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NEWSLETTER, October 16, 2009

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Industry Trends & Events . . .

EPA Develops Nano Risk Assessment Strategy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a coordinated strategy for researching how nanotechnology affects both the environment and human health. The purpose of the effort is to understand not just the risks involved but also the potential for nanomaterials to remediate toxic waste in the environment. The strategy includes efforts to identify sources, track their transport, and develop approaches to prevent or manage risk. The goal is to understand what materials and nanoscale properties are cause for concern, whether such materials are likely to accumulate in sufficient concentrations to be problematic, and, most important of all, what to do if any of those problems arise.

Spotlight On . . .

Multi-layer Fluidic ManifoldsALine, Inc.
ALine's precision laser cut and laminate bonding capabilities support complex multi-layer manifolds fabricated from high quality optical and biocompatible acrylics.
We offer a cost effective alternative to diffusion bonded devices where disposability and low cost prototyping is desired. Scalable to 100,000 devices per year.

A Leading Manufacturer of CarbonNanotubesBayer MaterialScience LLC.
Baytubes® multi-walled carbon nanotubes are typically used as additives to a polymer matrix or in metal systems, imparting improved mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. They are also used in epoxy, thermoplastic, and coating systems. Applications include sports equipment; construction and alternative energy. Baytubes are EPA-approved and TSCA-listed.

New Die Design for Nano-fibers . . .
Breakthrough in Nano Fiber Production Arthur G. Russell
AGR and NTI developed a New Die Design used in conjunction with inexpensive Polymers. The die is made of stainless steel to resist higher pressures, temperatures, and corrosion. Each orifice has a polished surface to resist polymer degradation and provide longer life between die cleanings. This makes it possible to produce nano-fibers in large quantity from relatively inexpensive materials such as PET. This creates the possibility of incorporating nano-fibers into numerous applications.

Research & Development . . .
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CNT Friction Phenomenon
A carbon nanotube (CNT) sliding transversely experiences double the frictional force of one sliding axially, say researchers. The team dragged the tip of an atomic force microscope cantilever along multiwalled CNTs grown on a substrate to assess the effect. The phenomenon could be leveraged to position CNTs or to sort them by chirality.

Gold Contacts Up Nanorod Conductance
Growing a layer of gold on the tips of cadmium selenide nanorods increases their conductance by six orders of magnitude, say Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory scientists. Deposited directly from solution, the gold contacts reduce the conduction interface barrier by 75% compared to bare rods. The group credits the growth method with the enhanced performance.

Materials & Structured Products . . .
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Graphene Gets Busy
Combining DNA and graphene could yield highly precise biosensors. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers tagged single-stranded DNA with fluorescent markers that brightened when the structure bonded with a complementary strand. Applications could include cancer diagnostics or biohazard detection. Meanwhile, a different group at the lab improved the performance of lithium-ion batteries by adding graphene to the electrodes.

Catalyst Holds Key to CNT Purity
Most synthesis techniques for making carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produce mixtures of CNT types rather than the pure single-walled CNTs required by many applications. Now, Case Western Reserve University researchers have shown that adjusting the composition of the catalysts used in the manufacturing process can control the types of nanotubes produced. The group used a gas-phase synthesis with atmospheric-pressure microplasma to fabricate nearly pure samples.

Accent On . . .

Hydroxyl (OH) Functionalized CarbonNanotubesCheap Tubes, Inc.
Cheap Tubes' Functionalized SWNTs and MWNTs are available with Hydroxyl (OH) or Carboxyl (COOH) functional groups bonded to the ends and sidewalls of the CNTs. Please note — OH SWNTs and OH MWNTs have primarily OH functional groups whereas the COOH SWNTs and COOH MWNTs have mostly COOH groups with a small concentration of OH.
MT-100A Microterminal for CPDL/PDL-100ASeriesColby Instruments, Inc.
The Microterminal (MT-100A) provides convenient keypad entry and LCD display for manual control of delay for the Programmable Delay Line PDL-100A, CPDL-100A, and HPDL-100A Series models. The MT-100A allows for convenient operation of the PDL instrument located side-by-side on a work bench.

