 Wean Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone:	(412) 268-2677
Fax:	(412) 268-7247
E-mail:	fruehan@iron.mems.cmu.edu

Co-Director: A.W. Cramb
Phone:	(412) 268-3517

Center Evaluator: Dr. Luis G. Vargas
Graduate School of Business
University of Pittsburgh
314 Mervis Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 10560
Phone:	(412) 648-1575
Fax:	(412) 648-1693

NSF 93-97j (rev. 7/96)




Center for Applied Polymer Research (CAPRI)
Case Western Reserve University

Understanding the structure-property-processing relationships for polymeric
systems leads to improved industrial materials and processes

Center Mission and Rationale
CAPRI's mission is to carry out interdisciplinary applied and basic research
on structure-property-processing relationships in polymeric materials that are
of interest to industry. CAPRI intends to serve as an intellectual center for
the development of new materials concepts and new analytical techniques
through the traditions of quality advanced graduate education. CAPRI fosters
university-industry interactions in order to provide identifiable returns to
its sponsors, including educated people and knowledge, as it develops into an
internationally recognized center.

The Center's goals are to --

*       Perform industrially relevant research that addresses the national
technological needs for complex materials systems

*       Work with industry sponsors to identify graduate research
opportunities appropriate for training the materials scientists and engineers
of the future

*       Perform research that will lead to the development of new materials
concepts, new processing methods, and new analytical techniques

*       Continue to build state-of-the-art facilities to serve the activities
of the Center.

How CAPRI Works with Industry
The success of CAPRI has been made possible by the close interaction with the
industrial participants. With its inception in 1981 as one of the first
I/UCRCs funded by NSF, CAPRI developed an innovative model for
university-industry research cooperation. CAPRI's model is characterized by a
one-on-one relationship between a company and an academic research team. A
small group of faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students
from CAPRI work closely with industrial scientists to define and execute a
project in a technical area that the sponsor has identified as being important
to the company. The requirements of the project determine its size and
duration. Since 1986, CAPRI has been self-sufficient, and today is one of the
oldest active centers of its type. Many distinguished graduates of the center
are currently employed in leadership positions in the industrial research
sector.

An annual symposium focused on CAPRI research is held each fall. The program
features lectures by the CAPRI faculty and students in the morning and a
poster session with the students and posdoctoral fellows in the afternoon.
Written evaluations by the 75 or more industrial participants provide feedback
for the future direction of the research programs. The one-on-one projects are
reviewed separately with the sponsoring company at least once each year in a
formal manner and more frequently informally. In addition to reviewing
progress and defining project goals, these meetings give the students and
postdoctoral fellows an opportunity to interact closely with scientists in the
industrial environment.

Research Program
Applied and basic research in CAPRI focuses on structure-property
relationships in polymeric materials. In addition to industrially supported
research activities, CAPRI responds to national technological needs for
complex materials systems through research grants and contracts with state and
federal funding agencies.

Research in CAPRI is carried out in four major thrust areas --

*       Polymer blends and alloys, including interfacial control and
microstructural design for optimum performance

*       Structural composites, with a hierarchical approach to complex
materials systems based on biomimetic concepts

*       Processing of layered materials and structures, emphasizing the unique
effects achievable by nanolayer processing of organic and inorganic materials
with high interface-to-volume ratio

*       Polymers for biomedical applications, utilizing an interdisciplinary
approach to understanding host/material interactions.

Technical publications and presentation of papers at professional meetings are
important means by which results of CAPRI research are disseminated to the
technical community. Many of the latest research accomplishments are described
in a recent issue of the Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 52(2) which
is devoted to original research papers from CAPRI. Because the Center is
primarily dedicated to research that is driven by the needs of industry, most
of the papers in this issue result from close collaboration with colleagues in
the industrial research and development  community. The students who completed
their degrees with these projects were challenged to solve problems of a
practical nature. Contributions in the issue provide new insights into the
mechanisms of compatibilization with anhydride-functionalized polymers,
elucidate the toughening mechanisms in rubber-modifed thermoplastics, and
describe cooperative damage processes in microlayered composites. Other topics
include analysis of the ductile-to-quasibrittle transition, postfailure
fractographic analysis of fracture mechanisms, and structure-property
relationships in recycled plastics.

