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WELD STAR TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Address

610 Jennifer Drive
Auburn, AL, 36830
USA

UEI: N/A

Number of Employees: 4

HUBZone Owned: No

Woman Owned: Yes

Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No

SBIR/STTR Involvement

Year of first award: 1994

Phase I Awards

Phase II Awards

37.5%

Conversion Rate

$649,974

Phase I Dollars

$2,250,000

Phase II Dollars

$2,899,974

Total Awarded

Awards

Up to 10 of the most recent awards are being displayed. To view all of this company's awards, visit the Award Data search page.

Passive Sensor for the Detection of Hydrazine Leaks in Missile Canisters

Amount: $750,000 Topic: BMDO02-003

The objective of this Phase II project is to complete the research required to deliver to the THAAD program for military qualification testing a low cost, easy to use, passive, nonreversible, MEMs based, chemiresistor sensor for the detection of hydrazine in missile canisters. The Air Force has set the maximum exposure limit to hydrazine at 10 ppb for an 8-hour period. A hydrazine sensor is needed to protect personnel from hydrazine leaks and insure the readiness of the THAAD missile. Seventy-five sensors were fabricated under the successful Phase I research effort. The sensor was demonstrated to be able to detect as little as 2 ppb to hundreds of ppm hydrazine with a rapid response time of less than a second. No degradation in the sensor response after 90 days of storage was measured. The sensor delivered for qualification testing will be capable of operating in two modes: 1) a storage monitoring mode where the sensor will monitor long-term levels of hydrazine to insure the integrity of the THAAD missile system and 2) an alarm mode to provide an instantaneous warning that a leak has occurred that could potentially endanger personnel.

SBIR

Phase II

2004

DOW

MDA

SBIR Phase I: Rapid Detection of Infectious Agents

Amount: $100,000

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a biosensor for the rapid detection of infectious agents such as pathogenic bacteria. The key technology in the proposed work is the use of magnetostrictive materials, which when exposed to a time varying magnetic field, can be made to resonant at a characteristic frequency. The resultant oscillation amplitudes can be monitored by a pick up coil. The commercial application of this project will be in a number of areas, including the detection of biological warfare agents, bacterial infections in hospitals, and contaminations in food and water supplies.

SBIR

Phase I

2004

NSF

Phage Derived Receptor Scaffold

Amount: $100,000

The risk of biological terrorism is significant because of the high potency, widespread availability, and ease of dissemination of some biological threat agents. The earliest recognition of a bioterrorist attack may be indicated only by the clinical manifestation of the intended disease which, in some cases, can take days to weeks to present itself. Furthermore, laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis requires additional time. Despite the rapid advances in the development of identification methods such as fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), sensors that continuously monitor for the first signs of exposure to biological threat agents are needed. Any monitoring device for the detection of biological threat agents requires a scaffolding probe as part of the sensing platform that is capable of binding the target agent. Many of the currently proposed monitoring devices utilize antibodies as the molecular recognition probe. A good antibody may be very selective in targeting a particular antigen; however, an antibody is a relatively fragile species whose binding characteristics rapidly degrade when exposed to unfavorable environments. Antibodies require affinity purification and stabilization for use as a scaffolding probe which significantly increases their cost. A stable, reproducible and inexpensive alternative to antibodies for use as a molecular recognition probe is needed. Phage possess many of the desirable features of antibodies and have been shown to serve as a substitute for antibodies by binding soluble and cell-displayed antigens and receptors. Phage may exhibit high affinity, increased specificity and selectivity, long term stability as well as enhanced robustness compared with antibodies. In this Phase I effort, a phage derived probe for spores of B. anthracis will be investigated and compared with commercially available antibodies with respect to its ability to serve as a receptor scaffold on a biosensor platform. Techniques for the immobilization of the phage derived probe onto a unique sensing platform will also be examined in a parallel effort.

