Latin America— Indigenous Invention Ceramic Researchers and Companies Pursue Homegrown Solutions to Global Challenges in Latin America

AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY

bullemerginge ceramicstin & glass technology OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Latin America— Indigenous invention Ceramic researchers and companies pursue homegrown solutions to global challenges in Latin America

ACerS Annual Meeting and MS&T20 | Aerospace materials | Student exchange experience Your kiln, Like no other.

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Your kiln Ad.indd 1 6/30/20 7:55 AM contents October/November 2020 • Vol. 99 No.8

department feature articles News & Trends ...... 3 Latin America—Indigenous invention Spotlight ...... 7 28 Ceramic researchers and companies pursue Research Briefs...... 16 homegrown solutions to global challenges in Advances in Nanomaterials. . . 21 Latin America Ceramics in Biomedicine. . . . 23 Industry partnerships drive the focus of much academic Ceramics in Energy...... 24 research across Latin America, but financial performance Ceramics in Manufacturing . . . 26 is not the only goal—efforts to address environmental impacts and pursue sustainability play large roles in research as well.

by Alex Talavera and Randy B. Hecht columns Business and Market View . . . 6 Global markets for emerging materials in aerospace by Robert Eckard Deciphering the Discipline . . . 48 cover story From ceramics to Schnitzels: Student exchange programs are part of life-long learning process by Iva Milisavljevic Latin America market snapshots 30 by Alex Talavera and Randy B. Hecht Deep dives into Brazil, Chile, and Colombia meeting And overviews of Argentina, Canada, Mexico, ACerS 122nd Annual Meeting with Panama, Peru, and United States Materials Science & Technology 2020 (MS&T20) VIRTUAL ONLY EVENT ...... 40 Electronic Materials and Applications (EMA 2021) . . . . 42 45th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC21). .. . 43

resources Calendar...... 44 Corrections Classified Advertising. . . . . 45 In the September 2020 Ceramic & Glass Manufacturing, figures 4, 5, and 6 in the article Display Ad Index...... 47 “Flexibility matters” were misnumbered. They are corrected in the digital version of the issue. In the September 2020 Bulletin, photos for Long-Qing Chen and Zibin Chen were switched in the Annual Awards section. It will be corrected in the Bulletin Online Archive version.

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 1 AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY bulletin online Editorial and Production www.ceramics.org Eileen De Guire, Editor [email protected] Lisa McDonald, Associate Editor October/November 2020 • Vol. 99 No.8 Michelle Martin, Production Editor Tess Speakman, Senior Graphic Designer Editorial Advisory Board Darryl Butt, University of Utah Michael Cinibulk, Air Force Research Laboratory http://bit.ly/acerstwitter http://bit.ly/acerslink http://bit.ly/acersgplus http://bit.ly/acersfb http://bit.ly/acersrss Michael Hill, Tev Tech Inc. Eliana Muccillo, IPEN-SP, Brazil Oomman Varghese, University of Houston Kelley Wilkerson, Missouri S&T As seen on Ceramic Tech Today... Customer Service/Circulation ph: 866-721-3322 fx: 240-396-5637 Sorbent-based purification may make [email protected] biogas production economically Advertising Sales feasible for farmers National Sales Mona Thiel, National Sales Director Production of methane fuel from biogas, a natural byproduct [email protected] of organic wastes, may be a way for farmers to turn a profit, ph: 614-794-5834 fx: 614-794-5822 but the current processing methods are too expensive for small farmers. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Europe Richard Rozelaar Laboratory developed a composite sorbent that may make the production process economically feasible. [email protected] Credit: UGA CAES/Extension, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) ph: 44-(0)-20-7834-7676 fx: 44-(0)-20-7973-0076 Executive Staff Mark Mecklenborg, Executive Director and Publisher [email protected] Read more at www.ceramics.org/upgradedbiogas Eileen De Guire, Director of Technical Publications and Communications [email protected] Marcus Fish, Development Director Also see our ACerS journals... Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation A green composite material of calcium phosphate cement [email protected] matrix with additions of car tire waste particles Michael Johnson, Director of Finance and Operations [email protected] By C. F. Revelo and H. A. Colorado Mark Kibble, Director of Information Technology International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology [email protected] Sue LaBute, Human Resources Manager & Exec. Assistant Ecofriendly synthesis of MWCNTs by electric arc in aqueous [email protected] medium: Comparative study of 6B pencil and mineral graphite Andrea Ross, Director of Meetings and Marketing By C. G. Kaufmann Jr, R. Y. Sun Zampiva, S. Arcaro, et al. [email protected] Kevin Thompson, Director of Membership International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology [email protected] Glass foams produced by glass waste, sodium hydroxide and Officers borax with several pore structures using factorial designs Dana Goski, President Elizabeth Dickey, President-Elect By R. C. da Silva, E. T. Kubaski, and S. M. Tebcherani Tatsuki Ohji, Past President Journal of the American Ceramic Society Stephen Houseman, Treasurer Mark Mecklenborg, Secretary Board of Directors Sign up to get journal tables of contents and new content alerts. See this Mario Affatigato, Director 2018–2021 CTT post for more information: https://ceramics.org/August2020tips. Darryl Butt, Director 2020–2023 Helen Chan, Director 2019–2022 Monica Ferraris, Director 2019–2022 William Headrick, Director 2019–2022 Eva Hemmer, Director 2020–2023 John Kieffer, Director 2018–2021 Makio Naito, Director 2020–2023 Jingyang Wang, Director 2018–2021 Read more at www.ceramics.org/journals Stephen Freiman, Parliamentarian

American Ceramic Society Bulletin covers news and activities of the Society and its members, includes items of interest to the ceramics community, and provides the most current information concerning all aspects of ceramic technology, including R&D, manufacturing, engineering, and marketing. The American Ceramic Society is not responsible for the accuracy of information in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication. Readers should independently evaluate the accuracy of any statement in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication. American Ceramic Society Bulletin (ISSN No. 0002-7812). ©2020. Printed in the United States of America. ACerS Bulletin is published monthly, except for February, July, and November, as a “dual-media” magazine in print and electronic formats (www.ceramics.org). Editorial and Subscription Offices: 550 Polaris Parkway, Suite 510, Westerville, OH 43082-7045. Subscription included with The American Ceramic Society membership. Nonmember print subscription rates, including online access: United States and Canada, 1 year $135; international, 1 year $150.* Rates include shipping charges. International Remail Service is standard outside of the United States and Canada. *International nonmembers also may elect to receive an electronic-only, email delivery subscription for $100. Single issues, January–October/November: member $6 per issue; nonmember $15 per issue. December issue (ceramicSOURCE): member $20, nonmember $40. Postage/handling for single issues: United States and Canada, $3 per item; United States and Canada Expedited (UPS 2nd day air), $8 per item; International Standard, $6 per item. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to American Ceramic Society Bulletin, 550 Polaris Parkway, Suite 510, Westerville, OH 43082-7045. Periodical postage paid at Westerville, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Allow six weeks for address changes. ACSBA7, Vol. 99, No. 8, pp 1– 68. All feature articles are covered in Current Contents.

2 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 news & trends

The hidden history of Vietnamese ceramics When it comes to the history of ceramics in Asia, many people immedi- ately think of China. The history of Chinese ceramics traces back over thousands of years. Porcelain in particular holds an important place in the history, as the material was invented in China over centuries and then export- ed throughout the world. Even today people refer to porcelain as “fine china” in reference to this history. Of course, China is not the only Asian country with a history of ceramics. However, for some countries like Credit: Hungda, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) Vietnam, the history of ceramics was lost Example of Chu Dau vases. Only recently was the rich history of ceramics in Hái in time—until recently, that is. Dúóng Province, Vietnam, uncovered.

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 3 news & trends Credit: VTV World, YouTube (Left) The Vase of Annam inscription; the red characters are the ones in question. (Center) How the characters are read if Bui Thi Hy is the name of the potter. (Right) How the characters are read if translated “a Bui artisan drew this for fun.”

Vietnam’s role in the global ceramic The story begins: Vase of Annam Roxanna Brown in 1977 revealed some- trade of the 15th and 16th centuries The Vase of Annam is a Chu Dau thing startling. came to light in the 1980s following ceramic located in the Topkapi Sarayi Brown realized the characters reexamination of an ancient vase that Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It first should be translated as Vietnamese previously was attributed to a Chinese came to the attention of the art world rather than Chinese. (The Vietnamese workman. Today, Chu Dau ceramics in 1933, when British civil servant written language is based on Chinese (named for a village in Hái Dúóng and antiquarian Robert Lockhart characters, hence the confusion.) Province, Vietnam) are recognized as Hobson published an article about it in When translated this way, the potter’s a unique type of Vietnamese ceramic Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society name became Bui, and the character distinct from the Chinese and Japanese 1933–1934. “Thi” placed after the name identified ceramics of the same period. In the article, Hobson attributed the potter as female. In September last year, a subdivi- the vase to a Chinese workman named The other characters along the vase’s sion of Vietnam Television called VTV Chuang, based on how he translated the shoulders indicated the potter Bui Thi World released a three-part documen- 13 Chinese characters written along the Hy lived in the Nam Sách District of tary looking at this hidden history of shoulders of the vase. But more than 40 Hái Dúóng Province, Vietnam, and she Vietnamese ceramics. Below is a sum- years later, a reexamination of the char- made the vase in 1450. And with these mary of that history. acters by Southeast Asian art historian clues, the search for Bui Thi Hy began. In 1980, a Japanese diplomat named Makoto Anabuki sent a letter to local Introduction to Refractories authorities of the then Hái Dúóng Brought to you by the Edward Orton Jr. Foundation and ACerS Province in Vietnam to learn more about the mysterious potter. (Hái Dúóng Short Course – Now online! has since split into two provinces, Hái Dúóng and Húng Yên.) Classes start Nov. 2, 2020. “What was the person named Bui Thi Hy like?” he asked. Early bird registration Anabuki would not know it, but his through Oct. 23, 2020. simple question would set off a years-long Member registration rates search for answers and lead to the uncov- begin at $1,500 ering of Chu Dau’s rich ceramic history.

Discovering Chu Dau ceramics Taught by refractories expert Prior to Anabuki’s letter, no one in Dr. Joseph Homeny, students Hái Dúóng Province was aware the craft can watch live or recorded of ceramics had existed in their locality. lectures for each module. “There were antiques in government Students can ask questions, and private collections, but they were complete homework assign- wrongly categorised as ceramics from ments, and get personalized Bat Trang, 16 km north of Ha Noi,” feedback. a Southeast Asian Archaelogy article on the history of Chua Dau ceramics explains. “The closest matches local archaeologists could find were inscrip- Learn more at tions found on oil lamps by craftsman ceramics.org/professional-resources

4 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Dang Huyen Thong in Thanh Lam they point to as proof of Bui Thi Hy’s Though the question of Bui Thi District, located only two kilometres existence. For example, the stone lotus Hy’s existence and role in the ceramic from Chu Dau.” pillars located at Vien Quang Pagoda in trade remains, experts emphasize she After reading the letter, the provin- Gia Loc District, Hái Dúóng Province was ultimately the catalyst, not focus, cial Museum and archeologist Tang Ba feature inscriptions that read “Bui Thi of this story. Hoanh decided to investigate the vase’s Hy funded for building the pagoda.” “The most important thing is that the origins. And since 1980, seven excava- (Opponents say because the inscriptions Vietnamese blue-and-white vases were tions in Hái Dúóng Province—plus the appear to be reinscribed, they cannot be introduced to the world, illustrating a excavation of a shipwreck off the shores taken as proof.) prosperous time for Vietnamese ceram- of Hôi An city in 1997–1999—revealed Likely the surest proof, though, comes ics,” says Augustine Ha Ton Vinh, senior ancient ceramic kilns and tens of thou- from genealogical documents kept by investment advisor to Vietnam’s Special sands of artifacts. the Bui family still living in Nam Sách Economic Zone and Integrated Resorts, Many of the ceramics come from District. These documents include an in part three of the documentary. the village of Chu Dau in Hái Dúóng ancestor named Bui Thi Hy. And those prosperous times may Province. The Chu Dau ceramics are “However, whether she made the come back. To honor the area’s history, made from white clay collected in Chí blue-and-white vase in Turkey and how Chu Dau villagers are actively working Linh, a city in Hái Dúóng Province that vase was transported from Nam to revive the ancient craft. where six rivers intersect. And com- Sách District to Istanbul is a question The three-part documentary can be pared to Chinese and Japanese ceramics experts are trying to answer by collecting found on VTV World’s YouTube chan- made during the same period, Chu Dau further evidence,” the third part of the nel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ ceramics are unique. documentary explains. VTVWorldVN. n “It has its own style of inscription, design, and making-skills. It is truly Vietnamese,” Nguyen Van Cuong, director of the Vietnam National Museum of History, says in part three of the documentary. A world leader in bioactive and Unfortunately, war at the end of the 16th century destroyed Chu Dau, including all big ceramic kilns in Nam Sách custom glass solutions District. That is why no one was aware of the area’s history until Anabuki’s letter in 1980. But the question still remains—who Mo-Sci offers a wide variety of custom glass solutions was Bui Thi Hy? and will work with you to create tailored glass materials to match your application. Bui Thi Hy: The search for truth The question is not just who Bui Thi Contact us today to discuss your Hy was—some researchers debate if she next project. existed at all. mo-sci.com/contact The debate arises from how one chooses to read the Chinese characters. As seen on the previous page, if the characters “Bui,” “Thi,” and “Hy” are placed together, then the inscription reads as “written by or painted by Bui Thi Hy.” But if the characters “Hy” and “But” are read together instead, then the @moscicorp inscription reads “a Bui artisan drew this @MoSciCorp for fun.” www.mo-sci.com • 573.364.2338 linkedin.com/company/moscicorp For people who believe in the former ISO 9001:2008 • AS9100C translation, there are other documents

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 5 business and market view

A regular column featuring excerpts from BCC Research reports on industry sectors involving the ceramic and glass industry.

Global markets for emerging materials in aerospace

By Robert Eckard lobal markets for external refractory layer for superalloys being increasingly called upon to support the movement of goods, including emerging aerospace in turbine-based engines. G The commercial passenger aircraft rapid shipments that are increasingly materials are expected to tem- segment accounts for the largest value becoming the norm. porarily slide in the wake of the of the segments examined in this report, COVID–19 epidemic, drop- accounting for about 48% of markets for About the author emerging aerospace materials in 2019. Robert Eckard is a research analyst for ping sharply from $14.7 billion Commercial cargo transport aircraft rep- BCC Research. Contact Eckard at in 2019 to an estimated $13.2 resents the second largest segment, but [email protected]. billion in 2020. However, mar- it trails commercial passenger markets considerably with around 19% of the Resource kets will return to growth in total market. In the wake of COVID–19, R. Eckard, “Global markets for the ensuing period, increasing commercial transport aircraft is expected emerging materials in aerospace” BCC to $19.9 billion in 2025 at a to surge ahead of passenger aircraft in Research Report AVM192A, July 2020. www.bccresearch.com. n compound annual growth rate terms of growth rates. These planes are (CAGR) of 8.6% globally. Table 1. Examples of recent patents concerning emerging aerospace materials The advanced metal alloy segment Publication number Publication date Title Standard applicant accounts for the majority of the market, WO2020052129A1 19 Mar 2020 Rare-earth aluminum alloy material Ka Fung Industrial Tech Huizhou Co Ltd having high ductility and high strength [China] at an estimated $10.9 billion in 2020 and preparation method therefor and advancing to $15.4 billion by 2025 US10590000B1 17 Mar 2020 High temperature, flexible aerogel Nasa [U.S.],Us Administrator Of National at a CAGR of 7.2%. The advanced com- composite and method of making same Aeronautics And Space Administration [U.S.] posites and adhesives category will slide US2020078860A1 12 Mar 2020 Titanium Alloys Questek Innovations Llc [U.S.] from $2.6 billion in 2019 to $2.3 bil- RU2715237C1 26 Feb 2020 Epoxy resin composition, cured epoxy Toray Industries [Japan] lion in 2020 before returning to growth resin product, prepreg and fibre- and surging to $4.5 billion in 2025 at a reinforced composite material RU2714345C1 14 Feb 2020 Method of producing a gradient nano- Gosudarstvennyj Nauchnyj Tsentr Rossijskoj CAGR of 14.3%. composite heat-shielding coating Federatsii Fed Gosudarstvennoe Unitarnoe Increasing demand for improved Predpriyatie Iss [Russia] fuel efficiency, enhanced performance, AU2018298209A1 13 Feb 2020 Hydraulic fluid and fuel resistant Prc Desoto Int Inc [U.S.] and increased safety is driving the sealants aerospace industry to deploy new RU2713990C1 12 Feb 2020 One-piece multilayer shell with Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Uralskij stiffeners and method of its formation Nauchno Issledovatelskij Institut lighter weight, stronger materials that Kompozitsionnykh Mat [Russia] were once considered too costly or too RU2714146C1 12 Feb 2020 One-piece multilayer shell with flange Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Uralskij difficult to use for day-to-day produc- and method of its formation Issledovatelskij Institut Kompozitsionnykh tion activities. For example, Mat [Russia] • Carbon fiber-based composites: EP3606978A1 12 Feb 2020 Epoxy-silicone hybrid sealant composi- 3m Innovative Properties Co [U.S.] tion with low shrinkage and lower Manufacturers are transitioning away postcuring properties with chemical from aluminum toward carbon fiber- resistance for aerospace applications based composites and honeycomb struc- RU2714146C1 12 Feb 2020 One-piece multilayer shell with flange Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Uralskij tures. However, adoption of these mate- and method of its formation Issledovatelskij Institut Kompozitsionnykh Mat [Russia] rials is still limited by cost, which can be RO133845A0 30 Jan 2020 Centrifugal compressor rotary assembly Institutul Nat De Cercetare Dezvoltare several times higher than an equivalent made of advanced composite polymeric Turbomotoare Comoti [Romania] amount of metals or metal alloys. materials reinforced with carbon fibers • Ceramic matrix composites: WO2020011065A1 16 Jan 2020 Novel high-strength multi-function lami- Yu Changhe [China] Ceramic matrix composites are still nated rib-containing plate and process very much an emerging technology. To US2020017738A1 16 Jan 2020 Epoxy-Silicone Hybrid Sealant Composi- 3M Innovative Properties Co [U.S.] tion with Low Shrinkage and Lower date, the primary targeted uses for these Postcuring Properties with Chemical materials is in relation to the engine Resistance for Aerospace Applications system—they are used as a coating or EP3591011A1 08 Jan 2020 Paint composition, preparation and Fundacion Tecnalia Res & Innovation [Spain] use thereof 6 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 acers spotlight