Devices . . .
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Artificial Pores Provide Entry
An artificial pore can transmit nanoscale materials through a membrane, say University of Cincinnati engineers. The pore consists of a phi29 bacteriophage modified to penetrate lipid proteins. The 3.6- to 6-nm-wide channel in the center of the bacteriophage is wide enough to admit drugs and other therapeutic materials, providing a means to directly target infected cells.

Branched Electrodes Boost Sensor Range
Arrays of nanostructured electrodes yield high-dynamic range sensors, say University of Toronto researchers. The group fabricated highly branched electrodes. When they immobilized nucleic acid probes on the structures, the resultant sensor detected nucleic acids with triple the dynamic range of conventional devices. The technology shows potential for early cancer detection and staging.

Manufacturing & Commercialization . . .
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Nanoscale Ruler Rules
A new nanoscale length standard from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supplies X-ray diffraction researchers with a highly accurate calibration standard. The 25 mm² multilayer silicon chip achieves sub-femtometer accuracy, and is traceable to the standard SI length unit.

Recipe for Hollow Nanoparticles
Adjusting the ratio of precursor materials controls whether nickel phosphide nanoparticles are hollow or solid, North Carolina State University engineers have shown. The group also used synthesis temperature to determine whether the particles were amorphous or crystalline. They believe these techniques can be extended to nanoparticles of other materials.
Focus On . . .

Research and Development

The M&P Lab
The M&P Lab can be a valuable partner for your research and development efforts by serving as an in-house laboratory for testing and evaluation of new materials and products. The complete range of test capabilities available means that a full complement of testing can be performed under one roof.

Nanotech Forms Fabrics of Future
Fabric impregnated with nanoparticles and nanostructures could allow clothing to do everything from regulate heat to monitor vital signs, or so futurists speculate. When used in furnishings, the materials could allow rooms to alter their color, odor, and even texture. Perhaps the wildest possibility is a dress formed of bacterio-cellulose. Talk about far out fashion.

© 2009 GlobalSpec, Inc.

Phase 02: Smart Materials: characteristics, responses, and applications

Assignment 2.2

You will focus on engineered and scientific applications of smart materials and their use as smart products, and on their effects and actions on high performance building envelopes.
The analysis of design, engineering and manufacturing constraints related to emerging materials are to be related to case studies of innovative skin/cladding/surface solutions within an integrated building envelope/assembly of components and systems.

Accordingly to your interests, you will link academic research with the practical experience of fabrication’s methods and techniques, opening up a dialog with the industry and the latest technologies applied to smart materials.
You are expected to contact leading academic figures and researchers in order to share updated information, but also companies and manufacturers to collect material samples and a variety of data on existing and/or future products and architectures.

Particularly, you will be involved with:

- 3D performance simulations, 3D modeling of your multi-layered building envelope;
- Physical mock-ups/prototypes in appropriate scale;
- Technical drawings with a clear understanding of the building components and building systems.

Phase 02: Smart Materials: characteristics, responses, and applications

Assignment 2.1

As we already read, smart materials can be defined within two typologies:

SM – Type 1: Property changing-Intrinsic response variation of material to specific internal or external stimuli (Thermochromic, Magnetorheological, Thermotropic, Shape memory):

SM – Type 2: Energy exchanging- responses can be computationally controlled or enhanced (Photovoltaic, Thermoelectric, Piezoelectric, Photoluminescent, and Electrostrictive)

SM1-Input energy (stimulus field) causes changes at the materials’ molecular level which results in property changes. For Ex. Thermal energy causes thermochromics to change colors. The output is a property changed response, new material property.