SBIR

Phase I

2004

DHS

Rocket Nozzle HfC Coatings and Structural Foams from Polymer Precursors

Amount: $70,000

Innovative manufacturing processes to fabricate non-eroding rocket nozzles are fundamental technologies that could revolutionize nearly all core missions of the Missile Defense Agency. Coatings to protect graphite and C-C composite materials from erosionhave had limited success due to the high costs and inhomogenities in the structure and composition of the coatings produced using traditional plasma spray and chemical vapor deposition techniques. An innovative, low cost manufacturing process is proposedto produce HfC coatings and structural foam. A mixture of Hf and C containing polymer precursors are painted onto a graphite surface (C-C rocket nozzle for instance). The precursors after drying are then pyrolyzed at an intermediate temperature(1200-1400Â¿C) forming a HfC coating. Coatings made by this process are uniform in composition, show no presence of hafnium oxides, have excellent adhesion, exhibit no cracking and have good thermal shock resistance. Alternately the Hf containing polymercan be mixed with a C containing polymer and cast into shape using a mold. Upon pyrolysis a HfC structural foam is produced. The objective of this Phase I proposal is to establish proof-in-principal that usable HfC coatings and foams may be producedusing this innovative technique. This revolutionary manufacturing process would be used commercially to produce HfC coatings for the high temperature protection of automobile turbochargers/superchargers, electric power generation system steam turbinesand valve sealing surfaces for chemical and high temperature processing applications.

SBIR

Phase I

2003

DOW

MDA

Passive Sensor for the Detection of Hydrazine Leaks in Missile Canisters

Amount: $70,000

Hydrazine is a widely used missile propellant that is highly toxic to humans in low exposures. The maximum exposure limit is 10ppb over an 8 hour time period. To insure the readiness of BMDO missiles and the safety of personnel during missile transportand storage, it is desired to monitor the interior of missile storage canisters for hydrazine leakage. Commercially available hydrazine sensors are either to bulky, draw excessive continuous current or have inadequate operational life to meet expectedlife cycle times of BMDO missiles. The objective of this proposal is to develop a conductive polymer based, passive MEMs sensor that does not draw continuous power, lasts five years, is small in size, and has a hydrazine sensitivity of a few ppb.Hydrazine and its methyl derivatives are used extensively in rocket propulsion (NASA and DOD) and commercially in the electric power industry as an oxygen scavenging anticorrosive agent. Hydrazine is also used in the synthesis of drugs, fertilizers andpolymers. A detector with ppb detection levels would greatly improve the safety of workers from accidental hydrazine leaks.

SBIR

Phase I

2002

DOW

MDA

Handheld Sensing Device for Pathogenic Detection

Amount: $70,000

Existing technologies of biological sensing and radio frequency communications developed at Weld Star Technology will be applied to improve the safety of human habitation in space. The innovative sensors for pathogenic biological species possess high sensitivity, selectivity and short response time. This technology is based on the acoustic wave sensor approach and its feasibility has already been demonstrated. The ability to use this technology to monitor the environmental conditions of the cabin water and air with high precision would greatly enhance the safety of astronauts. Phase I of the proposed SBIR project will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating the available sensor with a portable battery powered data acquisition/analysis unit to form a handheld device to determine the concentration of a specific pathogen in recycled water/air. Emphasis will be to design the circuitry, software and power system that will enable a pass/fail decision. Phase II will be devoted to the development of a multi-sensor unit and a RF communication system that will permit remote communication between the handheld unit and a base station. This project will use the conditions aboard the ISS as a model, but is applicable to all space habitats where long term safety of the crew is important.

SBIR

Phase I

2002

NASA

Innovative Processing of HfC Coating using Hf-Containing Polymers

Amount: $64,981

Refractory metal carbide coatings are important in high temperature applications by offering corrosion protection of the high temperature components. Traditional methods of producing such coatings are expensive and complex. A low temperature polymericbased process to fabricate HfC with low oxygen impurity and high yield is now ready for assessment for coating applications. The attributes of this approach are low cost, ease of control and low temperature. The emphasis of the proposed SBIR research(Phase I) is to extend the basic understanding of this polymer based approach to determine the feasibility of applying this technique to fabricate high purity HfC coatings on high temperature components, while maintaining the attributes of low cost andease of fabrication. Poco graphite was selected for the Phase I study due to its well characterized structure and commercial importance. We will demonstrate the feasibility of producing a uniform 25-micron thick HfC coating infiltrated onto porousgraphite using the processing schemes developed. The proposed Phase I will include one level of iteration for process optimization based on a correlation of microstructure with processing parameter. The resulting specimens will be assessed quantitativelyusing appropriate microstructure characterization techniques. One of the intended applications is for rocket nozzle and hot-gas valve components.Dual use applications include coatings on high temperature components for energy production systems such asturbines and compressors, aerospace systems such as thermal and oxygen barriers for reentry protection, automobile industry such as turbochargers and high temperature valves.