SOCIETY, DIVISION, SECTION, AND CHAPTER NEWS

Help us help you The American Ceramic Society is conducting market who completes the survey will be eligible to be entered into research to better understand the needs, interests, and chal- drawings for 15 prizes valued between $100 and $500. lenges that impact professionals working in ceramics and glass. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your A member satisfaction and needs assessment survey will be valuable feedback—and for helping us help you! sent to ACerS members and customers in late September. As part of a distinguished community of academics, researchers, and industry professionals, your participation in this survey will inform ACerS about what you value. Section News Research results will serve as the first step in a long-range The Washington DC/Maryland/Northern VA Section strategic planning process for the Society. Your input will help will host a webinar on September 30 at 2 p.m. called ACerS deliver high-quality products and services for your bet- “Determining the Mechanical Properties of Ceramics and terment, and that of future generations with an interest in Glasses” by Jeffrey Swab. ceramics and glass. Please watch for the survey in your email. All members are For more information and to register, visit urged to complete the survey, which will help us provide the www.ceramics.zoom.us/webinar/98468451616. n information, products, and services to best serve you. Everyone

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 7 acers spotlight

Society, Division, Section, and Chapter news (continued) Remembering Ted Day, former ACerS treasurer and CGIF chair The Society was deeply saddened to for the Phelps Health Delbert Day Cancer learn of the passing of Thomas Edwin Institute, in honor of the work of Prof. “Ted” Day on Sept. 14, 2020, a few Day, especially his biomedical inventions. weeks shy of his 60th birthday. Ted’s roles as a healthcare provider Ted led a life characterized by caring and business leader intersected with the and compassion as a family man, phar- commercialization of a copper-containing macist, businessman, philanthropist, borosilicate glass called Mirragen that pro- Society volunteer, and leader in his motes healing of wounds that resist con- Rolla, Mo., community. ventional treatment and offers new hope “Ted was an energetic, enthusiastic to patients suffering, for example, from guy, the epitome of joie de vive, one who diabetic and quadriplegic wounds. Mo-Sci didn’t see life’s limitations or problems, spun off a new company, ETS Wound only the opportunities and the adven- Care, to manufacture wound care prod- ture,” says Richard Brow, Curator’s ucts, and Ted served as its CEO. Professor of Ceramic Engineering at Ted saw his success as a means to Missouri University of Science and improve his local and global community. Technology in Rolla, Mo. Brow and Day With his wife, he established the TKD Mecklenborg, ACerS executive director. served together on the ACerS Board of Foundation to “turn innovative ideas Ted joined the Society in 1998 and Directors from 2010–2014. into real help for humankind.” Funded became a Fellow in 2016. Mo-Sci is a The son of ACerS Distinguished Life with profits from ETS Wound Care, the Diamond Corporate Partner of the Society. Member and past president Delbert Day, Foundation supports education, health- At the time of his death, Ted was Ted began his professional career in care, community, and new nonprofit orga- also a member of the Missouri S&T pharmacy. In the mid-1990s, Ted joined nizations that share their vision for a world Board of Trustees. the Phelps County Regional Medical where people’s most basic needs are met. “As a member of the Missouri S&T Center, where he served as director of Ted was passionate about reaching out Board of Trustees, he played the same pharmacy and then as ancillary services to young people. When high school stu- vital role that he did when serving on the director, a position in which he oversaw dents from Conrad Weiser High School’s Boards of The American Ceramic Society all clinical patient services. Science Research Institute program in and the Ceramic and Glass Industry Ted left PCRMC in 1998 to assume rural Pennsylvania reached out to Mo-Sci Foundation—a clear-eyed visionary, a data- the role of CEO at Mo-Sci Corporation, requesting sample glass fibers, he took the driven, results-oriented, compassionate a glass manufacturing company founded time to go visit them and see their proj- colleague, one who loved the institution in 1985 by Prof. Day to commercial- ects. He followed up by inviting several and respected those in it,” says Brow. ize inventions developed in his lab at students and teachers to come to Mo-Sci Ted, like his father, was an accom- Missouri S&T. Today, Mo-Sci develops to pitch ideas for new products. plished pilot, and it was common for and manufactures custom high-tech glass This experience was a continuation of them to fly themselves to ACerS confer- products for the healthcare, energy, auto- the hands-on approach Ted took with his ences. The first question on greeting the motive, defense, and industrial sectors. dedication to philanthropy and outreach. Days was always, “Did you fly or go com- “Ted was a visionary, one who could In 2015, he helped to found ACerS’s mercial?” He piloted himself through see potential and make it a reality. He philanthropic arm, the Ceramic & Glass life with grace and joy. His final trip was an astute businessman, one who Industry Foundation, with the mission to now completed, we are grateful to have built the company his father started into recruit and retain a qualified workforce shared the journey with him. n an international specialty materials pow- for the ceramic and glass industry. He erhouse, while never losing his enthusi- served as its first chair from 2015–2018. In memoriam asm and excitement about what Mo-Sci “Ted had a passion to help people Edwin Beauchamp was producing and about the people and to give back to the community. Thomas E. “Ted” Day Amory Houghton who made it possible,” says Brow. His contribution of time, treasure, Wing Lo Ted returned to PCRMC in the mid- and talent to The American Ceramic Charles Joseph Rickey 2010s to serve as its Foundation’s presi- Society and its Ceramic and Glass Some detailed obituaries can also be dent and chair of its Board of Trustees. He Industry Foundation was extraordinary. found on the ACerS website, and his wife, Kim, donated initial funding We will miss him greatly,” says Mark www.ceramics.org/in-memoriam.

8 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Society, Division, Section, and Chapter news (continued)

Names in the news Jeffrey W. Fergus, associ- Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring is the recipient of the 2020 Von Hippel ate dean for undergradu- from the White House. Award, the Materials Research Society’s ate studies and program highest and most prestigious honor. assessment and professor Juejun Hu, associate proof materials engineering fessor at Massachusetts Members—Would you like to be in the Samuel Ginn Institute of Technology, included in the Bulletin’s Names in Fergus College of Engineering at was selected winner of the the News? Please send a current Auburn University, will receive the 2020 2020 Vittorio Gottardi head shot along with the link to the ABET Award at the 2020 ABET Awards Prize of the International article to [email protected]. Celebration, which will be held as a virtu- th Hu Commission on Glass. The deadline is the 30 al event on Oct. 31, 2020. of each month. n

Olivia Graeve, University Cato T. Laurencin, desig- Ceramic Tech Today blog of California, San Diego nated University Professor professor of mechanical and Albert and Wilda and aerospace engineer- Van Dusen Distinguished www.ceramics.org/ ing, received the Endowed Professor of Presidential Award for Orthopedic Surgery at the ceramictechtoday Graeve Excellence in Science, Laurencin University of Connecticut,

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American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 9 acers spotlight

Society, Division, Section, and Chapter news (continued) ACerS leaders for 2020–2021 ACerS is pleased to introduce the 2020–2021 Society leadership. New officers and directors will be installed at the 122nd Virtual Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 5, 2020. Society officers and directors Board of Directors (new) Jingyang Wang Executive Committee Darryl Butt CAS Distinguished President Dean of the College Professor and divi- Dana Goski of Mines and Earth sion head Vice president of Sciences Shenyang National research and Director of the Energy Laboratory for development Frontiers Research Materials Science, Allied Mineral Center, MUSE Institute of Metal Wang Products Inc. University of Utah Research, Chinese Butt Columbus, Ohio Salt Lake City, Utah Academy of Sciences Goski Eva Hemmer Shenyang, China President-elect Assistant professor University of Ottawa Helen Chan Elizabeth Dickey New Jersey Zinc Distinguished pro- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Professor fessor and associate Lehigh University department head Bethlehem, Pa. North Carolina State University Hemmer Raleigh, N.C. Dickey Makio Naito Chan Professor Past president Monica Ferraris Joining and Welding Tatsuki Ohji Full professor of sci- Research Institute, Fellow scientist ence and technology Osaka University National Institute of of materials Osaka, Japan Advanced Industrial Politecnico di Torino Science and Turin, Italy Technology Naito Japan Ohji Board of Directors (returning) Ferraris Treasurer Mario Affatigato William Headrick Stephen Houseman Fran Allison and Senior research President Francis Halpin engineer Harrop Industries Inc. Professor of Physics RHI Magnesita Columbus, Ohio Coe College Pevely, Mo. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Houseman Affatigato Headrick

Secretary John Kieffer Parliamentarian Mark Mecklenborg Professor Stephen Freiman Executive director University of Michigan Freiman Consulting The American Ann Arbor, Mich. Inc. Ceramic Society Potomac, Md. Westerville, Ohio

Mecklenborg Kieffer Freiman

10 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Society, Division, Section, and Chapter news (continued)

Volunteer Spotlight and mentor the ACerS President’s respectively. After a post- Council of Student Advisors and Young doctorate at Sandia ACerS Volunteer Spotlight Professionals Network. He has served on National Laboratories, she profiles a member who dem- the Board of Directors for both ACerS joined the staff member in onstrates outstanding service and the Ceramic and Glass Industry 2018 in the Geochemistry to the Society Foundation, is an editor of the Department. Her research Geoff Brennecka Journal of the American Ceramic Society, and was Rimsza focuses on molecular scale earned B.S. and M.S. Brennecka chair of the Electronics Division. modeling of glass and ceramic materials, degrees in ceramic engi- Brennecka is also president of with a focus on surface properties. neering from the University of Missouri- Keramos and on the Administrative Rimsza served as past chair and pro- Rolla (now Missouri University of Committee of the IEEE-UFFC Society. gramming chair for ACerS President’s Science and Technology) and a Ph.D. in He is a Fellow of ACerS and recipient Council of Student Advisors. She co- materials science and engineering from of an NSF CAREER award, the IEEE chaired GOMD 2020, which due to the University of Illinois at Urbana- Ferroelectrics Young Investigator Award, COVID-19, was replaced with the Virtual Champaign. After eight years at Sandia Du-Co Ceramics Young Professional Glass Summit. Currently, Rimsza co- National Laboratories, Brennecka joined Award, and Karl Schwartzwalder chairs ACerS Education and Professional the faculty of the Colorado School of Professional Achievement in Ceramic Development Council, and she is a mem- Mines in 2014, where he is the Ben Engineering Award. ber of ACerS Meetings Committee. Fryrear Endowed Chair for Innovation. She received the Graduate Excellence Brennecka started his engagement Jessica Rimsza earned her B.S. and a in Materials Science award and with ACerS via the ACerS/NICE Ph.D. in materials science and engineer- won the Best in Session Award for Student Congress while an undergradu- ing from the University of Arizona and Semiconductor Research Corporation’s ate, which led to his helping to establish the University of North Texas, Techon Conference. n

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American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 11 acers spotlight

AWARDS AND DEADLINES Nomination Deadline: Jan. 15, 2021 Contact: Erica Zimmerman | [email protected] | 614.794.5821

Society Awards Description

Distinguished Life ACerS highest honor given in recognition of a member’s contribution to the ceramics Membership profession. Nominees need to be current members who have attained professional eminence because of their achievements in the ceramic arts or sciences, service to the Society, or productive scholarship.

W. David Kingery Recognizes distinguished lifelong achievements involving multidisciplinary and global Award contributions to ceramic technology, science, education, and art.

John Jeppson Award Recognizes distinguished scientific, technical, or engineering achievements in ceramics.

Greaves-Walker Presented to an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the ceramic Lifetime Service engineering profession and who has exemplified the aims, ideals, and purpose of EPDC. Award

The European Ceramic Recognizes individuals who foster international cooperation between The American Society-American Ceramic Society and the European Ceramic Society, in demonstration of both Ceramic Society organizations’ commitment to work together to better serve the international Joint Award ceramics community. The Rishi Raj Medal Recognizes one individual whose innovation lies at the cusp of commercialization for Innovation and in a field related, at least in part, to ceramics and glass. Commercialization Award Medal for Leadership Recognizes individuals, who through leadership and vision in an executive role, have in the Advancement made significant contributions to the success of their organization and in turn have of Ceramic Technology significantly expanded the frontiers of the ceramics industry. Corporate Recognizes an outstanding environmental achievement made by an ACerS corporate Environmental member in the field of ceramics. Achievement Award Corporate Technical Recognizes an outstanding technical achievement made by an ACerS corporate Achievement Award member in the field of ceramics. Richard M. Fulrath Promote technical and personal friendships between Japanese and American ceramic Awards engineers and scientists. The awards recognize individuals for excellence in research and development of ceramic sciences and materials. Nominees must be 45 or younger at the time of award presentation.

Karl Schwartzwalder- Recognizes an outstanding young ceramic engineer whose achievements have been Professional significant to the profession. A nominee must be between 21 and 40 years of age, and FOR MORE Achievement in must be a member of EPDC and ACerS. Ceramic Engineering INFORMATION: Award Robert L. Coble Award Recognizes an outstanding scientist who is conducting research in academia, in www.ceramics.org/awards for Young Scholars industry or at a government laboratory. Candidates must be an ACerS member and must be 35 years old or younger.

Du-Co Ceramics Awarded to a young professional member of ACerS who demonstrates exceptional Young Professional leadership and service to ACerS. Award

12 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Batch Hot Press Continuous AWARDS AND DEADLINES All types of High Temperature Thermal Processing Vacuum Furnaces

Society Awards Description

Frontiers of Science Given each year by a nationally or internationally recog- and Society - Rustum nized individual in the area of science, industry, or Roy Lecture government. Generally the committee selects the lecturer, but suggestions from membership are invited.

Edward Orton, Jr. Selection is based on scholarly attainments in ceramics or Memorial Lecturer a related field. Generally the committee selects the PRODUCTION AND LABORATORY lecturer, but suggestions from membership are invited. Process Metals and Ceramics Arthur L. Friedberg Given to an individual who has made outstanding contri- Over 6,500 lab and production furnaces built since 1954 Ceramic Engineering butions to ceramic engineering that relate to the process- •Max Possible Temperature: 3,500°C (6,332°F) Tutorial and Lecture ing or manufacturing of ceramic products. The awardee must be a member of EPDC and ACerS. •Hot Zones: 10 cc to 28 cu meters (0.6 cu in to 990 cu ft) •Debind, Sinter, Anneal, Hot Press, Diffusion Bond, CVD, CVI, MIM, AM Robert B. Sosman Awarded by the Basic Science Division in recognition of •CVI testing in our lab to 2,800°C (5,072°F) Award outstanding achievement in basic science that results in a significant impact to the field of ceramics. •Worldwide Field Service, rebuilds and parts for all makes

John E. Marquis Given by ACerS Manufacturing Division to the author(s) of Centorr Vacuum Industries 55 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua NH 03062 USA • 603-595-7233 Memorial Award the paper on research, engineering, or plant practices [email protected] • www.centorr.com relating to manufacturing in ceramics and glass published in the prior calendar year in a publication of the Society, which is judged to be of greatest value to the members and to the industry.