SM2-Input energy changed to a different form. Energy-exchanging. For ex. Piezoelectric materials (convert mechanical energy-deformation by a force- into electrical energy and vice-versa)

We will try to explore more about:
- How they function, how they act and for what purpose (dependent on the material composition);
- What do we want the SM to do?
- Which information do I need to know in order to control and influence the SM response?


SM1-Property-changing:

- Color-changing (photochromics-color+light - photochromics films; thermocromics-color+temperature; mechanochromics-color+deformations; chemochromics-color+chemical environments; electrochromics-color+voltage-liquid crystals). Larger association: transparency and color change; translucency, reflectivity, Dichroic materials (in glasses and films, colors may change accordingly to the angle of view); Photochromic Glass
- Polymeric products: filaments, strands, films, sheets. Radiant color film; Radiant mirror film; Image redirection film
- Phase-changing (gas, liquid or solid state that changes when temperature or pressure changes);
- Smart conductors (for ex. conducting Polymers)
- Smart fabrics

SM2-Energy-exchanging:

- Photovoltaic technologies (energy input, electricity output);
- Light Emitting materials: Light Emitting Diodes (LED- energy input, voltage output); Light-emitting Polymers;
- Piezoelectric materials (piezo=pressure in Greek; the pressure-mechanical energy (inducing deformation) is converted to electrical energy and vice-versa); Piezoelectric Films;
- Shape memory alloys. For ex. Nitinol (the material can be deformed but remembers its original shape-temperature application).



You are to conceive the study of a polyvalent smart wall as a system of different layers: structure, skin (or envelope), smart material application, and if you like sensor and actuators.



Reference - Reading Tip:

Michelle Addington, Daniel Schodek: Smart Materials and Technologies, Architectural Press, 2005

Mori, T.: Immaterial/Ultramaterial: Architecture, Design and Materials. NY 2002

Schodek, D., Bechthold, M., Griggs, K., Kao, K., Steinberg, M.: Digital Design and Manufacturing: CAD/CAM Applications in Architecture. NY 2004, John Wiley and Sons.

A.1.1 Students Work Guide
(Referring to the book: “Smart Materials and Technologies”).


Every team is searching for information that is somehow linked to the other teams’ topics.

Adam and Robert will analyze the organization systems of several material classification approaches in Architecture, Engineering, Material Science, Design fields (Interior design, Landscape design, Fashion-Textile). You will try to uncover the point of view of these approaches: more descriptive, more on a particular application, or on the understanding of the basic internal structure of materials, etc.
You should differentiate between traditional and alternative classification systems.

Rob and Drake will be involved with internal general structure of materials, and particularly with the arrangement of atoms and molecules held together with different types of chemical bonding forces.
They will work with solid materials and they will concentrate in their intrinsic properties and composition (crystalline solids, polycrystalline solids, amorphous solids). The structure of material influences the final characteristics and properties of the material, at the micro and macro levels. They will analyze the arrangements of the structures components and their orders.

Jonathan and McKee will work on the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic properties.
Intrinsic: is determinate by the molecular structure (= chemical composition) of the material (here you will overlap with Rob and Drake). You could try to define the strength and the hardness of a material related to forces, and also to the substance’s melting and boiling points. Strength is an intrinsic property. Mechanical properties are intrinsic (elastic, toughness) as well as physical properties (conductivity, heat, density) and chemical properties (reactivity, valence, solubility).
Extrinsic properties are defined by the macrostructure of the material, not just by the composition alone (optical properties, many acoustical properties). Most materials undergo property changes with an input of energy. After a definition of intrinsic and extrinsic properties, you should concentrate on the 5 categories of material properties: mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, optical. They indicate the energy stimuli that every material must respond to. For ex.: Mechanical properties determine how a material will behave when subjected to a load (weight, force, impact, torsion). The behavior that results from these loads includes strain, deformation, or fracture. Mechanical properties: they depend on what (factors)? Those factors are influenced by what (material type and composition)? Now, for each of the 5 properties you should give us material examples. Metals have thermal properties (thermal conductivity). If you talk about wood, you should associate a category of properties to it, etc...

