Award Data

ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICES, INC. (ECD) HAS DEVELOPED A HIGH PERFORMANCE, THIN FILM GLASS-LIKE COATING (CLEAR COAT (TM)) AND DEPOSITION PROCESS THAT CAN IMPROVE THE BARRIER PROPERTIES OF COMMODITY POLYMER FILMS BY A FACTOR OF 100. THE COATING IS TRANSPARENT, COLORLESS, NONTOXIC, LOW COST AND DOES NOT EFFECT THE RECYCLABILITY OF THE POLYMER FILM. PILOT-SCALE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PERFORMANCE FILMS WITH ...

There is a continuing need for reliable cloud observations to drive climatic UV-B prediction models. Traditionally, observations such as cloud cover are made by human observers, and thus often suffer from uncertainties due to the subjectivity of the observer. Cloud cover data is especially important in UV-B hazard prediction, as well as storm prediction. It is generally accepted that UV-B doses ...

The proposed project would lead to the development of a low cost ($10-20,000) solar ultraviolet-B radiation instrument capable of measuring the narrowband direct, diffuse and global solar spectral radiation in the 300-368 nm wavelength range. This new instrument is an extension of the well-proven multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer and would substantially improve the existing measurement o ...

RESEARCH ON A NOVEL MEANS OF REMOVING BRAN AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS FROM WHEAT FLOUR, BASED ON ADVANCED ENERGY DYNAMIC'S UFC SYSTEM, A DRY, ELECTROSTATIC POWDER CLEANING SYSTEM, IS PROPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: (1) RECOVERY OF ADDITIONAL PATENT-GRADE FLOUR (ORDINARY BAKING FLOUR) AND FIRST CLEAR FLOUR (USED TO MAKE RYE BREAD AND HARD ROLLS) FROM THE BYPRODUCT AND ANIMAL FEED STREAMS ...

Past applications of wood fibers in cement-based materials have been limited to the specialty market of thin cement panels. Synthetic fibers have recently gained tremendous popularity as secondary reinforcement in conventional concrete for shrinkage crack control. Concrete reinforcing fibers should provide high levels of slenderness ratio, elastic modulus, tensile and bond strengths, and finenes ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project envisages new thermoset coating materials derived from lesquerella oil. The proposed research will result in the creation of markets for lesquerella oil and wil assist the USDA efforts to replace imported castor oil with domestically produced lesquerella oil. Bench-scale investigations of lesquerella oil modification will focus on addition ...

There is a need for a simple, cost-effective procedure for making accurate estimates of crop residue in agricultural fields. The objectives of this Phase I effort is to conduct the research required to design a light-weight, affordable hand-held spectral radiometer and associated spectral algorithm for quickly making field estimates of percent crop residue cover. The specific tasks that will be ...

A WATER-BONE, CELLULOSIC BASED FORMULATION IS PROPOSED WHICH PROMISES TO SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE THE STATE OF THE ART OF NON-TOXIC ANTIFOULING PAINTS. THE NOVEL COMPOSITION CONTAINS NO TOXIC INGREDIENTS, NOR ANY VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC). THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO ATTRACTIVE SINCE IT INVOLVES ONLY ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN COMPONENTS, WILL BE EASY TO APPLY, AND WILL BE OF LOW COST.

THIS PROJECT WILL SEEK TO IDENTIFY ENTOMOPATHOGENIC ORGANISMS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING INFESTATIONS OF SOIL-BORNE INSECT PESTS AND TO PROVIDE DELIVERY SYSTEMS WHICH ENSURE THEIR FIELD EFFICACY. ECOSCIENCE WILL BUILD ONPREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH CORN ROOTWORM (CRW) AS A MODEL SOILPEST FOR THESE STUDIES, AMPLIFYING OUR COLLECTION OF ORGANISMS PATHOGENIC TO CRW, WITH ISOLATES CAPABLE OF SUSTAI ...

Nitrate contamination of water is a national problem with direct impact on farmers and rural communities. High nitrate content in potable and animal feed water affects quality of life for humans and threatens productivity from livestock. Existing nitrate determination methods have a number of drawbacks: 1) lack of sensitivity, 2) inclusion of toxic reagents, and/or 3) difficulty of interpretati ...