Special Center Activities
After 13 years in the Olin Laboratory for Materials, CAPRI moved to the new
Kent Hale Smith Engineering and Science Building in the summer of 1994. The
new facility is designed to accommodate the special needs of CAPRI, combining
world-class laboratories with a bright, spacious atmosphere created by
innovative architectural style and design. The new building is prominently
located in the center of the Case Western Reserve University campus, and its
distinctive architectural style and beautiful landscaping make it easily
recognizable. In the new building, CAPRI has approximately 15,000 square feet
of custom-designed laboratory space.

Motivated by the need for new processing technologies for creating engineered
microstructures of incompatible polymers, a new facility was installed to
study the unique advantages that can be achieved with microlayering
coextrusion. This brings to the cutting edge the leadership of CAPRI in the
analysis and characterization of microlayered polymers. In this new process,
the coextruded melt stream is repeatedly split and recombined for continuous
processing of sheet or film with hundreds or thousands of alternating layers
of two polymers. It is now possible to scout a wide variety of microlayered
concepts on an experimental scale. Because the thickness of individual layers
is on the micron or submicron scale, and thus presents a large interfacial
area, these materials are excellent candidates for model studies. With this
flexible new facility, engineered microstructures with unique electrical,
mechanical, and barrier properties have already been created.

Interactions with faculty from other universities are instrumental in the
execution of many successful Center projects. CAPRI activities involve faculty
from Lehigh University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of
California at Berkeley, Princeton University, and the University of
Washington. CAPRI collaborates as well with the University of Akron through
the Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation (EPIC), and participates in EPIC's
development and commercialization efforts on a global basis. This alliance
builds on the complementary areas of research being pursued by more than 50
faculty members at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron
with the support of a broad-based industrial consortium.

Laboratories
The research activities are supported by comprehensive laboratories for
testing and analysis. CAPRI continues its efforts to maintain state-of-the-art
instrumentation for analysis of structure-property relationships, with
particular emphasis on the areas of mechanical testing, microscopy, and
thermal and infrared analysis.

Static and Dynamic Testing
The major mechanical testing is done with computerized universal testing
machines with environmental control. Additional servo-hydraulic testing
machines are dedicated to long-term dynamic testing. Mechanical tests are
coupled with real-time video recordings and/or acoustic emission detection for
characterization of mechanisms. Deformation stages for both the transmission
optical microscope and the scanning electron microscope provide additional
information on damage and crack propagation.

Microscopy
Various light microscopes, a scanning electron microscope with x-ray
dispersive analysis, and a high resolution transmission electron microscope
are used for solid state and surface characterization of materials.
Deformation stages make possible in situ testing of microspecimens under a
variety of loading conditions. Preparative capabilities include diamond saws,
grinding and polishing equipment, as well as microtomy and
cryo-ultramicrotomy. A fully equipped photographic laboratory and an image
analysis laboratory are available for processing images. A scanning acoustic
microscope is used for nondestructive evaluation of totally opaque composite
materials and structures.

Physics and Chemistry
Thermal characterization is provided by the thermal analysis laboratory with
two DSCs, a TGA, and a DMTA. The Fourier-transform infrared unit is equipped
with ATR and photoacoustic capabilities for surface characterization. For
molecular weight determination, the laboratory has a GPC with both refractive
index and UV diode array detectors. Well-equipped wet laboratories support the
preparative aspects.

Polymer Processing
The processing laboratory is equipped for mixing and forming polymers and
blends on a laboratory scale. The laboratory is equipped with a twin-screw
extruder with pelletizer, a mixing head, injection molding machines, and
hydraulic presses. A unique processing capability of the laboratory is a
coextrusion unit that produces tapes with as many as several thousand
alternating layers of two or three polymers. This is achieved with a die that
repeatedly splits and recombines the polymer melt.

Center Headquarters

Center Director: Dr. Anne Hiltner
Center for Applied Polymer Research
Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106-7202
Phone:	(216) 368-4186
Fax:	(216) 368-6329
E-mail:	pah6@po.cwru.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. Richard Perloff
Department of Communication
Cleveland State University
1983 East 24th Street
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone:	(216) 687-5042

NSF 93-97k (rev. 7/96)




Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center (ASPPRC)

Colorado School of Mines

A fundamental understanding of cost-effective, versatile steels is essential
to maintaining manufacturing competitiveness

Center Mission and Rationale
ASPPRC's research program addresses the manufacturing industries that produce
and use steel. The Center is dedicated to developing national excellence in
ferrous metallurgy. ASPPRC's objectives are to --

*       Perform research that directly benefits producers and users of steel.
ASPPRC evaluates new steel products and performs research related to steel
manufacture and selection for a variety of applications

*       Develop a national forum for steel producers, steel users, Government,
and academia to stimulate advances in the science and technologies of steel
processing, quality, and application

*       Educate graduate students through research programs of theoretical and
practical interest to the steel-producing and steel-using industries

*       Enhance undergraduate education related to steel and maintain and
develop faculty involvement in teaching and research related to ferrous
metallurgy.

