PERFORMANCE
OF
COMPLETED
PROJECTS
STATUS REPORT
NUMBER 1
NIST SPECIAL PUBLICATION 950-1
Economic Assessment Office
Advanced Technology Program
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
William F. Long
Business Performance Research Associates, Inc.
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
March 1999
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 - Overview of Completed Projects
Characteristics
of the Projects
Timeline of Expected ATP Project
Activities and Impacts
Gains in Technical Knowledge
Dissemination of New Knowledge
Commercialization of the New Technology
Broad-Based Economic Benefits
CHAPTER 2 - Biotechnology
Aastrom
Biosciences, Inc.
Aphios Corporation
Molecular Simulations, Inc.
Thermo Trilogy Corporation
Tissue Engineering, Inc.
CHAPTER 3 - Chemicals and Chemical Processing
BioTraces,
Inc.
CHAPTER 4 - Discrete Manufacturing
Auto Body Consortium
(Joint Venture)
HelpMate Robotics, Inc.
PreAmp Consortium (Joint Venture)
Saginaw Machine Systems, Inc.
CHAPTER 5 - Electronics
Accuwave
Corporation
AstroPower, Inc.
Cree Research, Inc.
Cynosure, Inc.
Diamond Semiconductor Group, LLC
FSI International, Inc.
Galileo Corporation
Hampshire Instruments, Inc. (Joint Venture)
Illinois Superconductor Corporation
Light Age, Inc.
Lucent Technologies, Inc.
Multi-Film Venture (Joint Venture)
Nonvolatile Electronics, Inc.
Spire Corporation
Thomas Electronics, Inc.
CHAPTER 6 - Energy and Environment
American
Superconductor Corporation
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
E.I. duPont de Nemours & Company
Michigan Molecular Institute
CHAPTER 7 - Information, Computers, and Communications
Communication Intelligence
Corporation #1
Communication Intelligence Corporation #2
Engineering Animation, Inc.
ETOM Technologies, Inc.
Mathematical Technologies, Inc.
Torrent Systems, Inc.
CHAPTER 8 - Materials
AlliedSignal, Inc.
Geltech Incorporated
IBM Corporation
APPENDICES
Appendix
A: Development of New Knowledge and Early Commercial Products
and Processes
Appendix
B: Terminated Projects
END NOTES
End Notes
Click here
for PDF version of report.
Return to Main Page.
|
|
Armstrong World
Industries, Inc.
New Materials for New-Generation Thermal Insulation
| Armstrong researchers planned
to investigate the microstructure of insulation material and
the air cells, or pores, within it. The project aimed to learn
how to control the molecular morphology - structure - of the
solid material (to reduce its thermal conductivity), the geometry
and orientation of air cells (to optimize pore morphology),
and the size and distribution of air cells (to reduce the thermal
conductivity of air within a cell). |
Developing Super Insulating
Materials
Though they were not able to fully
achieve their goals, the researchers made important progress in
the development of super insulating materials as a result of their
study of materials with high porosity and of nonspherical pores
that are nanometer in size. The technical work followed two major
tracks: the fabrication of polyethylene and polystyrene foams with
carbon dioxide blowing while attempting explicitly to control the
formation of the air pores, and the development of new process technology
for the synthesis of aerogels for use in insulation products.
The blowing of polyethylene and polystyrene
foams with carbon dioxide entailed substantial challenges in attempting
to optimize the mechanics to achieve the foam without a pressure
drop leading to collapse of air cells. The researchers ran into
problems working with polyethylene and, in addition, concluded that
modification to extruder equipment would be necessary to achieve
success with carbon dioxide as the blowing agent. Both changes raised
production costs. Armstrong subsequently shifted away from polyethylene
to other thermoplastics and began blowing with butane, in addition
to carbon dioxide, but costs could not be lowered enough to justify
commercialization. No patents or papers resulted from this track
of the ATP-sponsored research.
Researchers achieved more technical
success in their work on process technology for the synthesis of
aerogels. The aerogels and xerogels produced by the process have
both a high porosity and small pores; that is, the resulting material
is microporous, with about 25 percent of the pore volume in pores
less than 50 nanometers in diameter. The process also promises to
substantially lower the costs of aerogel production. Armstrong received
three patents for its technical advances in aerogel synthesis.