The Navrotsky Award Awarded biennially to an author who made the most for Experimental innovative contribution to experimental thermodynamics Thermodynamics of solids technical literature during the two calendar years of Solids prior to selection. Ross Coffin Purdy Given to the author(s) who made the most valuable Award contribution to ceramic technical literature during the calendar year two years prior to the year of selection. The 2021 Purdy award is for the best paper published in 2019.

Richard and Patricia Given to the author(s) who made the most valuable Spriggs Phase contribution to phase stability relationships in ceramic- Equilibria Award based systems literature during the previous calendar year (2020).

Education and Recognizes outstanding work and creativity in teaching, in Professional Deve- directing student research, or in the general educational lopment Council process (e.g., lectures, publications) of ceramic educators. Outstanding Educator Award

Morgan Medal and Recognizes a distinguished doctoral dissertation in the Global Distinguished ceramics and glass discipline. Doctoral Dissertation Award The Anna O. Shepard Presented by ACerS Art, Archaeology & Conservation Award Science Division to an individual(s), this award recognizes outstanding contributions to materials science applied to art, archaeology, architecture, or cultural heritage.

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 13 acers spotlight

Awards and deadlines (cont.) 2020 Division awardees Cements Division Electronics Division Lewis C. Hoffman Scholarship Best paper: “A critical comparison of 3D experiments and Eric Knowles, North Carolina State University n simulations of tricalcium silicate hydration,” Journal of the American Ceramic Society 101(4), 1453–1470 (2018) by Jeffrey Bullard, John Hagedorn, Tyler Ley, Qinang Hu, Wesley Griffin, & Judith Terrill ceramic Electronics Division Edward C. Henry Award Best paper: “Fabrication of 0.24Pb(In Nb ) Te c h chat 1/2 1/2 O -0.42Pb(Mg Nb )O -0.34PbTiO transparent ceramics 3 1/3 2/3 3 3 by conventional sintering technique,” Journal of the American Ceramic Society 102, 1240–1248 (2019) by Ichiro Fujii, Saki Nakashima, Takahiro Wada www.ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-chat

STUDENTS AND OUTREACH

Virtual Winter Workshop scheduled for January 2021 Grad Students: Choose GGRN to advance The 2021 ACerS Winter Workshop will be held virtually your career in late January or early February. The program was specifically Build an international network of peers within the ceramic designed to accommodate students across time zones from and glass community by joining the Global Graduate Europe to the United States. The two sessions of approximate- Researcher Network. GGRN is ACerS membership option ly five hours each will consist of technical presentations and that addresses the professional and career development professional development activities. needs of graduate level research students who have a pri- Noted scientists will deliver presentations on recent research mary interest in ceramic and glass materials. in fields including machine learning for materials discovery; Membership in GGRN is only $30 USD per year. Visit additive manufacturing of ceramics; and ceramics for medi- www.ceramics.org/ggrn to learn how GGRN membership cal, energy, and space applications. Professional development can help you in your future career. You may also contact activities will include networking sessions and facilitated Yolanda Natividad, ACerS member engagement manager, discussions on building your career in a diverse environment. at [email protected] with questions. n Registration information will be available soon at www.ceramics.org/winter-workshop-2021. n Did you graduate recently? ACerS has a gift for you! ACerS Morgan Medal and Global Distinguished ACerS Associate Membership connects you to more than Doctoral Dissertation Award 10,000 professionals from more than 70 countries. ACerS can The purpose of this award is to recognize a distinguished help you succeed by offering you the gift of a FREE Associate doctoral dissertation in the ceramics and glass discipline. The Membership for the first year following graduation. Your sec- awardee must have been a member of the Global Graduate ond year of membership is only $40. Associate members have Researcher Network and have completed a doctoral disserta- access to leadership development programs, special networking tion as well as all other graduation requirements set by their receptions, volunteer opportunities, and more. institution for a doctoral degree within 12 months prior to Let ACerS make your transition to a seasoned professional the application deadline. The nomination deadline is Jan. 15, easier. Start your free year-long membership by visiting www. 2021. For more information, visit ceramics.org/associate or contact Yolanda Natividad, ACerS n www.ceramics.org/doctoraldissertationaward. n member engagement manager, at [email protected].

14 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 PACK Fellowship makes technical webinars available

PACK is a National Science Foundation-funded international research experience fellowship opportunity for graduate students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents only) to conduct research at the University of Kiel in Germany. PACK is a collaborative effort of Penn State, The American Ceramic Society, and University of Kiel. A PACK Fellowship provides graduate students further training and exposure in an international setting. It allows them to develop and strengthen collaborations between researchers in identified areas of research and to work toward solving complex issues. The fellowship provides support for travel, lab fees, and board- PACK Fellow George Kotsonis of Penn State presents his ing. In addition to research, selected students get an opportunity research at the University of Kiel. to attend relevant courses at University of Kiel, get exposure to entrepreneurship training, and participate in professional

development activities. PACK Fellows also have opportunities for GLOBAL SUPPORT TEAM participation in peer-to-peer based knowledge transfer activi- ON-SITE SERVICE ties, interdisciplinary seminars, and regularly scheduled retreats. There are additional opportunities to visit other labs and research sites in Germany, interact with researchers at Penn State, and Engineered Solutions attend annual meetings of The American Ceramic Society and FOR POWDER COMPACTION Energy Harvesting Society. The PACK technical seminars are offered monthly and are available to view online. The most recent seminars include CNC HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRIC PRESSES • “Controlling cells by structural and mechanical materials Easy to Setup and Flexible for cues,” presented by Christine Selhuber-Unkel of Heidelberg Simple to Complex Parts University, • “Aeromaterials: Structuring thin films into 3D—from capacitors to cell templates,” presented by Rainer Adelung of Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, and • “Computation-guided discovery of transparent crystals with HIGH SPEED PTX PRESSES Repeatable. Reliable. Precise. ultrahigh piezoelectricity,” presented by Long-Qing Chen of Penn State University. The seminars are available for viewing at www.packfellowship. org/seminars. COLD ISOSTATIC Applicants can be from any science or engineering discipline, PRESSES Featuring Dry Bag Pressing and applications to become a PACK Fellow are accepted year- round. Program information and the application process is available at www.packfellowship.org/about. n 814.371.3015 [email protected] www.gasbarre.com POWDER COMPACTION SOLUTIONS

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 15 research briefs

Topological data analysis reveals hidden medium-range order in glass Researchers at Aalborg University in Denmark, along with a collabora- tor at the University of California, Los Angeles, demonstrated how a topological method called persistent homology could help reveal a glass’s medium-range order and its contribution to the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP). The FSDP interests glass researchers Credit: Sørensen et al., Science Advances (CC BY 4.0) because it describes the longest separated Schematic overview of the process of obtaining a persistence diagram. Here, the tra- repeating “unit” in the amorphous struc- jectory information for a 20Na2O-80SiO2 glass at 300 K (oxygen: white; silicon: blue; ture. In other words, it is a descriptor of sodium: red) is used to construct the persistence diagram. medium-range order. Medium-range order erties of a geometric object that are pre- Finding a different way to categorize plays an important role in control of an served under continuous deformations, loops would likely lead to more mean- amorphous material’s physical properties, such as stretching and bending. In other ingful data, and that was the goal of the so determining what the FSDP describes words, the “shape” of the data provides researchers of the recent study. is of more interest than investigating other useful information about the data. Instead of using the “optimal cycle” diffraction peaks that instead describe In regard to glass, researchers view per- approach, the researchers grouped loops short-range order. sistent homology as useful because it can into characteristic regions based on the Researchers have suggested numerous provide a global perspective on the system number of atoms each loop contained. structural origins for FSDP, including rather than being limited to analyzing spe- And in their recent open-access paper, quasi-crystalline and ring-type structures cific parts of the structure, such as happens “we show that this produces meaning- or layer-like and cluster-like regions. The in standard ring analyses, for example. ful data in a consistent manner (i.e., growing use of simulations in research However, previous studies that method should be transferable to dif- has helped deepen our understanding of applied persistent homology to amor- ferent amorphous systems),” Søren S. the FSDP by either supporting or under- phous structures containing medium- Sørensen, first author and Ph.D. can- mining certain models. range order faced some challenges. In didate at Aalborg University, says in an Recently, some studies have proposed persistent homology, a concept called email. another type of data analysis that may “loops” is used to understand how In particular, Sørensen says based prove useful in understanding the FSDP points of data relate to each other. In on loop sizes, they were able to define and medium-range order more gener- previous studies, researchers categorized geometrical interpretations of the char- ally—persistent homology. loops using a mathematical grouping acteristic regions, which enabled easier Persistent homology is a type of topo- termed “optimal cycle,” but categorizing structural interpretation of the glass. logical data analysis, i.e., an analysis that loops this way provided no direct geo- The researchers were not done yet, focuses on analyzing the qualitative prop- metrical interpretation of loops. though. Once they decided on the new

Research News

Face shield or face mask to stop the spread of COVID-19? Scientists probe the chemistry of a single battery electrode Researchers from Florida Atlantic University used qualitative visualizations particle both inside and out to test how face shields and masks with valves perform in impeding the Researchers led by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory placed a single spread of aerosol-sized droplets. They found although face shields block battery cathode particle, about the size of a red blood cell, on a needle initial forward motion of expelled droplets, the droplets move around the tip and probed its surface and interior in 3D with two X-ray instruments. visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area depending on They discovered cracking and chemical changes on the particle’s surface light ambient disturbances. Visualizations for the face mask equipped with varied significantly from place to place and corresponded with areas of an exhalation port indicate a large number of droplets pass through the microscopic cracking deep inside the particle that sapped its capacity for exhale valve unfiltered, which significantly reduces its effectiveness as a storing energy. The team plans to apply this technique to other electrode means of source control. The researchers say this study illustrates face materials they have studied in the past, with particular attention to how shields and masks with exhale valves may not be as effective as regular charging speed affects damage patterns. For more information, visit https:// face masks. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/ www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/news-center.aspx. n research.php. n

16 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 method by which to group loops, they turned their attention Bioinspired ceramic–metal composite stands its to improving analysis of persistence diagrams (the diagrams ground against cutting tools presenting loops obtained from persistent homology analysis). Previously, comparing persistence diagrams relied on A team of researchers in the U.K. and Germany developed qualitative interpretation, which made comparison difficult. a ceramic–metal composite that, despite being just 15% as So the researchers compared persistence diagrams using dense as steel, is nearly uncuttable. They accomplished this a quantitative method called the accumulated persistence feat by developing the composite to work with the power of function (APF). cutting tools rather than against them. APF is a cumulative sum of all points in a persistence dia- The structure of the composite—a flexible aluminum core gram weighted by the points’ lifetime. “This means that the embedded with alumina spheres—mimics the structure of nacre APF characterizes the persistence diagram completely and is and many other naturally occurring materials that are stronger especially well-suited for data where ‘shortlived’ loops or voids as a whole material than as their individual units. (as found in glasses) are real structural features and not noise,” To make the cellular aluminum core, the team mixed the researchers write. aluminum powder with a titanium foaming agent and then Equipped with their new methodology for determining cold-compacted and extruded the material into rods. They cut characteristic regions and the APF, the researchers analyzed these rods into smaller pieces and stacked them together with medium-range order structure—particularly the FSDP—in 13-mm-diameter alumina spheres in a steel box. sodium silicate glasses, the structures of which they generated Heating the combination to 760°C in a furnace melded the using molecular dynamics simulations. individual components together to create Proteus—a cellular The researchers determined the FSDP originated from struc- aluminum core with 73% porosity, studded with embedded tural features of oxygen/sodium atom packing in the sodium ceramic spheres and bordered by steel alloy faceplates. silicate glass. Importantly, the new definitions of characteristic Putting this material to the test against an angle grinder regions allowed the researchers to deduce how different types (equipped with sapphire-finished cutting discs) and a drill, the of loops contribute to the FSDP. “[We] believe this approach may lead to the settlement of R R the long-lasting debate regarding the origin of the FSDP in Starbar and Moly-D elements glassy systems,” they write in the conclusion. “More generally, it can be applied to analyze and categorize molecular dynamics are made in the U.S.A. data and reveal hidden medium-range order in various amor- with a focus on providing phous materials.” the highest quality heating elements The open-access paper, published in Science Advances, is “Revealing hidden medium-range order in amorphous mate- and service to the global market. rials using topological data analysis” (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv. abc2320).n

Understanding electron transport in graphene nanoribbons Researchers from École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne employed advanced computer simulations to learn how electrical conductivity of graphene nanoribbons is affected by chemical functionalization with guest organic molecules that consist of chains composed of an increasing 2 number of aromatic rings. They discovered the conductance at energies I R -- 56 years of service and reliability matching the energy levels of the corresponding isolated molecule was reduced by one quantum, or left unaffected based on whether the number I Squared R Element Co., Inc. of aromatic rings possessed by the bound molecule was odd or even. Akron, NY Phone: (716)542-5511 For more information, visit https://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer/ 56 Fax: (716)542-2100 media/research-news. n 1964 - 2020 Email: [email protected] www.isquaredrelement.com

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 17 research briefs

amplifying vibrations at the interface and further wearing down the tool before it can make significant progress into the material. Combined, these features give Proteus a one-two-three punch—a highly abrasive interface, heat generated at the interface due to that friction, and vibrations—that work together against the cutting tool, destroying it before it can destroy the material. In addition, the researchers speculate in the paper that localized heating could enable a phase change in alumina, den- sifying it to further resist cutting. Although the team is still investigating the full mechanism and full potential of Proteus, they believe “The configuration Credit: Stefan Szyniszewski, YouTube of our new architected material can be tailored to a broad Researchers in the U.K. and Germany developed a ceramic– range of applications.” metal composite that, despite being just 15% as dense as steel, is nearly uncuttable. The open-access paper, published in Scientific Reports, is “Non-cuttable material created through local resonance and researchers showed the composite resists most damage beyond strain rate effects” (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65976-0). n surface cuts, performing better than rolled homogeneous armor. When a cutting tool slices into Proteus and encounters Weak concrete, heavy trucks—understanding an alumina sphere, it breaks apart into fine particulate mat- reasons for sewer line failure ter—creating a “sandpaper-like, vibrating interface with the Researchers at The Ohio State University looked to develop a cutting disc,” the researchers write in the paper describing more encompassing model to account for the numerous factors their findings. The abrasive action of the alumina particulates and uncertainties that affect behavior of concrete sewer pipes. quickly wears down cutting surfaces, preventing the tool from Many drinking water and wastewater systems in the United penetrating further into the composite. In addition, the small States desperately need repair. An assessment by the American alumina particles better resist penetration “due to the increase Society of Civil Engineers in 2017 rated the overall condition of their system level resistance under high strain rates,” the of these systems at D and D+, respectively. The assessment esti- researchers note. mated nearly $150 billion would be needed to fix and main- In other words, the material is willing to sacrifice a few alu- tain these systems—yet only $45 billion is designated for this mina spheres to protect its overall integrity, allowing it to last purpose. And as systems age and the population continues to much longer against cutting tools. grow, the gap between needed funding and available funding But an abrasive surface is not all the composite has in its will continue to widen as well. arsenal. The natural frequency of the material also works Funding, unfortunately, is not a problem that researchers against cutting tools—as the tool spins, it generates vibrational can solve. However, understanding how systems age and why frequencies that interact with those of the spheres, essentially systems fail are questions they can address. And the answers

Research News

Machine-learning helps sort out massive materials’ databases Recharging N95 masks for continued usage Researchers at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and the Researchers from India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology used machine-learning to organize and Israel’s Technion-IIT discovered a method to restore the filtration the chemical diversity found in the ever-growing databases for metal- efficiency of N95 masks to out-of-box levels as long as the mask is organic frameworks (MOFs). Currently, there are over 90,000 MOFs not structurally compromised. The method involves tossing an N95 published, and the number grows every day. Though exciting, the sheer into a standard washing machine to clean it and then recharging it by number of MOFs makes it difficult to know if a proposed MOF is truly a new sandwiching the mask between two electrodes at high voltage to recover structure and not some minor variation of a structure that has already been its 95% efficiency. For more information, visit https://publishing.aip.org/ synthesized. The researchers found the major databases have bias toward publications/latest-content. n particular structures. For more information, visit https://actu.epfl.ch. n

18 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 their service life warrants comprehensive sensitivity analyses for deteriorated sewer pipes in future investigations,” they write. They add that other pipe configurations and more details on different soil types should be investigated as well. The paper, published in Structure and Infrastructure Engi- neering, is “Significant variables for leakage and collapse of buried concrete sewer pipes: a global sensitivity analysis via Bayesian additive regression trees and Sobol’ indices” (DOI: 10.1080/15732479.2020.1762674). n