Research Program
The Center's projects are clustered in the following research programs:

*       Bar and Forging Steels -- Research in this area includes the
examination of microalloying effects on phase transformations and
microstructural evolution, properties, and fracture of bar and forging steels
with ferrite-pearlite and bainitic microstructures. Analysis of the effects of
forging parameters, induction heating, residual elements, or cold work on
transformation and properties of microalloyed steels and carburizing steels is
being pursued. Also underway is the analysis of bending and fatigue behavior
of carburized steels, including effects of phosphorus content, alloy content,
extent and type of shot peening, imposed stress conditions, and carburizing
method. Another area is analysis of the effects of composition and
microstructure on the forging and hot working characteristics of steels.

*       Sheet and Coated Steels -- This area encompasses the characterization
and modeling of formability in sheet steels, including interstitial-free
steels and steels coated with various zinc layers applied by
electrogalvanizing and hot-dip processing. Special topics include correlation
of deformation behavior and mechanical properties as a function of processing
and testing conditions, microstructure development, application of friction
testing, the effects of annealing and alloying on recrystallization and
texture formation in cold-rolled sheet steels, and paint bake-hardening
analysis of dent-resistant steels.

*       Plate and Heavy Section Steels -- High-strength, high-toughness,
low-carbon steels for plate and heavy-section forging applications are
examined. Projects evaluate alloying and processing effects on hardenability,
phase transformations, microstructural evolution, and mechanical properties.
Currently, the effects of thermomechanical processing variations on
performance of steels direct-quenched to martensite and tempered, the effects
of Al, Ti, and Zr on the hardenability and toughness of boron-containing
steels, and the effects of Ni additions on copper and precipitation hardening
steels for plates and forgings are being studied.

*       Special Alloys and Stainless Steels -- This area includes evaluation
of processing, microstructure, and formability of ferritic and austenitic
stainless steel sheets, and sheet formability of superalloys. Analysis of hot
deformation and microstructural evolution in high-temperature alloys and
stainless steels is also carried out.

Special Center Activities
The Center received the 1991 Chrysler Motors Corporation Executive Engineer's
Award for its role in collaborative research with Chrysler and several of the
bar steel suppliers in the Center. A unique forging, analysis, and component
development program led to the utilization of new bar steel grades which
resulted in both a cost savings and an improvement in vehicle component
properties.

Industry has adopted an ASPPRC-developed laboratory test procedure to evaluate
the frictional behavior of new coated sheet steels. The test methods developed
in the Center have been implemented in the test laboratories of several of the
sponsoring companies.

An ASPPRC patent to improve headability for stainless steel wire has been
obtained.

Significant modifications have been made to steel specifications and
processing histories for improving the strength, fatigue resistance, and
toughness of high strength spring and gear steels.

Other accomplishments and activities of the Center include --

*       More than 120 technical papers published in technical journals and
conference proceedings (several were jointly prepared by industry and ASPPRC)

*       Collaborative projects with the Center for Engineering Tribology at
Northwestern University and the Center for Iron and Steel Research at
Carnegie-Mellon University

*       Technology transfer via semiannual research reports, technical
conferences, and research workshops; steering committee meetings at sponsor
locations; and visits to industrial sponsor facilities by ASPPRC students and
staff

*       Participation in organizing international conferences to review global
developments in steel application (proceedings from each conference have been
published); conferences include:

--Microalloying and New Processing Approaches for Bar and Forging Steels

--Carburizing: Processing and Performance

--Zinc-Coated Sheet Steel Systems

--Fundamentals of Aging and Tempering in Bainitic and Martensitic Steel

--Physical Metallurgy of Direct-Quenched Steels Products

--Stamping Technology

*       More than 60 graduate students have obtained degrees with financial
support from ASPPRC

*       Two engineering professorships were added to the Metallurgical and
Materials Engineering Department. One was established by the Forging Industry
Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF) and the other was established by
the Center's advisory board

*       Over 35% of the Center's graduates have been hired by sponsoring
companies and over 50% have been hired by companies which predominantly use or
produce steel.

