Award Data

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the most rapidly growing waste problems worldwide. More than 13 billion pounds of e-waste plastics are expected to be produced during the next decade from computer e-waste alone. Many of these electronic components are constructed of valuable engineered plastics. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that recycling is the preferred ...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons represent the most prevalent contaminants in the subsurface, threatening the quality of groundwater at aquifers. Existing technologies for monitoring these contaminants require expensive, labor-intensive methods of sample collection and analysis. The goal of this Phase I research project is to develop a low-cost, compact, reliable, automated, unattended, and long-term mo ...

Conventional cement based construction materials such as stucco and concrete are prone to cracking with poor thermal insulation, and are very permeable to water. Repair of deteriorated cement based structures is a major problem, and in United States alone repair cost is estimated to be over $100 billion range. Commercial stuccos are susceptible to cracking under the influenced of repeated fluctu ...

The goal of this Phase I research project is to investigate the feasibility and commercial potential of using the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP™) as a low-temperature sterilization process for medical equipment. Current sterilization technologies that pose a risk to health care workers and the environment are being phased out of use (e.g., ethylene oxide steril ...

During this Phase I research project, MER Corporation will investigate the effects of recycled polymers on cement-based materials, particularly the effects on mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and stability to water and air. Conventional construction materials based on cement usually are poor thermal insulators and very permeable to water. The latter properties have been imp ...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons represent the most prevalent contaminants in the subsurface, threatening the quality of groundwater at aquifers. Existing technologies for monitoring these contaminants require expensive, labor-intensive methods of sample collection and analysis. The goal of this Phase I research project is to develop a low-cost, compact, reliable, automated, unattended, and lo ...

The goal of this Phase I research project is to investigate the feasibility and commercial potential of using the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDPTM) as a low-temperature sterilization process for medical equipment. Current sterilization technologies that pose a risk to health care workers and the environment are being phased out of use (e.g., ethylene oxide sterilization). T ...

Some bioterrorism agents cause disease at very low infective doses and their presence can be masked by the environment. Therefore, ultrasensitive detection is required for homeland defense applications. In this Phase I research project, Operational Technologies Corporation (OpTech) proposes to couple DNA aptamers made by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) proce ...

Some bioterrorism agents cause disease at very low infective doses and their presence can be masked by the environment. Therefore, ultrasensitive detection is required for homeland defense applications. In this Phase I research project, Operational Technologies Corporation (OpTech) proposes to couple DNA aptamers made by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SE ...