Researchers improve understanding of insulator- metal transition in vanadium dioxide films Researchers from the Institute for Theoretical and Applied Credit: PxHere Electromagnetics at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Researchers at The Ohio State University found weak concrete Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology used the frame- and heavy trucks are two factors that contribute to failure of concrete sewer pipes. work of blow-up overheating instability to improve understanding of the insulator-metal transition in vanadium dioxide. to these questions will help the people who do decide funding The insulator-metal transition refers to the switch from better understand the urgency of the situation. being insulating to conductive in some materials once they Many factors, including material properties, geometry, and reach a certain temperature. The transition in vanadium loading, affect the behavior of water infrastructure, and each dioxide occurs closest to room temperature, at 340 K (67°C factor comes with different levels of significance and uncer- or 152°F), so harnessing vanadium dioxide’s transition in tainties. So determining which factors play the biggest role in failure can be difficult. “To address the high computational demands [involved with calculating so many factors], past studies chose a selected number of variables related to deterioration, material, geometry, and loading properties to estimate the probability of failure of pipes,” the OSU researchers write in their paper. “However, the selected variables may not include all significant variables. This Custom Designed subsequently leads to treatment of influential variables as deter- Vacuum Furnaces for: ministic, which negatively affects results of reliability analysis by • CVD SiC Etch & RTP rings disregarding the corresponding uncertainties.” • CVD/CVI systems for CMC components To develop a more encompassing model, the researchers • Sintering, Debind, Annealing developed a surrogate model based on Bayesian additive regression trees, a regression method that supports uncertainty quan- tification. It allowed them to evaluate the stress to sewer pipes by each variable individually and in combination. Unsurpassed thermal and After conducting several statistical analyses using the Ohio deposition uniformity Supercomputer Center, they identified several factors that Each system custom designed to appear to most influence formation of cracks that threaten suit your specific requirements structural integrity. Laboratory to Production • Material properties of the concrete pipes, including Exceptional automated control systems providing improved tensile strength, compressive strength, and elastic modulus product quality, consistency coefficient. and monitoring • Variables associated with trucks driving on the road Worldwide commissioning, above the pipes, including wheel load and number of trucks. training and service • Properties of the soil, including backfill density and bed- ding elastic modulus. 100 Billerica Ave, The researchers focused on performance of pristine buried www.tevtechllc.com Billerica, MA 01862 concrete sewer pipes and did not consider impacts of degrada- Tel. (978) 667-4557 Fax. (978) 667-4554 tion over time. “However, the importance of corrosion for the [email protected] serviceability and structural integrity of these structures over

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 19 research briefs

determine whether vanadium dioxide film structure affected occurrence of nonhomogeneous overheating. So they compared data on high-quality epitaxial vanadium dioxide films, which came from a 2013 paper, to data on nanocrys- talline granular vanadium dioxide films, which came from experiments they per- formed. They found qualitative observations of the insulator-metal transition in granular and epitaxial films were similar despite differences in the characteristic parameter values. “Thus, we conclude that a macroscopic mechanism of the IMT in the vanadium dioxide films is Credit: Vario Glass, YouTube An example of thermochromic glass, a type of passive smart glass technology that universal and independent of the film changes tint in response to heat. Researchers are actively investigating the use of structure,” they write. vanadium dioxide in such glass. Following this conclusion, the researchers created models to study more applications is much easier to achieve development of the overheating in closely the occurrence of nonhomoge- compared to other materials that exhibit homogeneous samples. neous overheating near the insulator- this transition. However, though the In the recent paper, the Russian metal transition temperature. existence of an insulator-metal transition researchers looked to explain the non- They determined small local pertur- in vanadium dioxide was confirmed in homogeneous overheating and how it bations in the uniform temperature 1959, the mechanism behind this transi- relates to the insulator-metal transition distribution leads to localized areas of tion remains hotly debated more than within the framework of blow-up over- overheating and blow-up, which thus 60 years later. heating instability. raises temperature in that area high There are several theories as to what At the beginning of their paper, enough to cause the transition from causes the transition, but the overheat- they emphasize their goal is to provide insulating to conductive behavior. These ing instability and the blow-up regime a general explanation for the obser- localized blow-ups then grow and merge framework is one applied in recent years vances rather than construct a detailed together, turning into a narrow, over- to understand the transition. Overheat- theory of the phenomenon. heated conductive channel in the insu- ing instability refers to conditions in “The problem of the IMT [insulator- lating environment. which a system’s heat generation exceeds metal transition] in VO includes two 2 The researchers note the mathemati- heat removal, causing sample tempera- aspects: microscopic and macroscopic. cal description they proposed to explain ture to increase over time. This instabili- The microscopic aspect of the problem is this blow-up overheating mechanism ty can lead to the blow-up regime, which a separate task, which is of interest and is similar to that used to describe the is when the rate of temperature increase importance. … Here we consider only superconductor-normal state transition is faster than exponential. (In formal the macroscopic part of the problem. in commercial high-T tapes. However, terminology, the temperature becomes Thus, we do not discuss the physical c “the hot channel in high-T tapes is infinite in a finite time.) nature of the IMT itself,” they write. c directed across the current flow in These terms are generally used to For their study, the researchers contrast to the IMT where instability explain observances in plasmas, semicon- focused on investigating thin films of develops along the current direction,” ductors, and superconductors. But in vanadium dioxide. Bulk samples of vana- they write. the early 2010s, several papers suggested dium dioxide also exhibit the insulator- The paper, published in Physical Review the overheating mechanism also plays metal transition, but they tend to crack B, is “Blow-up overheating instability a role in the voltage-induced insulator- after several transition cycles because of in vanadium dioxide thin films” (DOI: metal transition in vanadium dioxide. changes in the crystal structure. In con- 10.1103/PhysRevB.101.214310). n This suggestion was since developed in trast, thin films are durable and can sur- further studies, but one intriguing fea- vive many transition cycles, thus making ture observed in numerous experiments them more promising for applications. remains unexplained—nonhomogeneous The researchers first wanted to

20 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 advances in nanomaterials

Liquid crystals offer way to reconfigure optical properties of metalenses Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and University of Calabria (Italy) explored using liquid crystals to gain dynamic control over the optical properties of metalenses. Metalenses are a type of metasurface, i.e., artificially nanostructured surface, that can focus light without causing image distortion. They were selected as among the Top 10 Emerging Technologies by the World Economic Forum in 2019, but they still face a few limitations compared to traditional lenses, including lower light transmission efficiency and size restraints. One limitation of metalenses that scientists are looking to overcome is the lack of dynamic control over optical prop- Credit: Case Western Reserve University erties. Metalenses are generally designed to fulfill a single Researchers in the U.S. and Italy found infiltrating metalenses functionality, which “presents a barrier to potential applica- with liquid crystals may allow dynamic control of the lenses’ optical properties. tion where differing optical responses may be necessary,” the researchers write in their paper. The paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy The researchers note numerous studies in recent years have of Sciences USA, is “Optical properties of metasurfaces infiltrat- explored different methods by which to design reconfigurable ed with liquid crystals” (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006336117). n metasurfaces, such as mechanical and thermal approaches. They decided to explore yet another approach—using liquid crystals to modify a metalens’ optical properties. Liquid crystals are a birefringent complex fluid, meaning the fluid has two different refractive indices that correspond to the polarization of light. Previous studies investigated creating reconfigurable optics using conventionally sandwiched liquid crystal cells with The Experts in Technical one of the two plates coated with a metasurface. However, “Opposed to these implementations involving a bulky [liquid Ceramic Machining crystal] cell, we propose in this work to harness the wetting properties of the metalens to replace the air between the pla- nar nanostructures,” the researchers write. The researchers used three common thermotropic rod- shaped nematic liquid crystals—MBBA (Sigma-Aldrich), E7 (Merck), and BL009 (Beam Co.)—to modify the optical properties of metalenses composed of fused silica nanopillars on a fused silica substrate. They found infiltrating the metalens with liquid crystals noticeably affected the optical properties. In particular, there was a loss in focusing ability following infiltration because “The metalens structures are designed for ambient conditions, At , we machine technical ceramics for … They are not designed to accommodate the relatively small PremaTech index contrast produced by infiltration of [nematic liquid a wide range of tough applications in these markets: crystals] whose refractive indices are similar to the constituent > Semiconductor > Medical Device material,” they write. > LED > Aerospace & Defense The researchers note more studies are needed on control- > Optics > R&D ling the local molecular orientation of liquid crystals and All our expertise is under one roof, so we’re easy to on designing metalenses to better accommodate infiltration. work with and custom specs are our specialty. However, “This is just the first step, … and we have already been contacted by companies interested in this technology,” Learn more at prematechac.com Giuseppe Strangi, senior author and physics professor at Case Western, says in the press release.

19504-PremaTech Ceramics Society AD.indd 1 9/6/19 3:10 PM American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 21 advances in nanomaterials

Understanding uniform deposition of 2D materials for printed electronics In a recent paper, an international team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge propose an explanation for the mechanism behind a possible solution they discovered in 2017 to uniformly deposit inks based on 2D materials. 2D materials have unique electronic and optical properties that make them of interest for use in printed electronics, a nascent branch of electronics manu-

facturing that involves using established Credit: Hu et al., Science Advances (CC BY 4.0) printing techniques, such as screen print- Inverted optical micrographs of dried isopropanol-based droplets (top) and ing, ink-jet printing, or gravure printing, isopropanol/2-butanol-based droplets (bottom). The accompanying illustrations to deposit conductive materials onto a show the differences between their drying mechanisms: coffee-ring effect (top) and given substrate in a predefined pattern. Marangoni flow (bottom). Researchers have attempted to create additives on material functionality,” the In the case of inks made using the printed electronics by depositing inks researchers write. isopropanol/2-butanol solvent, isopro- based on 2D materials, but the way In 2017, the researchers investigated panol evaporates faster than 2-butanol. such inks are created leads to difficul- black phosphorus ink formulation So the isopropanol along the contact ties with deposition. and made a surprising discovery—they line (edge) of the droplet evaporates first, The inks are often created through achieved uniform ink deposition when leaving mostly 2-butanol behind. This liquid-phase exfoliation, a group of using a mixture of isopropanol and evaporation causes a difference in sur- approaches that exfoliate 2D materials 2-butanol for the solvent in the liquid- face tension between the 2-butanol-rich from bulk materials directly in a liquid phase exfoliation process. edge and isopropanol-rich center of the media. These dispersions are then used Isopropanol is widely used as a sol- droplet, “leading to a Marangoni flow for device fabrication. vent for graphics inks. But traditionally, from thicker areas to thinner areas” and “However, this direct adaption with- use of isopropanol solvent to process uniform spreading of the 2D materials, out elaborate ink formulation through inks based on 2D materials led to non- the researchers write. control over composition, rheology, and uniform deposition. Why did mixing The researchers printed arrays of non- fluidic properties presents challenges in 2-butanol with isopropanol change the linear optical saturable absorbers, room achieving uniformly deposited functional deposition outcome? temperature gas sensors, and photodetec- structures and, hence, device reproduc- That question went unanswered tors to demonstrate the potential of inks ibility and scalability,” the researchers in the 2017 paper. So the researchers created using the isopropanol/2-butanol write in their open-access paper. looked to answer it in the recent study. solvent. For all devices, the performanc- One parameter hindering the uni- They observed that while drop- es were “well within acceptable statistical form deposition is how the ink dries. lets were “pinned” (the outer edge variations for printed device manufactur- When inks based on 2D materials dry, remained stationary) at the early stage ing from 2D crystal inks, addressing one they exhibit the coffee-ring effect, a type of drying in the isopropanol case, drop- of the most challenging obstacles toward of capillary flow. In particular, differ- lets expanded at an almost constant their additive manufacturability.” ent evaporation rates across the droplet speed and did not pin until later in the The 2017 open-access paper, pub- cause liquid evaporating from the edge isopropanol/2-butanol case—thus sup- lished in Nature Communications, is to be replenished by liquid from the inte- pressing the coffee-ring effect. “Black phosphorus ink formulation for rior—leading to ring-shaped, nonuniform In the results section, the research- inkjet printing of optoelectronics and deposition of the ink. ers propose Marangoni flows in the photonics” (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017- “Although various strategies have isopropanol/2-butanol mixture prevent- 00358-1). been developed to suppress the [coffee- ed the droplets from pinning. The 2020 open-access paper, pub- ring effect], none of these are generally The Marangoni effect describes how lished in Science Advances, is “A general applicable for 2D crystal inks due to fluid flow along the interface of two ink formulation of 2D crystals for wafer- problems of dispersion stability, postpro- fluids is affected by differences in the scale inkjet printing” (DOI: 10.1126/ cessing requirements, or the effect of ink fluids’ surface tensions. sciadv.aba5029). n

22 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 ceramics in biomedicine

Focused ion beam milling may improve accuracy of zirconia fracture toughness measurements Researchers from the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute in Chicago, in collaboration with a colleague from Argonne National Laboratory, explored using focused ion beam milling to improve accuracy of zirconia fracture toughness measurements. Typically, fracture toughness of advanced ceramics is measured using one of the three methods introduced in ASTM C1421–18: single-edge precracked beam (SEPB), surface crack in flexure (SCF), or single-edge V-notched beam (SEVNB). But for yttria-

stabilized zirconia, the SEVNB method is not recommended. Credit: Bin im Garten, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) “For the SEVNB method to be comparable to other Example of a metal-free zirconia dental bridge. Researchers led standard methods, such as the SEPB and SCF methods, it by the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute is critical to create a notch-tip that closely approximates a in Chicago found focused ion beam milling may improve accuracy of zirconia fracture toughness measurements. sharp crack,” the researchers write in their open-access paper. However, due to yttria-stabilized zirconia’s fine grain size of a rability of the focused ion beam milling technique with other few hundred nanometers, “machining a notch-tip radius of suf- methods, “[Focused ion beam milling] may be promising as a ficient sharpness in 3Y-TZP [3 mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal technique to generate nanometer-sized notches in ceramics for zirconia polycrystal] for the SEVNB method [is difficult].” fracture toughness measurements,” they conclude. To create a notch-tip radius of sufficient sharpness, the The open-access paper, published in Journal of Biomedical researchers explored using focused ion beam milling, a tech- Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials, is “Fracture tough- nique commonly used in the semiconductor industry but ness of zirconia with a nanometer size notch fabricated using gaining use in biological fields. It involves using a focused focused ion beam milling” (DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.34668). n ion beam to either image a sample (low beam) or sputter/mill small volumes of materials at specified locations (high beam). Use of focused ion beam milling to improve fracture toughness measurements of dental ceramics was first reported in 2008, when researchers in Germany reported fracture toughness test results from focus ion beam-notched ceria-doped zirconia. In the recent paper, the researchers note rapid progress of instrumentation has made focused ion beam systems more accessible in both academia and industry today, and thus they wanted to investigate preparing zirconia samples using focused ion beam milling as well. They created a V-shaped notch at the center of each yttria- stabilized zirconia specimen before sintering using a modified saw blade technique. After sintering, they added an additional notch to six of the 11 specimens using the focused ion beam technique. Analysis of the samples found the focus ion beam-notched specimens demonstrated lower fracture toughness values (5.64 ± 1.14 MPa√m) compared to specimens with saw blade- notches only (8.90 ± 0.23 MPa√m). This finding aligned with the results from the 2008 study, which also observed a decrease in fracture toughness values as notch root radius decreased. In 1994, round robin testing on the same type of yttria-stabilized zirconia using the SCF method yielded a fracture toughness of 4.36 ± 0.44 MPa√m. This finding would appear to support the hypothesis that focus ion beam-notched samples are more accu- rate than traditionally notched samples. “However, it is not possible to make conclusive statements about the comparability of this method with other standard methods, such as the SCF and SEPB methods, without further testing,” the researchers write. Though further testing is needed to fully understand the effects of notch geometry on measurements, as well as compa-

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 23 ceramics in energy

Polymer-coated bricks store energy Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis turned regular red bricks into energy storage units using organic electronics. Organic electronics is an emerging field of electronics based on organic materials, such as some polymers and organic molecules. Compared to classical electronics, which are based on inorganic materials, organic electronics are more flexible, cover larger areas, and cost less to produce. However, organic electronics have lower energy density and reduced performance next to inorganics, so it is best to view the technologies as complementary rather than competing. One polymer that is being researched extensively for organic electronics is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), or PEDOT. PEDOT possesses excellent chemical and physical stability as well as high electrical conductivity.