Center Headquarters

Center Director: David K. Matlock
Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center
Golden, CO 80401
Phone:	(303) 273-3775
Fax:	(303) 273-3795
E-Mail:	dmatlock@mines.edu

Center Evaluator: Virginia Shaw-Taylor
444 North Beaver Road
Golden, CO 80403
Phone:	(303) 642-0515

NSF 93-97l (rev. 7/96)






Cooperative Research Center in Coatings
Eastern Michigan University (EMU), Michigan Molecular Institute (MMI), and
North Dakota State University (NDSU)

An improved understanding of coatings leads to innovative approaches to
coatings-related problems

Center Mission and Rationale
The Center's two-fold mission is to be a leading academic organization that
develops relevant scientific knowledge for understanding and expanding the
technology of paints and coatings for the benefit of its members and to
enlarge the cadre of scientists and technologists capable of working
effectively with coatings.

Coatings are important in most sectors of the U.S economy, and there are many
opportunities for substantial technological impact. This Center brings
together three institutions with highly complementary capabilities to work in
this area. The EMU faculty is strong in synthetic chemistry and crosslinking
of polymers and in the formulation, application, and testing of coatings.
MMI's faculty is strong in polymer synthesis, polymer physics, rheology,
colloid chemistry, and theoretical treatment of complex polymer systems. The
NDSU program has exceptional strength in three areas: vibrational spectroscopy
of surfaces, anticorrosion coatings, and water-borne coatings.

Research Program
The Center started operation in 1995. Its research thrust areas are defined by
critical problems facing the coatings industry and coatings users --

*       Reduction and, ultimately, elimination of air pollution derived from
coatings

*       Cost-effective improvement of product quality

*       Improved corrosion protection.

The Center performs precompetitive research in eight areas of science and
engineering that are directly relevant to these thrust areas --

*       Cross-linking chemistry and cross-linked film properties

*       Low-solids and solventless coatings

*       Testing and analysis of coatings

*       Stabilization and rheology of dispersions and coatings

*       Scanning probe microscopy of coatings

*       Corrosion protection by coatings

*       Adhesion of coatings, especially adhesion to plastics

*       Surface and interfacial spectroscopy.

Projects are implemented primarily by faculty, staff, and students of the
three institutions. Resources of the institutions are combined to focus
multiple skills on important problems. Project selection and implementa tion
is guided by the Center's Industrial Advisory Board, which meets twice a year.
Each Center member company or organization has one vote on this Board. At its
inception the Center had 17 member companies and organizations and a total
budget of about $700,000/year.

Examples of specific research projects are:

*       Use of vibrational spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy to study
polymer surfaces and the effects of surface treatments

*       Collaboration of polymer synthesis chemists and rheologists to devise
solvent-free, water-reducible industrial coatings with good film properties

*       Pathbreaking physical studies of film formation in latex paints

*       Development of electrochemical noise analysis to test the ability of
coatings to protect against corrosion in hours, rather than the years required
by field tests

*       Development of more accurate methods to analyze water in paints (a
critical industry problem) by chromatography and by near-infrared
spectroscopy.

Special Center Activities
The Center is an outgrowth of a similar, but smaller, Center in operation at
EMU and MMI from 1990 to 1995. Tangible accomplishments of the former Center
included:

*       Thirty-five publications, with more in the pipeline

*       Three patent applications, of which one has issued, one has been
allowed, and one is pending

*       Education of students who, upon graduation, are highly sought after by
the coatings industry.


Perhaps the most important accomplishment is that member companies reported
starting seven substantial projects to follow up on Center research. Many
smaller interactions took place among member company personnel and Center
investigators.

Capabilities and Facilities
EMU and NDSU are two of the largest academic programs in the United States
featuring the science and technology of polymeric coatings. MMI is a leading
center of research in polymers. Together they bring unequaled resources to the
study of coatings. For example, NDSU is in the process of adding $200,000 of
new FT-IR and FT-Raman instrumentation to its well-equipped vibrational
spectroscopy laboratory; and it has unique capabilities in corrosion testing.
MMI established an atomic force microscopy facility in 1992 and has upgraded
its equipment and expertise for investigation of coating surfaces since then;
pathbreaking applications in the study of latex film formation have already
been demonstrated, and extension to study of other coatings problems is
planned. EMU has strong expertise in the synthesis, crosslinking, study, and
evaluation of coatings polymers, supported by up-to-date equipment such as
oscillating DSC, NMR, microscopic FT-IR, and chromatographic equipment.







