Award Data

CONTAMINATION OF THE NATION'S DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES BY HAZARDOUS, SYNTHETIC VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (VOCS) IS BECOMING A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS OF GREAT CONCERN WITH RESPECT TO CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER. GROUNDWATER IS THESOURCE OF DRINKING WATER FOR ABOUT HALF THE NATION. THE EPAESTIMATES THAT UP TO 20% OF THE DRINKING WATER THAT COMES FROM GORUNDWATER CONTAINS VOCS. METHODS FOR ...

METALS AND METAL COMPLEXES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MANY INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES. DUE TO THE WIDESPREAD AND LARGE-SCALEUSE OF METALS, MONITORING THEIR PRESENCE IN WASTE STREAMS AND CONTROLLING THEIR LEVELS OF DISCHARGE INTO THE ENVIRON-MENT ARE DIFFICULT AND COSTLY TASKS--TASKS THAT ARE ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT GIVEN THE TOXICITY OF MANY COMMONLY USED METALS. CURRENTLY AVAILABLE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY FOR ...

VAST QUANTITIES OF INDUSTRIAL ACIDS, BASES, PROCESSING SOLUTIONS, AND SLUDGES CONTAIN HEAVY METALS. THESE ARE OFTEN HAZARDOUS, AND IF LEFT UNREGULATED, PRESENT A SERIOUS THREAT TO GROUNDWATER AND THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR TREATING INDUSTRIAL WASTES ARE TYPICALLY INADEQUATE AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. NEW METHODS ARE CLEARLY NEEDED FOR REMOVING TOXIC METALS FROM PROCESS S ...

SAFE, COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO CHLORINE TREATMENT OF DRINKING WATER FOR DISTRIBUTION AND DISINFECTION HAVE BEEN SOUGHT FOR SOME TIME. CHLORINE DIOXIDE IS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO CHLORINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF EVEN POOR QUALITY WATER SUPPLIES AND THE REDUCTION OF POTENTIAL CANCER CAUSING CHLORINATED ORGANICS. ITS WIDESPREAD USE HAS BEEN INHIBITED BY THE COSTS AND/OR COMPLEXITY OF ITS PRODUCTIO ...

THERE ARE NUMEROUS INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES REQUIRING THAT MATERIAL BE HEATED AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY COOLED. IF MOST OF THIS HEAT IS RECOVERED AND RECYCLED TO THE OVEN, THE NET POWER INPUT TO THE OVEN COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED. THE KEY TO ACCOMPLISHING THIS IS AN INCREASE OF THE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT BETWEEN GAS AND MATERIAL SO THAT THE HEAT EXCHANGERS ARE RESASONABLY COMPACT. SIMPLE EXPERIMEN ...

A wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence detector working in soft x-ray region has been proposed based on the diffraction principles. The detector uses graded multilayers as analyzers and large area detectors for data collection to achieve good energy resolution and to avoid count rate problems encountered by solid state detectors. Furthermore, the detector will be tunable in a wide energy regio ...

As magnetic thin-film systems became part of complex industrial applications, their composition increasingly became more complicated. A means is needed to efficiently develop and systematically characterized magnetic, electronic, and mechanical properties of advanced thin-film systems. New metrological systems are required that are capable of making on-wafer measurements on large number of sites o ...

We propose to develop a robust PSL syntax based on XML and RDF that will further its role as an interlingua among various process modeling languages. In addition, we will develop the next-generation translator-generator system based on this format to automate the software development process of process-centric translation across applications and formats. One of today's greatest challenges to succe ...

This project seeks proof-of-concept and prototype demonstration of a high-spatial resolution, high-sensitivity, rapid in-vitro dosimeter system for calibration and dose measurements of brachytherapy radiation sources. The present innovation utilizes the high sensitivity of Pulsed Optically Stimulated Luminescence (POSL) from Al2O3:C proprietary luminescence materials, coupled to a fiber optic deli ...

A novel, environmentally benign antimicrobial surface modification based on immobilized quaternary ammonium-functionalized dendrimers is proposed for the prevention of biofilm formation. Dendrimers are unique nanomaterials that have attracted attention as possible antimicrobial agents due to their compact structure, high local charge density of functional surface groups, unique carrier properties, ...