PEDOT can be synthesized in several ways, but vapor-phase Credit: Wang et al., Nature Communications (CC BY 4.0) polymerization is a particularly promising strategy. This pro- Example of polymer-coated bricks that store energy like cess, which uses an oxidizing agent in vapor form to cause mol- a battery. When connected in series, the bricks serve as a ecules called monomers to bond together to form polymers, supercapacitor module capable of powering a green light- emitting diode. results in conformal coatings of low electrical resistance in a single step. tite, meaning they contain the ferric ions necessary to initiate Usually, ferric (Fe3+) ions are used as the oxidizing agent, vaper-phase polymerization. and they are introduced into the process in the form of ferric- Compared to the rusted steel sheet used in the original ion-containing salts. However, ferric-ion-containing salts are study, “A fired brick’s open microstructure, mechanical robust- corrosive, can be quite expensive, and are chemically unstable ness and 8 wt% -Fe O content afford an ideal substrate for ~ α 2 3 because they undergo hydrolysis over time, which challenges developing electrochemical PEDOT electrodes and stationary the reproducibility of experiments. supercapacitors that readily stack into modules,” the research- The PEDOT vapor-phase polymerization process could be ers write in a new paper. less expensive and more sustainable if an alternative source of Using the synthesis process developed in 2019, they dis- ferric ions is used—and that is what the Washington research- solved the hematite contained in bricks to enable a reaction ers identified in their research. that coated the bricks in a PEDOT film. They then showed In nature, there are three main oxides of iron: hematite how these PEDOT-coated bricks could be used as electrodes in (Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4), and wüstite (FeO). Hematite is the a symmetric supercapacitor. most abundant of the three oxides, and it contains ferric ions. In a Washington press release, assistant professor of chem- Compared to ferric-ion-containing salts, hematite is safe to istry Julio D’Arcy explains the potential these bricks have to handle and affordable. transform the built environment. In 2019, the Washington researchers published a study “PEDOT-coated bricks are ideal building blocks that can exploring how they might separate ferric ions from hematite provide power to emergency lighting,” he says. “We envision for use in the PEDOT polymerization process. that this could be a reality when you connect our bricks with They used hydrochloric acid vapor to dissolve rust, a solar cells—this could take 50 bricks in close proximity to the hydrated form of hematite (Fe2O3∙nH2O). The reaction load. These 50 bricks would enable powering emergency light- freed aquated ferric ions to react with monomer vapor and ing for five hours.” initiate the polymerization of PEDOT into freestanding, In addition, “a brick wall serving as a supercapacitor can be nanofibrillar films. recharged hundreds of thousands of times within an hour. If Upon testing, the PEDOT films were found to have high you connect a couple of bricks, microelectronics sensors would conductivity and high electrochemical stability, thus showing be easily powered,” he adds. “Rust-based vapor-phase polymerization is a novel approach for The 2019 paper, published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, producing high-performing conducting polymers,” they write. is “Converting rust to PEDOT nanofibers for supercapacitors” Following this study, the researchers began to consider ways (DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.9b00244). to maximize the potential of this synthesis method. And that is The 2020 open-access paper, published in Nature where bricks come in. Communications, is “Energy storing bricks for stationary PEDOT Conventional red bricks get their red coloring from hema- supercapacitors” (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17708-1). n

24 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Tinted semitransparent solar panels for agrivoltaics Researchers from several universities in the United Kingdom and Italy investigated using tinted semitransparent solar panels to overcome a limitation of agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics refers to the practice of co-locating photovoltaic infrastructure and agriculture by planting crops under photovoltaic panels. Supporters of agrivoltaics note numerous benefits to both photovoltaics and crops, but one potential downside to the system is lower crop yield of plants that do not grow well in shade. “For example, for lettuce, the total biomass yield under agrivoltaic installation in Montpellier (France) was 15–30% less than the control conditions (i.e., full-sun conditions). When growth of tomato was Credit: Thompson et al., Advanced Energy Materials (CC BY 4.0) tested in Japan, the yield in an agrivoltaic Representative examples of basil leaves from plants grown under (H) clear glass panels regime was about 10% lower than for and (I) tinted semitransparent solar panels. The white horizontal bar represents 50 mm. conventional agriculture,” the researchers write in their open-access paper. photosynthesis,” the researchers write. ketable biomass for both basil (-15%) The researchers propose the key to over- Based on this knowledge, a solar and spinach (-26%). However, when elec- coming this limitation is not simply to let panel that absorbs blue and green wave- tricity generation is taken into consider- more light through—the key is customizing lengths while allowing red wavelengths ation, “our experimental data has shown which wavelengths of light get through. to pass through may mitigate the detri- that agrivoltaics could give a substantial In conventional agrivoltaics, opaque ments of shade because the wavelength overall financial gain calculated to be and neutral semitransparent solar pan- most important to photosynthesis is still +2.5% for basil and +35% for spinach els absorb electromagnetic radiation reaching the underlying plants. compared with classical agriculture,” uniformly across the entire visible spec- In their study, the researchers created they write. trum. However, visible wavelengths are tinted semitransparent solar panels that In the conclusion, the researchers not absorbed uniformly by the underly- absorb preferentially blue and green note a few limitations of their study and ing plants. wavelengths, leaving most of the red areas for more exploration. For example, Chlorophylls, the main photosyn- wavelengths for photosynthesis. They the study does not allow conclusions to thetic pigments in plants, absorb wave- installed the solar panels over beds of be drawn on the effect of agrivoltaics on lengths mostly in the red (≈600–700 nm) basil and spinach for testing. plants where underground tissues might and blue (≈400–500 nm) regions of the Compared to plants grown under have different functions, such as storage electromagnetic spectrum; wavelengths panels of clear glass, plants grown under in tubers. in the green region (≈500–600 nm) are the tinted semitransparent solar panels “Further experimental trials using rarely absorbed. demonstrated more efficient photo- semi-transparent solar panels with spe- At the same time, other pigments synthetic use of light (up to 68% for cific, targeted optical properties might such as carotenoids and anthocyanins spinach) and a preferential redirection permit the development of novel meth- absorb wavelengths in the blue and green of metabolic energy toward tissues above ods for tailoring the content of specific regions, respectively, with the purpose of ground (up to 63% for basil). In addi- nutrients in crops,” they write. dissipating excess/harmful solar energy to tion, the amount of protein extracted The open-access paper, published in protect the photosynthetic apparatus. from both plants was increased in leaf Advanced Energy Materials, is “Tinted Taken together, “part of the solar (basil: +14.1%; spinach: +53.1%), stem semitransparent solar panels allow energy absorbed in the blue and green (basil: +37.6%; spinach: +67.9%), and concurrent production of crops and portions of the electromagnetic spectrum root (basil: +9.6%; spinach: +15.5%). electricity on the same cropland” (DOI: is dissipated without contributing to There was a loss in the yield of mar- 10.1002/aenm.202001189). n

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 25 ceramics in manufacturing

Support bath simplifies additive manufacturing of polymer-derived ceramics Researchers at the University of Texas quite easily from a nozzle. at Dallas successfully demonstrated the However, preceramic polymers use of gel-like viscoplastic fluid to support tend to have low viscosity, mak- preceramic polymers during the printing ing it difficult to control flow of process of polymer-derived ceramics. the material. Polymer-derived ceramics are a class Currently, the main method of ceramics obtained by pyrolysis of poly- for 3D printing polymer-derived mer precursors. Compared to powder- ceramics is stereolithography, or based methods of ceramic fabrication, methods in which a photosensi- use of preceramic polymers allows tive resin is laid down layer-by- fabrication of dense ceramics in near layer and cured using UV light.

net shape without sintering. As such, But stereolithographic fabrication Credit: Majid Minary, YouTube polymer-derived ceramics hold great of polymer-derived ceramics faces Using viscoplastic fluid to support preceramic poly- potential in commercial manufacturing several limitations. mers during 3D printing could make the process applications, and the numerous research “Stereolithography is too slow technologically and economically feasible. and development activities since the first for large scale applications. In Minary is associate professor of mechan- reports of such ceramics in the 1960s addition, the method makes use of very ical engineering at the University of Texas have extended significantly the possible expensive and a limited range of raw at Dallas. His lab conducts research on applications of polymer-derived ceramics. materials (photosensitive resins), while ceramic materials for composite applica- In theory, polymer-derived ceramics additional care must be taken owing to tions, and since 2015, they have studied should lend themselves well to additive the environmentally hazardous solvents additive manufacturing techniques as manufacturing, as the polymer state is used to clean up parts,” Majid Minary well, mostly in regard to metals at micro/ viscous and could presumably be ejected says in an email. nanoscale for electronics and sensors.

rld of Scie o nc W e A Abstracts due Nov. 9, 2020 ceramics.org/pacrim14

PACRIM PACIFIC RIM CONFERENCE ON a nd gy Technolo 14CERAMIC AND GLASS TECHNOLOGY including Glass & Optical Materials Division Meeting (GOMD 2021) Hyatt Regency Vancouver | Vancouver, BC, Canada May 23–28, 2021

26 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 About two years ago, Minary’s lab to a semisolid state, thus holding the liq- 2. Curing the polymer at 160°C (while combined those two areas of research uid precursor in place until it could be still in the fluid), and when they started work on 3D printing cured and removed as a solid piece. 3. Removing the cured polymer from polymer-derived ceramics. “We were Minary and his colleagues were curi- the fluid and placing it in a furnace to inspired by work in the biological com- ous if viscoplastic fluids would support undergo pyrolysis at 900°C. munity in printing hydrogels for tissue low-viscosity preceramic polymers as well. The researchers note the process can engineering applications as well as work However, they knew that unlike the other be extended readily to other preceramic for soft robotics,” Minary says. In par- studies, which used liquid precursors polymers, such as silicon carbide and sili- ticular, they were inspired by studies that that cure at low temperatures, preceramic con carbon nitride, and can be extended used viscoplastic fluids to provide sup- polymers require thermally induced cur- to ceramic composites as well by adding port to liquid precursors during the 3D ing at elevated temperatures over 120°C. chopped ceramic fibers and/or func- printing process. In a recent paper, Minary and his tional nanoparticles. Viscoplastic or “yield stress” fluids are colleagues developed through an itera- Minary says they are actively collabo- materials that reversibly switch from a tive process a viscoplastic fluid based on rating with a company and a national semisolid to a liquid state when subject- mineral oil and silica nanoparticles that lab to expand this work to hypersonic ed to sufficiently high shear stress. In the could handle higher temperatures. Then, and harsh environment applications. biological studies, a nozzle was used to they used this fluid to support successful The paper, published in ACS inject liquid precursors into containers fabrication of polymer-derived silicon Applied Materials & Interfaces, is “Three- filled with semisolid, gel-like viscoplastic oxycarbide parts. dimensional printing of ceramics fluids. The motion of the nozzle through The three-step process used to fab- through ‘carving’ a gel and ‘filling in’ the viscoplastic fluid caused shear stress, ricate the silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) the precursor polymer” (DOI: 10.1021/ which led the fluid to liquify. Once the parts includes acsami.0c08260). n nozzle extruding the liquid precursor 1. Injecting the preceramic polymer moved on, the viscoplastic fluid returned into the viscoplastic fluid,

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 27 bulletin cover story Latin America– Indigenous invention Ceramic researchers and companies pursue homegrown solutions to global challenges in Latin America

rom a market perspective, Latin America is F significantly bigger than you may realize. The Pew Research Center projects that Europe’s population will peak in 2021—and by 2037 will be eclipsed by Latin America and the Caribbean, which will By Alex Talavera and Randy B. Hecht grow to 768 million by 2058.1 Industry partnerships drive the focus of much Combine those demographics with newly published World Bank academic research across Latin America, but research about the COVID–19 pandemic’s impact on the productivity gap between developed and emerging economies,2 and you may perceive the financial performance is not the only goal— Latin American market’s value with new appreciation. ACerS members efforts to address environmental impacts in the region say that matters not just macroeconomically but also at the and pursue sustainability play large roles in industry level. research as well. A window to the world “We are facing issues common with many countries around the world, like in Africa or Asia. When you provide a solution for these countries, you can make an impact on half the world,” says professor Henry Colorado of Colombia’s University of Antioquia. Latin American colleagues offer not only research expertise, he says, but also a more global mindset. Professor Victor Carlos Pandolfelli of the Federal University of São Carlos hopes the United States will “open a bit more to the importance of networking with the world—and not waiting for the world to go to United

28 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Capsule summary LARGE POTENTIAL CORPORATE FUNDING SUSTAINABLE FOCUS By 2037, Latin America and the Caribbean For some countries in Latin America, corporate Even as industry partnerships drive the focus of are expected to eclipse Europe in popula- underwriting is essential to conducting academic research, projects must consider sustainability tion. Taken in consideration with World Bank research. That reality makes the market a key and humanitarian factors as well. Universities research on the COVID–19 pandemic’s impact, driver of areas of research focus. and companies throughout Latin America are and the potential for Latin America as a global working to address environmental impacts of market is larger than many people realize. their products.

States. I think that attitude will change that produce electronics here. Most of São Carlos and is editor of the Journal of due to a new, different world we’ll be the electronics come from abroad. In the Non-Crystalline Solids. It can be frustrating living in.” refractory area, we have a much broader negotiating with industry partners who This year’s international report looks menu because the steel industry requires balk at those terms. Inventors receive at the state of the industry in Brazil, top quality products of the refractory 1% of royalties. Colombia, and Chile to assess the producers,” he says. Another challenge for Brazil is retain- opportunities for joint research and ven- Sustainability strategies ing its homegrown talent in physics, tures with Latin American partners. One of Pandolfelli’s areas of chemistry, and materials engineering. research interest is “how to adapt to The country has excellent masters and Brazil: Pursuing eco-innovation the refractory area and high-tempera- doctoral students in those fields, but and Industry 4.0 advances ture ceramic materials to industry 4.0,” with postdoc salaries scarce, many find Companies open to collaboration which involves extensive data mining employment abroad. with university researchers will find and simulations. His goal is to help And high-tech equipment, which is Brazil not only welcomes, but to some advance the capacity to develop prod- not manufactured in Brazil, presents extent requires, their participation. ucts that are not just competitive in a third complication for Zanotto and Faculty members must adhere to strict price and performance but also friendly his colleagues. “We have to import this parameters for use of university or gov- to the environment. “We are carrying equipment, which is hard enough, okay. ernment funding—which, for example, out research to have material and tech But sometimes we get some funding often cannot cover salaries for postdocs knowledge that is competitive for the and we import equipment,” he says. or administrative staff. present and will match with the needs “However, when they break, and they “Most of the funds I have, including of the future,” he says. often break, it’s very expensive to get the building where I have my office and Environmental concerns were the them fixed. Sometimes I had to fly a a laboratory, were sponsored by a compa- topic of the July 28 Online Symposium on technician from Europe. And that’s the ny,” Pandolfelli says. That reality makes Materials and Sustainability, co-presented problem, keeping up with advanced the market a key driver of his areas of by the Federal Universities of São Carlos research equipment.” research focus. and Rio Grande do Sul along with Despite these challenges, Zanotto is “We are the top country in Latin Portugal’s Polytechnic Institute of Viana conducting research in three fields. The America in production of articles and do Castelo. first is the fundamentals of crystal nucle- scientific papers,” he says. “In the mate- And the schedule for the next ation, crystal growth, and crystallization of rials area, and specifically in the ceramic Brazilian Ceramic Society Congress glass. The second is glass-ceramics, “using area, I would point out three major includes two seminars whose titles trans- the accumulated knowledge of nucleation research areas: refractories—that is, high- late as Circular economy: The sustainability crystallization to develop or to improve temperature materials—glass, and sen- bridge for intensive use of natural/chemical glass-ceramics with different types of sors.” Of the three areas, industry plays materials and energy in the ceramics and properties in applications.” And the the most prominent role in refractories, buildings industry and Asbestos-free fiber third is “using computer simulations and which also has the highest concentration cement, the renewable material. machine learning to develop new glasses of MSc and Ph.D. candidates. There are with exotic combinations of properties.” few jobs available in industry for those Data-driven R&D He embarked on this third field just who specialize in glass, most of whom By law, intellectual property that two years ago and explains why he finds become academics, but Pandolfelli esti- emerges from research is owned equally it exciting. “Suppose some industry mates that 60% of those who do gradu- by the university and whatever company needs glass which has a very high index ate study in refractories go on to careers funded the work. “The IP is co-shared, of refraction, or special lenses, and a but the industry which funded the given in industry. very low glass transition temperature (Tg) Those with a concentration in sen- research contract has the privilege of to be molded at very low temperatures. sors are more likely to teach, but some having a licensing agreement,” says pro- You can use machine learning to feed a launch startups, Pandolfelli says. “There fessor Edgar Zanotto, an ACerS member given algorithm with data. And then you are just a few major industries in Brazil who works for the Federal University of train the algorithm and ask it to suggest