Center Headquarters

Center Director: Dr. Frank N. Jones
Coatings Research Institute
Eastern Michigan University
430 West Forest Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Phone:	(313) 487-2203
Fax:	(313) 483-0085
E-mail:	frank.jones@emich.edu

Center Associate Director: Dr. Marek W. Urban
Polymers and Coatings Department
North Dakota State University
Dunbar Hall
Fargo, ND 58105
Phone:	(701) 231-7859
Fax:	(701) 231-8439
E-mail:	urban@plains.nodak.edu

Center Associate Director: Dr. Dale J. Meier
Michigan Molecular Institute
1910 W. St. Andrews Road
Midland, MI 48640
Phone:	(517) 832-5555
Fax:	(517) 832-5560
E-mail:	meier@mmi.org

Center Evaluator: Dr. Teresa Behrens
504 West Hoover
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone:	(313) 769-4677
Fax:	(313) 332-0774
E-mail:	tbehrens@ix.netcom.com

NSF 93-97m (rev. 7/96)





Polymer Interfaces Center (PIC)

Lehigh University

Better understanding of the polymer-substrate interphase will lead to design
of advanced polymers

Center Mission and Rationale
The Polymer Interfaces Center (PIC) aims to develop a molecular-level
understanding of the structural, dynamic, kinetic, and energetic
characteristics of the interphase region between polymers and substrates while
also developing versatile methodologies to characterize the interphase region.
Interfacial research at the Center includes such topics as adsorption,
desorption, dynamic wetting, adhesion, charge transfer, transport (including
polymers into polymers), miscibility, and compatibility. PIC selects model
polymers, model substrates, and research goals that are of interest to its
industrial members. The Center's ultimate goal is to generate a scientific
database to assist in designing advanced polymers for such diverse
applications as lubricants, water treatment, secondary oil recovery, coatings,
inks, adhesives, and engineering plastics.

The mission of the Center is to --

*       Stimulate multidisciplinary research on polymer interfaces

*       Enhance collaborative industry/university research

*       Educate and develop students, scientists, and faculty

*       Disseminate its research findings.

The Center's diversity is also exemplified in its sponsorship. Industrial
members are drawn from a broad spectrum of polymer-dependent industries
including many of the leading companies in the chemical processing, petroleum,
aerospace, and consumer products industries.

Research Program
The Center is interdisciplinary and includes faculty from five academic
departments: chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science and
engineering, mechanical engineering and mechanics, and physics. Research
scientists from two research institutes at Lehigh University also participate
in the Center's research. The current research effort is divided into three
theme areas:

*       Polymer Adsorption/Characterization -- Investigators are elucidating
the detailed processes by which non-ionic and ionic water-soluble polymers
adsorb and desorb from water onto colloidal and planar surfaces such as
polystyrene, TiO2, and silica.

*       Wetting/Adhesion -- Using industrially important metal and plastic
surfaces, researchers in this area investigate the fundamentals of wetting and
adhesion and the means of varying these processes by altering the molecular
structure at the interface.

*       Mechanical Behavior of Polymer Systems -- PIC researchers examine the
mechanical behavior of polymer systems that innately contain interphase
regions or are purposely modified to incorporate interphases. Selected
projects include investigations of film formation, "toughening" mechanisms and
fatigue resistance in plastics that are modified with rubbery and/or glassy
inclusions, and development of molecular/micro-models for fracture in
composites.

Special Center Activities
Using state-of-the-art instrumentation, PIC is developing methodologies to
characterize the interphase region between polymers and substrates. The Center
has already transferred information on the following methodologies to its
member companies --

*       "Serum Replacement Technique" and "Frontal Adsorption-Desorption
Chromatography in a Fixed Bed," to obtain adsorption isotherms for model
polymers and substrates

*       "Spin-Lattice Relaxation Times by Liquid-State NMR," to detail the
population of train, loop, and end conformations in adsorbed polymers

*       "Contact Angle" measurements at various temperatures and with small
probe molecules on model surfaces to characterize the number of acidic and
basic sites and their adsorption enthalpies, which relate to receptivity
toward adherents

*       Treatment of "Instron Tensile Strength" data to estimate the degree of
interfacial diffusion vs. cross-linking and toughness of films formed from
latex

*       "Drop Mass Technique," to measure dynamic surface tension in aqueous
systems.