Amador, Brian, and Gary will define the characteristics of traditional materials and high performance materials according to their behavior. They have a fixed response to external stimuli. What does it mean? What happen to their properties under normal conditions?
Following the proposed classification, you must search for primary and derivate materials. You will find, besides more traditional polymers (plastics, rubber, etc.), materials like temperature-responsive polymers and shape memory polymers that are classified as smart materials. Important is the understanding of properties, behaviors and responses to stimuli. SM sense and react to stimuli and environmental conditions. Most everyday materials have physical properties, which cannot be significantly altered.

Angela, Paloma, and Jonathan will try to define Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (technologies associated with materials and processes at the nanometer scale, 10-9m). The combination of smart material and nanotechnology provides many advantages, realizes novel designs that could not be achieved in traditional engineering and offers greater opportunities as well as challenges. The field of Smart Materials and Nanotechnology is very diverse with application ranging from bioengineering to photonics. Nanotechnology is rapidly developed and it permits control of matter at the level of atoms and molecules which would form the building blocks of smart materials. Smart materials are thus evolving from traditional fiber reinforced composite through functionally graded materials to the current nanotechnologically grown materials. These materials will thus have the capability of closely mimicking (biomimetics) nature enabling structures to act like human skin, or a leaf's chlorophyll. The development of true smart materials at the atomic scale is still some way off, although the enabling technologies are under development (from ‘smart-nano.org’).
Nanotechnology will be able to program material properties and to build materials from scratch. It would be interesting to explore speculative potential applications.

Due Sept. 14, 2009

Phase 01: Definition and Classification

Reading Tip:
Michelle Addington, Daniel Schodek: Smart Materials and Technologies, Architectural Press, 2005

In this book material and technologies are categorized by behavior- physical and phenomenological- and overlaid with increasing component and system complexity.

Smart Materials characteristics:
SM – Type 1: Property changing-Intrinsic response variation of material to specific internal or external stimuli (Thermochromic, Magnetorheological, Thermotropic, Shape memory):
SM – Type 2: Energy exchanging- responses can be computationally controlled or enhanced (Photovoltaic, Thermoelectric, Piezoelectric, Photoluminescent, Electrostrictive)

A smart material has an inherent “active” behavior that makes it to fit into several categories. For example: electrochromic glass is simultaneously a glazing material, a window, a curtain wall system, a lighting control system or an automated shading system. It has a lot to do with new technologies.
It is necessary a multi-layered classification of SM according to its physical behavior (what it does) and the phenomenological behavior (the results, the effects, the actions, what do we want the material to do?, the architect’s intention). The SM produce direct effects on the energy environments (luminous, thermal, and acoustic), or indirect effects on systems (energy generation, mechanical equipment).

Assignment 1.1

Traditional Architectural Classifications:

USA- Construction Specifications institute (CSI)
Material ConneXion
Technotextiles (book on Fashion Design materials)
Other Classification Systems (Material Science, Engineering)


The internal structure of materials:
Related to material behavior. Knowledge of atomic and molecular structure to understand the intrinsic properties of materials. Bonding forces.
- Solid materials

Properties of materials:
- Intrinsic properties (molecular structure- chemical composition- for ex. strength)
- Extrinsic properties (macrostructure-for ex. optical properties)
Total of 5 material properties indicative of the energy stimuli that every material must respond to: mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, optical.


Traditional Materials characteristics:
TM- Fixed responses to external stimuli (material properties remain constant under normal conditions).

TM may range from:

1) Primary material classes:
- Metals (pure metals, transitional metal);
- Ceramics;
- Polymers;

2) Derivated classes:
- Composites (High performance strength or stiffness applications. Reinforcing materials, Resin and Matrix materials, Core materials)

Nanomaterials (Nanotechnology)