SBIR

Phase I

2001

DOW

MDA

Early Warning Health Monitoring System for Missiles

Amount: $750,000

Currently, the measurement of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, shock and vibration are used to monitor the integrity of stored missile and associated electronic support equipment. Unfortunately, it is generally a complex combination of these environmental parameters, accumulated over an extended period of time, that leads to deterioration in the performance of equipment. We propose a missile health monitoring system (which in addition to measuring temperature, humidity and shock) uses "early warning" modules (independent of the missile) to assess the degradation in performance of key missile components due to the combined affects of environmental exposure. This system will utilize an ultra-low-power, military-qualified, munitions-safe transceiver system to transmit data and receive commands. This communications unit will be capable of supporting interrogation and alarm modes of operation with the health monitoring system. Results from the accelerated testing of an "early warning optics module" are presented to demonstrate feasibility of the concept. Commercial applications include early indication of failure in critical medical and electrical systems such as heart pacemakers and electric power generation systems. Additionally, the system may be used to remotely monitor the health of infrastructure such as pipelines, bridges, tunnels and nuclear reactors that may be damaged by natural disasters.

SBIR

Phase II

1998

DOW

ARMY

Early Warning Health Monitoring System for Missiles

Amount: $100,000

SBIR

Phase I

1997

DOW

ARMY

A LOW COST INFRARED SENSOR BASED SYSTEM FOR ROBOTIC WELDING

Amount: $750,000

NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING, IDENTIFICATION, AND REPAIR OF WELD DEFECTS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED TO CONSUME AS MUCH AS 25% OF THE TOTAL WELD PRODUCTION COST IN PIPELINES, SHIP FABRICATION, AND POWER GENERATING SYSTEMS. INFRARED SENSOR CONTROLLED WELDING SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT WOULD GREATLY REDUCE OR ELIMINATE EXPENSIVE, AFTER-THE-FACT NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING AND WELD REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE COST OF THESE SYSTEMS HAS BEEN WELL OVER $60,000, AND HENCE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS NOT OCCURRED. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN INFRARED SENSOR-BASED SYSTEM FOR WELD PROCESS CONTROL THAT IS NEARLY AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE CHEAPER THAN CURRENT SYSTEMS. THIS COST WOULD PLACE THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY WELL WITHIN THE REACH OF PIPELINE, SHIP, AND HEAT TRANSFER PIPING FABRICATORS. THE LARGE COST REDUCTION IS DUE TO DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW LOW COST INFRARED SENSOR HEAD. IN PHASE I, PROTOTYPE SENSOR HEADS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND TESTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY OF THE NEW SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY WELD PERTURBATIONS WHICH OCCUR DURING COMMERCIAL, LARGE SCALE WELDING OPERATIONS. THE ABILITY OF THE INFRARED SENSORS TO IDENTIFY VARYING DEPTHS OF WELD PENETRATION AND WELD MICROSTRUCTURE (MECHANICAL PROPERTIES) WILL BE TESTED. SENSOR SYSTEM SENSITIVITY, RESPONSE, AND ROBUSTNESS WILL BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE APPLICABILITY OF THE DEVICE TO CONTROLLING THE WELDING PROCESS IN A HARSH WELDING ENVIRONMENT. BASED UPON THE SUCCESSFUL TESTING OF THE SENSOR SYSTEM, PHASE II RESEARCH WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE INFRARED SENSOR-BASED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ROBOTIC WELDING.

SBIR

Phase II

1995

DOE