PIC also is developing novel instruments and methodologies to characterize
interphase behavior. Current projects include --

*       "Total Internal Reflectance Fluorescence Apparatus," utilizing the
evanescent wave, to characterize chain conformation of fluorescently tagged
polymers viewed through substrates that are transparent to laser light

*       "MoirŽ Interferometry," to provide information for detailed in-situ
analysis of the strain field near a model sample prepared with a controlled
crack

*       "Dental Burr-Submicron Grinding Instrument" to quantify fracture and
toughness in test polymer systems.

The Center's long-term projects include developing fundamental insights on
polymer-structure behavior that should assist its industrial members in
developing improved products. Through dynamic light-scattering studies, PIC
has established that once certain hydrophobe-modified water-soluble polymers
are adsorbed to hydrophobic particle surfaces, they cannot be desorbed by
water washing -- but they readily transfer by collision to nude hydrophobic
surfaces. This finding has implications for colloid stability,
order-of-addition effects, and selection of hydrophobes. Through contact angle
measurements, PIC researchers observed that polar groups in polymers reorient
to or away from the surface to reflect the environment to which they were
exposed. One benefit of this observation could be preconditioning rules to
maximize film adhesion. By activating different toughening mechanisms, PIC has
also observed a toughening synergy in glassy polymers modified with both
rubber and hollow-glass particles. This finding may be useful for designing
improved plastics.

According to Dr. Joyce LaGow, Boeing's company representative to the PIC,
greater understanding has been reached in an important area of manufacturing
within the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group as a result of research in
adhesion carried out at the PIC. The technology involved is in the process of
being transferred to and applied within the company to aid in the solution of
manufacturing problems.

PIC supports research by M.S.- and Ph.D.-degree students in subjects related
to the Center's goals. Students receive degrees from their respective academic
departments, but they also take special courses on polymer interfaces given by
the Center faculty and participate in the multidisciplinary activities of the
Center.

The instrumentation available to PIC includes x-ray photoelectron/Raman/
attenuated total-reflectance infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron/
transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, total internal
reflectance fluorescence, ellipsometry, microcalorimetry, MoirŽ
interferometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, column impregnation
units, serum replacement cells, various mechanical property-test equipment,
atomic-force microscopy, and a surface-forces apparatus.


Center Headquarters

Center Director: Manoj K. Chaudbury
Lehigh University
111 Research Drive
Bethlehem, PA 18015-4732
Phone:	(610) 758-4471
Fax:	(610) 758-5880
E-mail:	mkc4@lehigh.edu


Center Evaluator: Jean Russo
Lehigh University
Center for Social Research
516-520 Brodhead Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Phone:	(610) 758-3803
Fax:	(610) 758-6350
E-mail:	mjr6@lehigh.edu

NSF 93-97n (rev. 7/96)





Biodegradable Polymer Research Center (BPRC)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Biodegradable polymers are an important component of an integrated,
economically viable, and environmentally responsible polymer disposal strategy

Center Mission and Rationale
The Biodegradable Polymer Research Center (BPRC) carries out exploratory and
fundamental research on biodegradable polymers to support the technological
interests of its members. To realize this objective, the BPRC has been
organized to merge expertise in microbial production of polymeric materials,
organic transformations, plastics processing, materials characterization,
biodegradation testing, and environmental impact analysis. BPRC's goals are to
--

*       Develop biodegradable polymers that, when disposed of in biologically
active environments, are completely converted to biological products (biogas,
humic matter, biomass, etc.) within a suitable time period. The biodegradable
polymers as well as degradation products must be environmentally compatible,
causing no deterious effects on the environment.

*        Maintain a research program which is at the forefront of the science
and work in close partnership with industry from project inception to
commercial evaluation.

*       Bring together leading industrial and government scientists to foster
close interactions and rapid transfer of new knowledge, methods, and
technologies between participants.

*       Maintain a strong research team that consists of scientists having a
range of skills within the disciplines of engineering, chemistry, and biology
to effectively accomplish Center research which is, by its nature, highly
interdisciplinary.

*       Educate students within the University in the emerging technology area
of biodegradable plastics. This is accomplished through guided B.S., M.S., and
Ph.D. thesis research and course work in Chemistry, Engineering, and Biology.

*       Educate officials, politicians, and any individuals involved in
creating policy within the state and federal government regarding the
technology which is currently available and in development and which can be
used to reduce the serious problems currently faced in solid waste disposal.