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 29 Latin America—Indigeneous invention Credit: Edgar Zanotto Edgar Zanotto (front center) and his colleague and students in the Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials, located in Brazil. combinations of these compositions that LATIN AMERICA MARKET SNAPSHOTS would lead to very high refractive index, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia provide perspectives on Latin very low Tg, for instance. We are doing that already.” America’s role in the world economy Colombia: Seeking convergence By Alex Talavera and Randy B. Hecht of industrial and social progress A look at the capabilities and challenges driving the region’s growth as a foreign As in Brazil, academic research commerce force with which to be reckoned. in Colombia depends on corporate Unless otherwise noted, the information on each region comes from the CIA World underwriting, whether from domestic Factbook at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook. or international partners. Without it, Brazil: South America’s In 2017, Brazil’s purchasing power parity GDP was research projects are not economically resourceful global trader $3.248 billion ($15,600 per capita), a 1% annual sustainable, says Colorado, whose work growth rate after two consecutive years in which Brazil accounts for GDP fell by 3.5%. Services generated 72.7% of is concentrated in the diverse fields of nearly half of the South composites, ceramics, arts, additive man- GDP, followed by industry (20.7%) and agriculture American land mass and (6.6%). Leading industries include textiles, shoes, ufacturing, and solid waste management. shares borders with every country in the region chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, air- “I try not to work for a specific indus- with the exceptions of Ecuador and Chile. The craft, motor vehicles and parts, and other machin- try,” he says. “The work I do in waste majority of its population of nearly 212 million ery and equipment. The country’s labor force is management and circular economy, for lives along the Atlantic coast and is particularly 104.2 million; services employ 58.5%, followed by concentrated in urban areas in the southeast. The industry (32.1%) and agriculture (9.4%). instance, can be used in several sectors most populous cities are Sao Paulo (22 million) and industry types.” and Rio de Janeiro (13.5 million); the capital city, Brazil has achieved a strong positive balance of But he adds that even as industry Brasilia, is home to 4.6 million. trade, with $217.2 billion in 2017 exports against partnerships drive the focus of research, 153.2 billion in imports. Transport equipment, According to 2011 estimates (the latest available iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, and auto- projects must consider sustainability and from the CIA World Factbook), the remainder of mobiles are among the leading exports, and the humanitarian factors, not just financial the country included 32.9% agricultural land and country’s chief export partners are China, the U.S., performance. “I always want my research 61.9% forest. But those figures predate the fires Argentina, and the Netherlands. Leading imports that saw deforestation rates peak at 2,200 square include machinery, electrical and transport equip- converted into a successful product,” he kilometers per month in July 2019—between says, but his further goal is to advance ment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts and double and quadruple the highest monthly rates electronics, and chief import partners are China, 1 solutions for the environment, com- recorded in each of the preceding four years. the U.S., Argentina, and Germany. munities, small companies, or even local Land management and environmental protection are of particular concern in Brazil, whose natural One notable resource constraint threatens to communities in need. “I am an engineer, limit Brazil’s capacity for continued sustain- and I like to work with industry because resources include alumina, bauxite, beryllium, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, niobium, phosphates, able economic advances: its rate of population it’s one of the ways research becomes a platinum, tantalum, tin, rare earth elements, ura- growth, which stands at just 0.67%. “Brasilia real solution,” he says. nium, petroleum, and timber. has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human Low-tech practices are common As home to much of the Amazon and other great in his region, so these partnerships capital and strengthen its social and economic waterways, the country is also a standout in its use institutions,” the CIA World Factbook notes, provide an opportunity to raise indus- of hydropower. Hydroelectric plants generate 64% “but is funding a study abroad program to bring trial awareness of more advanced of total installed electricity capacity, followed by advanced skills back to the country. The current products and methods as they address other renewable sources (18%), fossil fuels (17%), favorable age structure will begin to shift around social issues. His favorite success story and nuclear fuels (1%). 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the

30 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 elderly starting to compose an increasing share China, the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, and Germany are on the export side and the U.S., China, Mexico, of the total population.” Chile’s largest import partners. Brazil, and Germany for imports. To learn more about this market, see the U.S. This level of foreign commerce activity, along Colombia ranks fourth worldwide in coal production International Trade Administration’s Brazil with its market-oriented economy and global and is the world’s third-largest exporter of both Commercial Guide,2 the World Bank’s Doing Business confidence in its financial institutions and policy, coffee and cut flowers. It is also Latin America’s in Brazil guide,3 and resources available through the have enabled Chile to attain South America’s stron- fourth-largest producer of oil, after Brazil, Mexico, Brazilian–American Chamber of Commerce.4 gest sovereign bond rating. However, its income and Venezuela. But it continues to face obstacles inequality is ranked as the worst among members to sustained growth. The CIA World Factbook of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation notes: “Colombia’s economic development is ham- Chile: Going to great and Development; Chile became the first South pered by inadequate infrastructure, poverty, nar- lengths in foreign American member of the OECD in 2010. cotrafficking, and an uncertain security situation, commerce For more information about this market, see in addition to dependence on primary commodities From its northern border the U.S. International Trade Administration’s (goods that have little value-added from processing with Peru to its termina- Chile Commercial Guide,7 the World Bank’s or labor inputs).” tion at the southern tip of South America, Chile Doing Business in Chile guide,8 and resources In April 2020, Colombia became the third Latin covers 2,700 miles. To put that in perspective, if available through the North American–Chilean American country (along with Chile and Mexico) to you traveled from Cabo San Lucas to Vancouver, Chamber of Commerce.9 join the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and you would still have to log another 280 miles to Development. (Costa Rica is in the final stages of cover a distance equal to the length of Chile. By completing its requirements.) Colombia’s admis- contrast, the country runs only about 217 miles Colombia: Resources, sion to the OECD is the culmination of five years across at its widest point and not even 10 miles at reforms, and rising of reform efforts that conformed the country’s its narrowest.5 trade profile legislation, policies, and practices to OECD stan- From prehistory to the present, that long, skinny With its Caribbean and dards. These reforms covered such areas as labor terrain was dotted with 481 volcanoes, as tallied Pacific beaches, Andean practices, judicial reform, corporate governance by the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism peaks, and Amazonian waterways, Colombia is of state-owned enterprises, antibribery measures, Program database.6 Although only 105 of those home to diverse topographies and ecosystems. and establishment of a national policy on industrial have been active in the past 10,000 years, Chile’s Like its neighbor Brazil, the country holds vast chemicals and waste management. natural resource wealth owes a debt to volcanic spans of land that have not given way to urbaniza- To learn more about pursuing opportunities in eruptions dating to the Cenozoic Era that produced tion—forests and agricultural land occupy, respec- this market, see the U.S. International Trade deposits of copper, iron, silver, molybdenum, man- tively, 54.4% and 37.5% of its terrain. But as in Administration’s Colombia Commercial Guide,10 ganese, and coal.5 Brazil, demand for timber has sparked deforesta- the World Bank’s Doing Business in Colombia The capital city of Santiago is home to 6.7 million tion in the Amazon jungle. guide,11 and resources available through AmCham people, roughly a third of the national population Another hydropower champion, Colombia generat- Colombia.12 n of nearly 18.2 million; 90% of Chileans live in the ed 69% of its total installed electricity capacity via References central third of the country and 87.7% are in urban hydroelectric plants in 2017—but in a country of 1“The Amazon in Brazil is on fire—how bad is it?” BBC News. areas. The labor force numbers 8.9 million, of 49 million people, one million lack access to elec- 30 August 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin- whom 67.1% work in services, followed by 23.7% tricity. Its exploitable resources include petroleum, america-49433767 in industry and 9.2% in agriculture. natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, 2U.S. International Trade Administration’s Brazil Commercial For 2017, Chile’s purchasing power GDP was and emeralds. These assets are key to Colombia’s Guide. Available at https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/ brazil-market-overview?section-nav=1851 $452.1 billion ($24,500 per capita). Although this foreign trade activity but also increase its vulner- 3 reflects an increase of 1.5% over the previous ability to market fluctuations. World Bank’s Doing Business in Brazil. Available at https:// www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/ year, that growth rate was down for the third con- The Colombian labor force numbers 25.76 million. country/b/brazil/BRA.pdf secutive year, a shift driven largely by a reduction Services represent 62% of employment, followed 4Available at https://brazilcham.com in copper prices. With the exception of 2009, Chile by industry (21%) and agriculture (17%). Major 5 averaged annual real growth of almost 5% for industries include textiles, food processing, oil, Johnson, J. J. “Chile.” Britannica. Last updated 25 August 2020. https://www.britannica.com/place/Chile every year from 2003 through 2013. clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, 6 cement, gold, coal, and emeralds. Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution National Services account for 63% of GDP, followed by Museum of Natural History. https://volcano.si.edu/# industry (32.8%) and agriculture (4.2%). Leading In 2017, the country’s purchasing power parity 7U.S. International Trade Administration’s Chile Commercial industrial sectors include copper, lithium, other GDP was $711.6 billion, or $14,400 per capita, Guide. Available at https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/ minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and and prior to that year, real GDP growth averaged exporting-chile-market-overview?section-nav=4185 steel, wood and wood products, transport equip- 4.7% annually for a decade. But despite that per- 8World Bank’s Doing Business in Chile. Available at https:// ment, cement, and textiles. formance, 28% of the population lives below the www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/ country/c/chile/CHL.pdf Chile has a positive balance of trade, with exports poverty line. Services generate 62.1% of GDP, fol- 9 of 69.23 billion against imports of $61.31 billion. lowed by industry (30.8%) and agriculture (7.2%). North American–Chilean Chamber of Commerce. Available at http://www.nacchamber.com Copper, its top export, generates 20% of govern- In 2017, industrial production fell by 2.2%. 10 ment revenue. Additional leading export commodi- For 2017, export volume was $39.48 billion against “Colombia Commercial Guide.” U.S. International Trade Administration. https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/ ties include fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, import volume of $44.24 billion. Leading exports exporting-colombia-market-overview?section-nav=5277 chemicals, and wine. The country’s largest export include petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, 11“Doing Business 2020: Economy Profile Colombia.” The partners are China, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, cut flowers, bananas, and apparel, while leading World Bank. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/ and Brazil. Among imports, the leading commodi- imports are industrial equipment, transportation doingBusiness/country/c/colombia/COL.pdf ties are petroleum and petroleum products, chemi- equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper 12AmCham Colombia. https://amchamcolombia.co/es n cals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, products, fuels, and electricity. Colombia’s chief industrial machinery, vehicles, and natural gas. trading partners are the U.S., Panama, and China

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 31 Latin America—Indigeneous invention

Pan-American Market Snapshot Country Purchasing Power Import Volume Chief Imports Export Volume Chief Exports Chief Trading Partners Parity GDP Argentina $922.1 billion $63.97 billion Machinery, motor vehicles, $58.45 billion Soybeans and derivatives, petroleum Imports: Brazil 26.9%, petroleum and natural gas, organic and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat. China 18.5%, US 11.3%, $20,900 per capita chemicals, plastics. Germany 4.9%

Exports: Brazil 16.1%, US 7.9%, China 7.5%, Chile 4.4% Brazil $3.248 trillion $153.2 billion Machinery, electrical and $217.2 billion Transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, Imports: China 18.1%, transport equipment, chemical footwear, coffee, automobiles. US 16.7%, Argentina 6.3%, $15,600 per capita products, oil, automotive parts, Germany 6.1% electronics. Exports: China 21.8%, US 12.5%, Argentina 8.1%, Netherlands 4.3% Canada $1.774 trillion $442.1 billion Machinery and equipment, $423.5 billion Motor vehicles and parts, industrial Imports: US 51.5%, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, machinery, aircraft, telecommunications China 12.6%, Mexico 6.3% $48,400 er capita chemicals, electricity, durable equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; consumer goods. wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, Exports: natural gas, electricity, aluminum. US 76.4%, China 4.3% Chile $452.1 billion $61.31 billion Petroleum and petroleum products, $69.23 billion Copper, fruit, fish products, paper and Imports: China 23.9%, chemicals, electrical and pulp, chemicals, wine. US 18.1%, Brazil 8.6%, $24,600 per capita telecommunications equipment, Argentina 4.5%, Germany 4% industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas. Exports: China 27.5%, US 14.5%, Japan 9.3%, South Korea 6.2%, Brazil 5% Colombia $711.6 billion $44.24 billion Industrial equipment, transportation $39.48 billion Petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, Imports: US 26.3%, equipment, consumer goods, cut flowers, bananas, apparel. China 19.3%, Mexico 7.5%, $14,400 per capita chemicals, paper products, fuels, Brazil 5%, Germany 4.1% electricity. Exports: US 28.5%, Panama 8.6%, China 5.1% Mexico $2.463 trillion $420.8 billion Metalworking machines, steel mill $409.8 billion Manufactured goods, electronics, vehicles Imports: US 46.4%, products, agricultural machinery, and auto parts, oil and oil products, China 17.7%, Japan 4.3% $19,900 per capita electrical equipment, automobile silver, plastics, fruits, vegetables, coffee, parts for assembly and repair, cotton. Mexico is the world’s leading Exports: US 79.9% aircraft, aircraft parts, plastics, producer of silver. natural gas and oil products. Panama $104.1 billion $21.91 billion Fuels, machinery, vehicles, iron and $15.5 billion Fruit and nuts, fish, iron and steel waste, Imports: US 24.4%, steel rods, pharmaceuticals. wood. China 9.8%, Mexico 4.9% $25,400 per capita Exports: US 18.9%, Netherlands 16.6%, China 6.5% Costa Rica 5.4%, India 5.1%, Vietnam 5% Peru $430.3 billion $38.65 billion Petroleum and petroleum products, $44.92 billion Copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, Import: China 22.3%, chemicals, plastics, machinery, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum US 20.1%, Brazil 6%, $13,300 per capita vehicles, TV sets, power shovels, and petroleum products, natural gas; Mexico 4.4% front-end loaders, telephones and coffee, asparagus and other vegetables, telecommunication equipment, iron fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, fish, Export: China 26.5%, and steel, wheat, corn, soybean chemicals, fabricated metal products and US 15.2%, Switzerland 5.2%, products, paper, cotton, vaccines and machinery, alloys. South Korea 4.4%, Spain 4.1%, medicines. India 4.1% United States $19.49 trillion $2.361 trillion Agricultural products 4.9%, $1.553 trillion Agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, Imports: China 21.6%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic Mexico 13.4%, Canada 12.8%, $59,800 per capita oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods Japan 5.8%, Germany 5% (computers, telecommunications (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, equipment, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications Exports: Canada 18.3%, office machines, electric power equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods Mexico 15.7%, China 8.4% machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%. Japan 4.4% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys).

32 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 involves how rubber tire waste on Colombia’s roads was reused in flexible tiles produced by both large corporations and smaller businesses. The environment is both a beneficiary of Colorado’s research and the origin of some of his fields of study. “With respect to materials science, I am very interested in continuing my work in the amazing structure and properties of some plants and natural fibers from the Amazonia,” he says. In addition to continuing to teach engineering, he plans to pursue further research in the circular economy of ceramics and composites, cultural and art materials, and sustainable manufacturing.