Company Shifts
At the time the project was awarded,
Armstrong saw the ATP project as providing an opportunity to broaden
the company's capabilities along lines that it otherwise would not
have pursued. By developing new forms of insulation with superior
performance, Armstrong saw the opportunity to broaden its focus
from the technical insulation market (insulation for heating, refrigeration,
plumbing and specialty applications) to the structural insulation
market (insulation for buildings and other large structures). Armstrong
officials expected their first aerogel application to be for rigid
technical insulation, with eventual opportunities in structural
applications.
Later company reorganizations and strategy
shifts changed the company's plans for applying its new technical
know-how. Armstrong officials concluded that - despite the remarkable
insulating properties of the aerogels and the new process technology,
which dramatically reduced production costs - the unit costs were
still too high to penetrate the structural insulation market. The
company's initial excitement over the potential of aerogels for
the structural market dimmed. Armstrong scaled back its estimated
demand for aerogels and decided to procure what it needed through
suppliers rather than produce them in-house.
The company has decided to license
the three aerogel process patents to potential suppliers, and not
to be in the aerogel manufacturing business itself. To the extent
that suppliers who obtain the licenses can use technology to produce
aerogels more cheaply, Armstrong will benefit from its research
in terms of a lower-cost supply. Other buyers may also benefit from
lower-cost aerogels, depending on the specific licensing arrangements
negotiated by the suppliers with Armstrong. Thus far, no licensing
agreements have been achieved. But, according to company officials,
Armstrong stands ready to negotiate licensing agreements for its
aeorogel process technology.
In fall 1996 Armstrong combined, with
another unit, the research unit where the ATP project was carried
out, a consolidation that also entailed personnel changes. The principal
investigator on the ATP project left Armstrong and set up a separate
business that is reportedly working in areas related to the ATP
project. This movement of people who worked on the research project
and the establishment of a new business pursuing related technological
goals may provide yet another possible path of technology diffusion.
Over time, Armstrong's primary interest
has shifted away from the aerogel technology and toward the foam
blowing technology, as indicated by the company's continued involvement
in this area. Here, too, Armstrong's research effort shifted away
from the initial ATP project focus towards techniques and materials
that now are seen to offer more promise of achieving the high-performance
foam insulating products that were the ultimate goal of the ATP-funded
research.
PROJECT:
To develop process technology for a new-generation insulation
material based on controlled morphology (structure) in order
to achieve superior insulating properties and associated energy
savings.
Duration: 8/1/1992 - 7/31/1995
ATP number: 91-01-0025
FUNDING (in thousands)::
| ATP |
$1,868 |
41% |
| Company |
2,650 |
59% |
| Total |
$4,518 |
|
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Armstrong researchers performed research in two major areas:
process technology for aerogels and carbon dioxide blowing of
polyethylene foams. The company received three patents for technologies
related to the ATP project:
- "Preparation of High Porosity
Xerogels by Chemical Surface Modification" (No. 5,565,142:
filed 4/28/1993, granted 10/15/1996);
- "Thermally Insulative, Microporous
Xerogels and Aerogels" (No. 5,525,643: filed 7/28/1995,
granted 6/11/1996); and
- "Wet Silica Gels for Aerogel
and Xerogel Insulation and Processes for the Wet Gels" (No.
5,762,829: filed 3/5/1997, granted 6/9/1998).
COMMERCIALIZATION STATUS:
Armstrong has decided to license its low-cost aerogel synthesis
patents to suppliers, rather than to manufacture aerogels
directly, but the licensing has not yet occurred.
OUTLOOK:
Despite extremely good insulating properties of the aerogels
and lowered processing costs, early applications of the aerogel
are expected to be limited to niche markets, such as rigid technical
insulation for heating, refrigeration and plumbing, or to speciality
applications such as superconductivity insulation. Even with
lowered costs, the aerogels do not at this time appear to be
cost-competitive with conventional insulation materials for
structural applications. Armstrong is continuing its research
on the use of carbon dioxide foaming of thermoplastics, and
this approach may hold promise for the future.
COMPANY:
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Innovation Center
2500 Columbia Ave.
Lancaster, PA 17603
Contact: Stephen C. Davis
Phone: (717) 396-5643 |
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Date created: March
1999
Last updated:
April 12, 2005
|