*       Provide leadership in stimulating biodegradable polymer science and
technology within the international community through publications,
presentations at meetings, founding and editing the Journal of Environmental
Polymer Degradation, organization and planning of scientific meetings on
biodegradable materials, and active participation in the Bio/Environmental
Biodegradable Polymer Research Society and the ASTM subcommittee on degradable
polymers.



Research Program
Materials Synthesis

*       Microbial Synthesis of Biopolymers -- Identification of new
microorganisms and fermentation methods to develop novel materials derived
from renewable resources. Microbial nylons, polyesters, polysaccharides and
bioemulsifiers are under investigation.

*       Organic Synthesis -- Synthetic analogues of biopolymers are being
synthesized as models to establish relationships between polymer structure,
morphology, properties, and degradability. Polysaccharide modification to
alter their physical and biological properties. Novel degradable polymers by
classical chemical approaches. Interfacial agents for biodegradable blend
systems.

Processing and Blending

*       Polymer Blends -- The blending of biodegradable components to vary
properties and biodegradability. Single-screw extrusion, twin-screw extrusion,
and solvent mixing are being used to vary phase domain size in order to study
the effects on properties and biodegradability. The effect of miscibility and
blend morphology on biodegradability is being studied.

*       Processing -- Sheet and blown film extrusion and co-extrusion,
extrusion coating, injection molding, compression molding, and solvent
casting. Reactive processing of blends and hydrogels. Processing of
polysaccharides.

Characterization and Modeling

*       Measurements and effects of crystallinity, orientation, and stress on
biodegradation

*       Sorption, diffusion, and surface analysis and relationships to
biodegradability

*       Control and prediction of molecular weight and effects on
biodegradability.

Degradation Testing and Environmental Engineering

*       In-Lab Accelerated Simulations -- Controlled aerobic (compost
conditions) and anaerobic (optimized landfill conditions) bioreactors are used
to evaluate plastic degradation kinetics. The effect of environmental
parameters on the biodegradation kinetics. Providing the ASTM with Lowell
testing procedures for the development of standard methods. Participation with
other ASTM members in the evaluation of present ASTM degradation testing
protocols.

*        Microbial Isolates -- Isolation of microorganisms active in
environmental polymer degradation. Purification and characterization of
enzymes active in polymer degradation. Determination of polymer degradation
kinetics and the products formed using pure cultures and enzymes.

*       Environmental Engineering -- A program that seeks to integrate current
and experimental methods in solid waste management where plastics are viewed
as a potentially degradable component of the municipal solid waste stream.


Center Headquarters

Center Co-Director: Dr. Stephen McCarthy
Professor, Plastics Engineering
Univ. of Mass.-Lowell
Lowell, MA 01854
Phone:	(508) 934-3417
Fax:	(508) 934-3065
E-Mail:	mccarthy@cae.uml.edu

Center Co-Director: Dr. Richard Gross
Professor, Chemistry Dept.
Univ. of Mass. -Lowell
Lowell, MA 01854
Phone:	(508) 934-3676
Fax:	(508) 934-3037
E-Mail:	grossr@woods.uml.edu

Center Evaluator: Dr. Michael Best
Professor, Management College
University of Mass.-Lowell
Lowell, MA 01854
Phone:	(508) 934-2726

NSF 93-97o (rev. 7/96)





Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM)
University of New Mexico, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, New
Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Mexico Highlands University

Understanding the chemistry of synthesis and processing of ceramic materials
on a molecular or near-molecular level results in new technology of industrial
significance

Center Mission and Rationale
The rapid development of the electronics industry has created a demand for new
and improved ceramic and related materials with useful electronic and magnetic
properties. In addition, the excellent thermal, strength and chemical
resistance properties of ceramics have promoted the development of new,
high-performance materials for structural and protective coating applications.
An increasing demand for ceramic materials is expected to continue well into
the next century. The mission of the Center for Micro-Engineered Materials
(CMEM) is to develop new technologies to make the United States more
competitive in ceramic science and engineering, and to transfer these
technologies to industry.

To meet the demand for new and improved ceramic materials, the Center combines
the technical resources of the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Sandia and
Los Alamos National Laboratories (SNL and LANL). The Center's principal
research thrusts are the chemical synthesis and chemical processing of
ceramics into powders, thin films, coatings, microporous membranes, composite
structures and monolithic ceramics. The national laboratories provide
complementary expertise in the areas of structural ceramics, high-temperature
superconductors, microwave sintering (SNL), and electronic ceramics and
glasses (SNL). Interactions with other New Mexico universities and the Air
Force Materials Directorate are also key components of the Center's research
program. Access to the specialized facilities of the national laboratories and
the synergy between Center and national laboratory researchers contributes
significantly to the success of the Center.

Research Program
The Center's research program concentrates on five technical areas:

*       Aerosol Generation of Submicron Powders --The Center has pioneered the
study of the generation of submicron powders via aerosol decomposition of
powder precursors. Initial emphasis has been on metal oxide ceramic systems
such as mullite and metal titanates for structural and electronic
applications. Aerosol routes to non-oxide ceramics, such as boron nitride,
also are being studied. The results from the aerosol research study are
directly applicable to the manufacture of inorganic pigments, a major
industrial activity. The results also lead to improved processing techniques
for the formation of useful ceramic products for both structural and
electronic applications.

        In order to increase the rate of powder generation, the Center has
        developed a pilot-plant-scale reactor and a reactor modeling program.
        Advantages of aerosol routes to powder synthesis include:

--Low raw material costs

--Control of particle size and morphology

--No formation of hard agglomerates

--Control of Powder Stoichiometry

--Continuous Processing

--No post-processing (milling) required.

*       Porous Materials -- Porous ceramics are being developed for a variety
of important industrial applications, including:

--Low-density thermal insulation with small pores

--Separation substrates with controlled microstructure and surface chemistry

--Low-density structural materials with variable pore size

--Low-dielectric-loss substrates and coatings with ordered microstructures

        The Center's exceptional capabilities for in-situ characterization of
        porous materials have been used to study and characterize: (1) ambient
        pressure  aerogels for thermal insulation, (2) imogolite, a tubular
        aluminosilicate with ordered pores, and (3) amorphous metal oxide
        films and solids made from metal-organic precursors.

*       Chemical Precursors to Ceramics--Center researchers use their skills
in inorganic synthesis to prepare new families of ceramic precursor materials.
These precursors allow production of new ceramic physical forms and/or phases
with a number of industrial applications. Kinetic, rather than thermodynamic,
control is used to develop low-temperature processes to new ceramic phases of
commercial significance, including:

-- Polymeric boron nitride precursors for coatings and interface modification

-- Mixed-metal alkoxides to produce novel electronic and optical materials

-- Electrochemical synthesis of aluminum nitride for micro-electronics
packaging

        Center and SNL researchers are conducting pioneering research programs
        leading to a fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of
        sol-gel synthesis and processing. A direct result of these studies has
        been the development of a number of important industrial applications
        of sol-gel processing and synthesis. These include:

-- Microelectronics packaging materials

-- Hermetic seals

-- Corrosion and thermal barriers

-- Membranes for gas separations

-- Monolithic ceramics for nonlinear optics

-- Highly selective catalyst supports

-- Optical coatings

-- Thermal insulation.

A major scientific breakthrough has the potential to lead to a cost-effective
ambient temperature and pressure route to aerogel insulation containing almost
99% porosity.

*       Advanced Processing Technologies--New advanced technologies for
processing ceramic and ceramic precursor materials are being developed.
Research areas include microwave processing, colloidal processing,
supercritical fluid powder processing, and polymer gel casting of ceramic
green bodies.

        Pioneering research on microwave interactions with ceramic materials
        continues to provide new insight on the way microwaves interact with
        oxide materials. A key result has been the development of a theory
        that explains microwave drying, sintering, and thermal runaway. This
        collaborative (with LANL) experimental and theoretical research
        project demonstrates the value of the Center's multi-disciplinary
        approach to research.

*       Vapor Phase Synthesis of Materials -- The Center has initiated a major
new research program in the area of vapor phase synthesis of materials.
Several of the Center's key researchers have pioneered the use of vapor
deposition techniques for making thin films, coatings, and powders by vapor
deposition. The new vapor phase synthesis program utilizes the skills of these
researchers to prepare new electronic, display, and magnetic materials for
commercial applications.

        The Center has extensive facilities for conducting a full complement
        of vapor phase studies. Center researchers perform materials synthesis
        and processing experiments utilizing chemical vapor deposition (CVD),
        metal-organic CVD (MOCVD), aerosol generation and deposition of thin
        films and powders, high-vacuum sputtering, spray pyrolysis, and plasma
        deposition and etching techniques.

Research Facilities
Center laboratories occupy about 15,000 squa