More climate-friendly ceramics Credit: Henry Colorado The push for increased sustainability in ceramics is not Henry Colorado, professor at the University of Antioquia, restricted to university labs. The multinational Corona is Colombia, likes to work with industry because it is “one of the among Colombian companies that have adopted improved ways research becomes a real solution.” environmental practice as a corporate value. The company’s well as a global procurement office in China. business divisions include bathrooms and kitchens; surfaces, “In terms of the design and development of refractories with materials and paints; tableware; and industrial minerals and regard to environmental concerns, the key driver is the reduc- energy, and its operations include 20 plants in Colombia, two tion of heat loss in order to reduce fuel consumption and emis- in the U.S., and three each in Mexico and Central America, as sions,” says Carlos Mesa, Latin America sales director of the

From the Andes to the Amazon to the Panama Canal, plans to establish a research triangle for nanotechnology

June marked 10 years since researchers from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Nanotech+b is another Panamanian company working in materials develop- Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela founded the Nanoandes Network ment. It supplies Coltan (columbita–tantalite) to customers in the micro- to promote nanotechnology programs in each country, initially by launch- electronics, telecommunications, and aerospace industries. “Tantalite is the ing schools of nanoscience. Within five years, the organization notes on its primary source of Tantalum (Ta), an element with high volumetric efficiency ResearchGate page, 12 Latin American countries were home to more than 300 and electrical stability in a wide temperature range (-55 ºC to 125 ºC),” the undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral researchers. Today, there company’s website states, while “Columbita is the source of Niobium (Nb), are Nanoandes schools in Cartagena, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; La Paz, Bolivia; used in metal alloys with applications in aeronautics” and is valued for its Merida, Venezuela; and San Jose, Costa Rica, that offer theoretical and practi- superconductivity. Nanotech+ sources Coltan from mines in the Democratic cal nanoscience workshops. Republic of Congo, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil and is seeking strategic partners for the establishment of a Coltan refinery in Panama for production Each country seeks to make its imprint on nanotechnology advances. of tantalite and niobium dioxides. The Argentine government’s Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute, an Meanwhile, Peru is working to establish a means of converting Amazon arm of the National Atomic Energy Commission, houses a Micro and Nano waste into nanomaterials. CONCYTEC (the National Council of Science, Manufacturing lab for development of nanostructured films and materials, Technology, and Technological Innovation) and the World Bank are supporting particularly for nuclear applications, as well as MEMS and nanosensors. a research project at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú whose aim Its application focus extends to use in medicine, industry, robotics, and is to develop “a technological process that allows the production of graphene agriculture. from Amazon forest waste.” Another prominent player is the Argentine Nanotechnology Foundation, which In an announcement in June, CONCYTEC said the project “will develop an promotes both research and ventures by providing labs, equipment, and staff ad hoc technology to use waste from the Madre de Dios forest industry in support of “high-level nano developments.” It also sponsors programs to as a carbon source to produce graphene.” The announcement quoted the foster entrepreneurship in this arena. These initiatives are in keeping with project’s principal researcher, Omar Troncoso Heros: “This technology will the Argentine government’s focus on business development: the Foundation contribute to the modification of the basically extractive model of the region notes on its website that the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, to a model of high added value, the forestry industry is one of the most Development and Innovation has “launched a new call for development important in the Peruvian Amazon, therefore increasing its productivity is and innovation projects that provide technological solutions” and is offering vital for its development. Our initiative aims to develop a process that makes funding between 4–16 million Argentine pesos (US $55,000–220,000) for it possible to take advantage of forest waste, thus starting a nanotechnology projects in “nanotechnology, modern biotechnology, biomedical engineering, industry in Peru.” mechatronics, and artificial intelligence.” Nanotechnology may be in its infancy in Latin America, but scientists, gov- In Panama, the company Empresas Carbonea is branching out from its ernment agencies, and commercial enterprises are committed to investing in traditional business of tempered glass hardware and tools to a nanotech- the region’s resources to pursue innovation in this field. nology-based coating for new glass or the restoration of old glass as well as concrete, metal, electronics, wood, and ceramics.

Footnotes a Empresas Carbone’s website is available at https://www.empresascarbone.com/en/products/nanotechnology. b Nanotech+’s website is available at https://nanotechnology.com.pa.

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 33 Latin America—Indigeneous invention company’s ERECOS refractories subsid- transportation costs and emissions. Its the source of 20% of government rev- iary. He adds the company applies circular design incorporates filters that minimize enue.3 (The state-owned CODELCO— economy principles to its manufacturing emissions of dust, nitrogen oxide gases, the National Copper Corporation—is process. “Refractories that are uninstalled sulfur oxide gases, and its equipment’s the world’s largest producer of cop- from a kiln or other equipment are thor- energy consumption is 15% lower than per and molybdenum.) And copper’s oughly cleaned and used as a key input in that of other cement plants in the region. economic impact extends across the the production of new refractories. This Water treatment plants and closed-circuit ceramic sector spectrum, from refracto- [process] helps reduce the dependence systems facilitate reuse of water. ries to nanotechnology. on virgin raw materials that have to be The company also adopted use of Founded more than 60 years ago, sourced from mines,” he says. noise-reducing technologies “to mitigate Refractory Iunge works in such sectors Corona’s mining practices include the impact of the cement plant on the as copper, steel, cement, lime, and oil storing topsoil and organic layers for surrounding natural environment and refineries and has licensing or partner- restoration after the mining activity is native animals” and conducted biodi- ship agreements with Allied Mineral, concluded, after which it gives local versity studies that led to “the develop- HarbisonWalker International, and farmers access to land that is now being ment of wildlife corridors (or green Refractorios Peruanos SA (REPSA). used for dairy cattle grazing and to raise corridors) aimed to protect native and As in other countries, the industry strawberry and potato crops. endangered species.” is conscious of its responsibility to In partnership with the Spanish com- address environmental impacts. Pablo pany Cementos Molins, Corona began Chile: Transforming copper into an Valenzuela, one of the company’s own- operations at a new cement plant in element of global trade ers and a member of the board, notes the second half of 2019. The plant was Chile’s industrial sector is built recycling is a company tradition. “The constructed adjacent to the company’s quite literally from the ground up. copper industry uses mainly magnesia high-grade limestone quarry to reduce Copper, the country’s top export, is chrome bricks,” he says. “Chrome may be in certain shapes and forms danger- Explore research in Central and South American on ACerS ous to the health. We have been trying Publication Central to work very closely with copper producers in Chile to try to recycle those Available on ACerS Publication Central (https://ceramics.onlinelibrary.wiley.com), Content Collections are groupings of articles curated by the editors of ACerS journals to highlight a products and not end with them hid- single theme in ceramics and glass research. den or dumped in a place where they may harm human and animal health ACerS’ latest collection, “Research in Central and South America,” features recent contributions to the science and engineering of ceramic, glass, and related materials and and the environment.” applications from Central and South American researchers. The authors include both well- A copper-based nano process known and up-and-coming researchers in our field with topics spanning the spectrum from Copper’s antibacterial, antifungal, and traditional ceramics to advanced energy and healthcare applications. antiviral properties provided Chile with Check out the collection at http://bit.ly/ACerSAmericasCollection. a point of entry into nanotechnology research and development. Nanoprocess, one enterprise that emerged as a result, has “the infrastructure to produce 500 kilograms of copper nanoparticles in aqueous suspension per year, dispersed and stabilized in deionized water, free of solvents and synthetic additives.” The company adds: “The validated nanotechnology is modular, each module is capable of producing 10 kg of nano particles of high purity per day, and we can expand the number of modules according to the market requirement. We have the logistics to send concentrations of nano particles dispersed in water, in drums of 120 or 200 Lt, in sealed containers, anywhere in the world.” Credit: Corona Quality control and testing at GAMMA Insulators, the utility products manufactur- See the directory for information ing subsidiary of Corona in Sabaneta, Colombia. about additional companies in Chile that are using copper as a launchpad for

34 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 nanotechnology research and develop- promoting social and ment as well as organizations that are economic progress as cultivating advances in these areas as a means of reducing a means of promoting prosperity and regional inequalities social value. in this increasingly Mining and mindset urbanized country. Silica is another area of industry What else does activity in Chile, where Minera Toro Chile have to offer to owns and oversees an estimated 3,000 prospective research hectares of mining properties. Those or commercial part- sites have a combined monthly produc- ners in the U.S.? tion capacity of 6,000 tons of washed, Valenzuela stresses graded sand. The company has stated a the importance of Credit: Corona integrating this mar- The multinational Corona is among Colombian companies commitment to CO2 neutral operations and use of renewable energy. An addi- ket and other Latin that have adopted improved environmental practices as a tional goal of its sustainability model is American markets corporate value.

Directory of companies, government agencies, associations, institutes, and universities in Latin America

ARGENTINA Eirich Group Refratarios Paulista Fundación Argentina de Nanotecnología Phone: +55 11 4619-8900 Phone: +55 19 3019-1250 Phone: +54 11 2033-1455 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.rpa.ind.br/home/Default.asp?v=en Email: [email protected] Website: https://eirich.com.br/en/industries/ceramics Production capabilities include cordierite, mullite, high Website: https://www.fan.org.ar (Dedicated ceramics page in English) alumina refractories, and hybrid refractory materials whose https://eirich.com.br/categoria_download/ceramica ceramic structure is reinforced with silicon carbide. Universidad Nacional de San Martin (Downloadable brochures in English about services for Instituto de Nanosistemas specific ceramic sectors) Sao Paulo University Phone: +54 11 2033-1400 ext. 6113 Phone: +55 11 3091-6706 (Department of Applied Physics) Email: [email protected] Products and services encompass raw materials, mixes, Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.unsam.edu.ar/institutos/ins/eng/ ceramic bodies and finished products such as clay bricks. Website: https://www5.usp.br/#english index.asp Process expertise spans press bodies, granules, plastic Website: http://web.if.usp.br/cristal Website for porphyrin nanomaterials design and develop- bodies, slurries, and fiber materials. Industry experience ment: http://www.unsam.edu.ar/institutos/ins/eng/re- includes glazings, refractories, structural ceramics, sanitary Universidade Estadual Paulista search/porphyrin.asp ceramics, oxide and non-oxide ceramics and ferrites. Phone: +55 11 3170-3700 Website: https://www.unip.br/?lang=en BRAZIL Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares ABCERAM Nuclear and Energy Research Institute Universidade Federal de São Carlos Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica Phone: +55 11 2810-5000 Phone: +55 16 3351-8111 Brazilian Ceramic Society Website: https://www.ipen.br/portal_por/portal/default.php Email: Anselmo Ortega Boschi, [email protected] Phone/Fax: +54 11 3768-7101 / 11 3768-4284 Dedicated webpages for research in biomaterials, materials Areas of research interest: Ceramic coatings, technological Email: [email protected] characterization, composites, crystals and monocrystal- development, processing of ceramic materials, ceramic Website: http://abceram.org.br line fibers, ceramic materials, photonic materials, metallic tile floors materials, nuclear materials, polymeric materials, extractive ANFACER: Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Email: Márcio Raymundo Morelli, [email protected] metallurgy, physical metallurgy, material transformation Areas of research interest: Synthesis of ceramic powders, Cerâmica Para Revestimentos, Louças Sanitárias e processes, surface treatment, and glass and glass-ceramic. Congêneres combustion reaction, formulation and processing of ce- LNNano ramic materials, sintering, ceramic substrates, solid oxide National Association of Manufacturers of Ceramics for fuel cells, use of inorganic residues in ceramic matrices Coverings, Sanitaryware, and Related Products Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory Phone: + 55 11 3192-0600 Phone: +55 19 3517-5088 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Universidade de São Paulo Website: http://ceramicsofbrazil.com/en Website: https://lnnano.cnpem.br Webpage, Materials Engineering Research Group: A research lab open to academia and industry, LNNano http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/8444026717250923 Centro Multidisciplinar para o Desenvolvimento de conducts applied and basic research designed to develop Materiais Cerâmicos sustainable products and processes for the domestic Verdés Multidisciplinary Center for Development of Ceramic and international markets. Among its areas of focus is Email: [email protected] Materials developing “sophisticated techniques for joining, prepar- Phone: +55 11 4024-8211 Website: http://www.cmdmc.com.br/conheca/quem.php ing, processing and characterizing metallic and ceramic Website: http://www.verdes.com.br/en/equipments/Ceramic alloys,” the website notes, as well as “production of The Center is a joint research venture of teams at the advanced materials from renewable sources and residues Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Universidade Estadual from industrial and agricultural activities.” LNNano is also Paulista, Universidade de São Paulo, and Instituto de the headquarters of the Binational Brazil-China Center of Pesquisas Energéticas. Nanotechnology, a joint venture of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 35 Latin America—Indigeneous invention into a more global outlook and cau- Chambers of Commerce in Latin America 2Dieppe, A. “Global productivity: Trends, tions against being “too localist” in and the Caribbean,4 the umbrella orga- drivers, and policies.” The World Bank. business. Relative to the U.S., Canada, nization of the American Chambers of https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/ and Mexico, the remainder of the Commerce in 23 countries. Its member- publication/global-productivity Americas market is small today. “But ship extends to 20,000 companies that 3“South America: Chile.” The World Factbook. it’s not always going to be that way,” account for more than 80% of U.S. invest- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/ he says. “It’s important to understand ment in the region. the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html what’s going on, especially with local 4Association of American Chambers of players, and be prepared to develop References Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://www.aaccla.org n business relations in Latin America.” 1Cilluffo, A., and Ruiz, N.G. “World’s popu- In economically and politically volatile lation is projected to nearly stop growing by times, no enterprise can afford to overlook the end of the century.” Pew Research Center. a country or region in the global market- Published 17 June 2019. https://www.pewre- place. To learn more about opportunities search.org/fact-tank/2019/06/17/worlds- in this region, consult the resources avail- population-is-projected-to-nearly-stop-growing- able through the Association of American by-the-end-of-the-century

Directory of companies, government agencies, associations, institutes, and universities in Latin America (cont.) CHILE CEDENNA/Centro para el Desarrollo de la Nanociencia Chile y la Nanotecnología Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Contact form: https://cedenna.cl/en/contact-us Website: https://cedenna.cl/en CEDENNA conducts research in nanoscience and nanotechnology and the manipulation of materials at the atomic, molecular, and macromolecular scales. Its work encompasses simulations, magnetic nanostructures, chemistry of nanostructures, chemical physics, packaging technology, and nanobiomedicine.

IMEX JCN Phone: +56 2 2699-6623 Sales email: [email protected] Contact form: https://www.jcn.cl/contacto Website: https://www.jcn.cl The company produces and markets Nano Copper that is free of contaminants (99.9% pure) and available in all particle sizes. Credit: Alex Talavera Leitat Phone: +56 2 321-0500 Website: https://www.leitat.cl panels, solar panels, and heavy machinery and mining Recsol A private nonprofit technology center, Leitat’s mission is to CAT trucks. Phone: +56 72 249-1555 / +56 72 249-1416 create and transfer economic, social, and sustainable value Contact form: http://www.recsol.cl/contacto.php (also to companies and entities through applied research and NANOPROCESS includes the names and email addresses of the general technology processes, including production of nanocap- Phone: +56 55 2 865-008 or +56 9 7388-7657 manager and the commercial and product managers) Email: [email protected] sules and development of materials. Website: http://www.recsol.cl Website: https://nanoprocess.cl The company creates solutions related to wear in steel, Minera Toro The company manufactures copper nanoparticles for incor- cement, and thermoelectric plants. Its production line Phone: +56 9 5608-7990 / 3376-7422 poration in a wide variety of technological developments includes bimetallic plates and casting, impact elements, Email: Patricio Fierro [email protected] and production processes. Website: https://www.mineratoro.cl ceramics, and fabrication of mining equipment. NANOTEC Universidad de Concepción Nano7 Phone: +56 22 5106000 - +56 98 2302187 Contact page: http://www6.udec.cl/pexterno/contacto Phone: +56 9 9697-4723 Email: [email protected] (address and phone details for all campuses plus email Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.nanotecchile.com/eng Website: http://nano7.cl contact form) The company collaborates with clients on joint R&D Website: http://udec.cl/pexterno The company’s products target glass and ceramic require- projects to develop new copper-based nanotechnology ments in the mining and construction industries, including processes and products. abrasive glass, electrical and electronic equipment and

36 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Directory of companies, government agencies, associations, institutes, and universities in Latin America (cont.) COLOMBIA 3D Solutions Phone: +57 1 743-8434 [email protected] Mexico https://www.3dsolutions.com.co The company develops additive manufacturing systems for dentistry and medicine.

Grupo Corona Contact page: https://empresa.corona.co/contacto Website: https://empresa.corona.co This Colombian multinational serves clients in the home, construction, industry, agriculture, and energy sectors. It manufactures and sells products organized under four business divisions—bathrooms and kitchens; surfaces, materials, and paints; industrial supplies; and energy management—and is developing a new line of business in the production and sale of cement in collaboration with Cementos Molins de España. The company’s subsidiary, Gamma, manufactures such refractory products as bricks, concrete, mortar, and thermal insulation.

ITM Institución Universitaria Phone: +57 4 440-5100 Website: https://www.itm.edu.co Here is where the Research Group on Advanced Materials and Energy works on the design of biofunctionalized gold nanoparticles stimulated by electromagnetic fields.

QuadCarbon Phone: +57 318 795-6098 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.quadcarbon.com.co/index.php The company’s business centers on the import and commercialization of raw materials, such as carbon fiber reinforcements, glass and aramid fibers, and resins used in shaping materials.

Universidad Autónoma de Occidente +57 2 318 8000 Email: Faruk Fonthal Rico, [email protected] Website: https://www.uao.edu.co/la-universidad/ summary-uao The University is home to the Research Group on Advanced Materials for Micro and Nanotechnology, whose lines of investigation include optoelectronics materials.

Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia Credit: Randy B. Hecht +57 4 219-8332 COSTA RICA Website: https://www.lanotec.org Email: Henry Colorado, [email protected] The Center provides services in microscopy, spectropho- Website: http://www.udea.edu.co/wps/portal/udea/web/ Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica TEC tometry and thermal measurements, and physical–chemi- home Phone: +506 2550-2213 cal measurements. An English-language digital brochure of Email: [email protected] See our main article for our interview with professor its recent projects is available for download at https://www. Website: https://www.tec.ac.cr/en Colorado, an ACerS member. lanotec.org/research. The School of Materials Science and Engineering houses Universidad de Los Andes a Materials Research and Extension Center whose lines Universidad de Costa Rica Phone: +57 1 339-4999 of inquiry include degradation and protection of materials, Phone: +506 2511-1330 / 2511-1350 Website: https://uniandes.edu.co characterization of materials and nondestructive tests, Website: https://www.ucr.ac.cr The University houses a Microelectronics Center for the materials mechanics, and advanced technologies for the The University houses the Materials Science and Engineer- characterization and manufacture of micro and nanoscale development and application of materials. The Center offers ing Research Center, which engages in “multidisciplinary devices. Its clean room conforms to controlled environment a variety of services to industry, including thermal and ther- scientific and technological research … dedicated to the class 1000 standards. mochemical treatments, metallography and macrography, study at the microscopic level of physical and chemical X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, mechanical tests, properties of materials, for their development and adapta- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Manizales and nondestructive tests. tion in industrial processes.” Phone: +57 6 887-9300 Center phone: +506 2511-6573 Email: [email protected] LANOTEC Center email: [email protected] Website: https://www.manizales.unal.edu.co National Laboratory of Nanotechnology Among the team’s lines of investigation are simulation of Phone: +506 2519-5832 magnetic systems, growth of magnetic materials, semicon- General email: [email protected] ductor nanostructures, and thermal materials. Director: Jose R. Vega-Baudrit [email protected]

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 37 Latin America—Indigeneous invention

Directory of companies, government agencies, associations, institutes, and universities in Latin America (cont.) ECUADOR work can be found at https:// Peru www.ciateq.mx/index.php/ Centro de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología oferta-tecnologica/plasticos-y- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology materiales-avanzados.html. Phone: +59 3 2398-9492 Email: [email protected] Instituto Potosino de Website: http://www.espe-innovativa.edu.ec/cencinat Investigación Científica y The Center, which operates under the auspices of the Tecnológica Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Uni- Phone: +55 444 834-2000 versity), houses a nanomaterials characterization lab and Website: https://www.ipicyt. engages in the following areas of research and capabilities: edu.mx transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron The Division of Advanced Ma- microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, terials engages in synthesis, sunlight simulator, and mechanical profilometry. characterization, and use of new materials and nanostruc- MEXICO tures for emerging applica- Note: Our 2013 international report was a dual profile tions. Areas of research focus of Mexico and Canada. Access the earlier report about include generation of alterna- Mexico, including that year’s directory, at tive energy sources, organic electronics, gas sensors, and

https://bulletin-archive.ceramics.org/2013-10. Credit: Randy B. Hecht nanomedicine. The National CIMAV Laboratory for Nanoscience Center for Research in Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Research Phone: +52 81 1156-0800 and the National Supercom- The company develops and commercializes technologies Email: Servando Aguirre, [email protected] puting Center (used to conduct molecular simulations for environmentally friendly and sustainable road construc- Website: https://cimav.edu.mx/en related to physiochemical, electronic, and magnetic proper- tion. Its nanotechnology-based product Zycotherm enables ties) also operate under the auspices of IPICYT. A product of collaboration between government, academia, a chemical bond with asphalt cement that promotes adhe- and industry, CIMAV encompasses 10 public and 14 private sion and allows lower mixing temperatures. research centers, two incubators, and eight institutions of NANOCRON NANOTECNOLOGIA SA Contact page: http://nanocron.com/index.php/contacts higher education (domestic and international). Its areas NANOTECH+ Website: http://nanocron.com of focus include the design, synthesis, modification, and Phone: +507 787-5322 characterization of micro and nanometric-level materials. The company specializes in “research, development, Website: https://nanotechnology.com.pa Research teams’ advanced materials projects are devel- and production of nanoparticles with dimensions less oped for energy, environmental, and medical applications. than 200 nm, among which are metals, metal oxides and PERU nanocomposites” as well as manufacture of nanopowders CIMAV Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología and nanodispersions for a variety of applications used in Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería Website: https://ntch.cimav.edu.mx diverse industries. National Engineering University Among the nanostructured materials and applications +51 1 481-1070 being researched at the lab are technology for production PANAMA Website: https://www.uni.edu.pe The materials science research priority is nanoscience and of carbon nanotubes; development of composite materi- Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá nanotechnology—including nanomaterials and metallurgy als (metals–CNTs and ceramics–CNTs); production of Phone: +507 560-3061 and nanostructured materials—with the goal of establish- silica aerogels; electrocatalysts for fuel cells, aerogels, Email: [email protected], carlos.medina@utp. ing nanoscience strategies for Peru. Additional areas of and activated carbon; and micro and nanostructured ac.pa focus include thin films, renewable energy, and advanced polymeric sensors. A more extensive overview of all areas Website: http://gitts.utp.ac.pa/en of research can be found at https://ntch.cimav.edu.mx/ magnetic materials. lineas-de-investigacion. In addition to offering materials science, materials manufacturing, and nanotechnology courses, the University Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología operates the Research Group on Advanced Technologies +51 1 317-1000 National Science and Technology Council of Telecommunications and Signal Processing, where Email: Dra. Mercedes Puca Pacheco, Nanotechnology and Phone: +55 5322-7700 teaching and research follow four primary fields: applied Advanced Materials Research Unit, [email protected] Website: https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/index.php information theory, wireless communication systems, Website: https://www.usil.edu.pe/en/node/118 (English- This government agency fosters and provides funding signal processing for communication systems, and electri- language home page) cal engineering. for “the development of scientific research, technologi- University research is focused on development of next- cal development and innovation in order to promote the INDICASAT-AIP generation nanometric materials for technology, electron- technological modernization of the country.” Its Advanced Phone: +507 517-0700 ics, and medicine. Among its areas of investigation are Materials Research Center carries out technological Email: Rolando A. Gittens [email protected] synthesis and characterization of magnetic and metallic research and development as well as training in such areas Website: http://indicasat.org.pa/home nanoparticles, nanostructure polymers, and graphene/gra- as materials chemistry and physics, functional materials, phene oxide as well as synthesis of polymeric nanocom- The Institute for Scientific Research and High Technology coatings, nanostructured catalytic materials, polymer- posites reinforced with graphene. based composite materials, and computational simulation Services of Panama operates under the auspices of the of materials and processes. A more extensive overview of National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos its programs and capabilities can be found at https://www. Its areas of priority are biodiversity, biotechnology, and bio- Mail: [email protected] conacyt.gob.mx/index.php/comunicacion/comunicados- medicine. Rolando Gittens’ areas of research specialization Website: http://www.unmsm.edu.pe prensa/10-contenido-estatico/70-centro-de-investigacion- include biomaterials, orthopedic and dental implants, and en-materiales-avanzados. osseointegration of titanium. Universidad Nacional De Trujillo Phone: +51 44 633-952 The government agency also oversees the Center of Ad- ECOROADSA Email: [email protected] vanced Technology (CIATEQ), whose work in the formulation Phone: +507 6832-2829 / 343-0897 Website: https://www.unitru.edu.pe and synthesis of polymers is a key area of focus in plastics Email: [email protected] and advanced materials. A more extensive overview of this Website: www.ecoroadsa.com

38 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 BUY 4.4 GET 4.5 FOR FREE!

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The Society will hold its Annual Business Meeting, Division, and committee meetings this fall—online! We invite all members and prospective members to attend. ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING ACerS will host its 122nd Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, Oct. 5, 10–11 a.m. E.T. The annual meeting will feature the outgoing president’s State of the Society report, the incoming president’s vision, new officer inductions, and a members’ town hall and question and answer session. This meeting is a great opportunity to be proactive and get involved with the Society’s present and future. Visit www.ceramics.org to register. SHORT COURSE ONLINE DIVISION MEETINGS To learn more, visit the course website. Division business meetings will also be virtual. Details on registration will be forthcoming. SINTERING OF CERAMICS Dates: Oct. 10–14, 2020 | Oct. 20–22, 2020 • Art, Archaeology, & Conservation Science: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1 – 2 p.m. Time: 10:30 a.m. to Noon Instructor: Ricardo Castro • Basic Science Division: University of California, Davis Monday, Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • Bioceramics Division: TBD Sintering is a ubiquitous processing step for • Electronics Division: manufacturing ceramics for a diverse set of applications. Monday, Oct. 5, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. While commonly related to powder processing of ceramic • Energy Materials and Systems Division: parts, its important roles in other processes, such as Monday, Oct. 5, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. additive manufacturing, nanotechnology, and thin films, • Engineering Ceramics Division: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 10 – 10:50 a.m. are less commonly discussed. This course will cover • Manufacturing Division: TBD the principles and practices in sintering, giving students sufficient background to be able to 2020 AWARD LECTURES See schedule at matscitech.org/mst20 • Perform sintering of powders to achieve specified target microstructures, • Edward Orton, Jr. Memorial Lecture • Understand the difficulties encountered in practical • Frontiers of Science and Society – Rustum Roy Lecture powder sintering, • Richard M. Fulrath Award Lectures • Take practical steps to rectify the problems • ACerS/EPDC Arthur L. Friedberg Ceramic Engineering encountered in producing required target Tutorial and Lecture microstructures, and • ACerS GOMD Alfred Cooper Award sessions • Understand how sintering aspects help • D.T. Rankin Award (Energy Materials and Systems Division) optimization of related ceramic processes.

Engineers and scientists in industry, national MATSCITECH.ORG/MST20 laboratories, and academia involved in the research, development, and production of ceramics, as well as professionals interested in continuing education in this area are encouraged to participate in this course. Annual Meeting

40 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 MS&T20 VIRTUAL NOV. 2-6, 2020

Due to COVID-19, MS&T20 will now be held as a virtual event, Nov. 2-6, 2020. As a registrant, you will be able to watch live plenary and award sessions, visit our virtual exhibit, join in virtual networking and student events, and have access to hundreds of on-demand technical presentations and posters—all at a fraction of the price of participating in a traditional, in-person MS&T conference. Mark your calendar today and plan to join your colleagues at MS&T20 Virtual. Additional event details will be available soon. Visit matscitech.org/MST20 in the coming weeks for information on how to register for this event. EXHIBITION PLENARY SESSION VIRTUAL EXHIBITION— Visit the MS&T Plenary Speakers web page to view the MS&T is excited to launch a new virtual opportunity for your complete abstracts and bios. company to showcase its brand and services to a global AIST ADOLF MARTENS MEMORIAL STEEL LECTURE network of scientists, engineers, students, suppliers, and Nina Fonstein business leaders responsible for shaping the future of materials Scientific advisor, ArcelorMittal, USA science and technology. Attendees can visit exhibitors to learn Effects of retained austenite stability about their products and services and network through our and microstructure refinement on interactive online environment. The MS&T20 virtual exhibition properties of advanced high strength will showcase companies displaying products and services sheet steels from the materials science community, including • Additive Manufacturing TMS/ASM JOINT DISTINGUISHED LECTURESHIP IN • Artificial Intelligence MATERIALS AND SOCIETY • Biomaterials • Ceramic and Glass Materials Charles H. Ward • Electronic and Magnetic Materials Chief Manufacturing and Industrial • Energy Technologies Division, Air Force • Fundamentals and Characterization Research Laboratory, USA • Iron and Steel (Ferrous Alloys) Integrating materials and manufacturing • Materials-Environment Interactions • Modeling • Nanomaterials • Processing and Manufacturing ACerS EDWARD ORTON JR. MEMORIAL LECTURE Mrityunjay Singh CONTACT US TO JOIN THE MS&T20 VIRTUAL Chief scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, USA EXHIBITION— Additive manufacturing: Disruptive Association for Iron & Steel The Minerals, Metals & threat to global supply chains and Technology (AIST) Materials Society (TMS) enabler for sustainable development STACY VARMECKY DOUG SHYMONIAK General Manager, Sales & Advertising & Sales Marketing Specialist [email protected] [email protected] 1-724-814-3066 1-724-814-3140

VICKI DEAN The American Ceramic Sales Administrator, AIST Society (ACerS) [email protected] MONA THIEL 1-724-814-3018 National Sales Director [email protected] MATSCITECH.ORG/MST20 1-614-794-583

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 41 SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT VIRTUAL MEETING ELECTRONIC MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS (EMA 2021) JAN. 19– 22, 2021

ceramics.org/ema2021 Organized by the ACerS Electronics and Basic Science Divisions Electronic Materials and Applications 2021 (EMA 2021) is an international conference focused on electroceramic materials and their applications in electronic, electrochemical, electromechanical, magnetic, dielectric, biological and optical components, devices, and systems. Jointly programmed by the Electronics Division and Basic Science Division of The American Ceramic Society, EMA 2021 will be a virtual event on the same planned dates, Jan. 19–22, 2021.

EMA 2021 is designed for scientists, engineers, technologists, and students interested in basic science, engineering, and applications of electroceramic materials. Participants from across the world in academia, industry, and national laboratories exchange information and ideas on the latest developments in theory, experimental investigation, and applications of electroceramic materials.

Students are highly encouraged to participate in the meeting. Prizes will be awarded for the best oral and poster student presentations.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE TECHNICAL PROGRAM S1 – Characterization of Structure-Property Relationships in ELECTRONICS DIVISION BASIC SCIENCE DIVISION Functional Ceramics Hui (Claire) Xiong Wolfgang Rheinheimer S2 – Advanced Electronic Materials: Processing Structures, Boise State University Technische Universität Properties, and Applications clairexiong@ Darmstadt, Germany S3 – Frontiers in Ferroic Oxides: Synthesis, Structure, Proper- ties, and Applications boisestate.edu wolfgang.rheinheimer@ gmail.com S4 – Complex Oxide Thin Films and Heterostructures: From Synthesis to Strain/Interface-engineered Emergent Xiong Rheinheimer Properties Jennifer Andrew Edwin Garcia S5 – Mesoscale Phenomena in Ferroic Nanostructures: From Patterns to Functionalities University of Florida Purdue University S6 – Emerging Semiconductor Materials and Interfaces [email protected] [email protected] S7 – Superconducting and Magnetic Materials: From Basic Science to Applications S8 – Structure-Property Relationships in Relaxor Ceramics Garcia Andrew S9 – Ion-Conducting Ceramics S10 – Point Defects and Transport in Ceramics S11 – Dislocations in Ceramics: Processing, Structure, SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Plasticity, and Functionality WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021 S12 – Evolution of Structure and Chemistry of Grain Boundaries and Their Networks as a Function of Plenary session 1 9:45 – 11 a.m. Material Processing Concurrent technical sessions 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. S13 – 5G Materials and Applications Telecommunications Networking session 4 – 5 p.m. S14 – Agile Design of Electronic Materials: Aligned THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 Computational and Experimental Approaches and Plenary session 2 10 – 11 a.m. Materials Informatics Concurrent technical sessions 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. S15 – Functional Materials for Biological Applications Student & Young Professionals networking session 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021 OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCES Concurrent technical sessions 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Failure: The greatest teacher 5 – 6 p.m.

42 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION ON VIRTUAL 45 ADVANCED CERAMICS MEETING AND COMPOSITES FEB. 8–12, 2021 Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society ceramics.org/icacc2021

Due to uncertainty surrounding the current global pandemic, meeting orga- nizers, along with the meetings team at The American Ceramic Society, have Symposia decided to move the 45th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced S1: Mechanical Behavior and Performance of Ceramics and Ceramics & Composites meeting to a fully virtual format for 2021, running live Composites sessions containing pre-recorded talks on a new date: Feb. 8–12, 2021. This conference will be the first-ever Virtual ICACC organized by ACerS Engineering S2: Advanced Ceramic Coatings for Structural, Environmental, and Ceramics Division, and we would like for you to be a part of it. Functional Applications S3: 18th International Symposium on Solid Oxide Cells (SOC): This conference has a strong history of being the preeminent international Materials, Science, andTechnology meeting on advanced structural and functional ceramics, composites, and other emerging ceramic materials and technologies, and this year is no different. S4: Armor Ceramics – Challenges and New Developments S5: Next Generation Bioceramics and Biocomposites The technical program will reflect the growth and success of ICACC by featuring 18 symposia, five focused sessions, one special focused session, and the 10th S6: Advanced Materials and Technologies for Rechargeable Global Young Investigator Forum. These technical sessions, consisting of both oral Energy Storage and poster presentations, will provide an open forum for scientists, researchers, S7: 15th International Symposium on Functional Nanomaterials and engineers from around the world to present and exchange findings on recent and Thin Films for Sustainable Energy Harvesting, Environ- advances on various aspects related to ceramic science and technology. The mental, and Health Applications

technical program reflects critical areas of interest within ceramics and advanced th composites, with a particular emphasis on current trends in research, develop- S8: 15 International Symposium on Advanced Processing and ment, engineering, and application of advanced ceramics. Manufacturing Technologies for Structural and Multifunctional Materials and Systems (APMT15) Hisayuki Suematsu S9: Porous Ceramics: Novel Developments and Applications Program chair, ICACC 2020 S10: Modeling and Design of Ceramics and Composites Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan S11: Advanced Materials and Innovative Processing Ideas for E-mail: [email protected] Production Root Technologies S12: On the Design of Nano-laminated Ternary Transition Metal Carbides/Nitrides (MAX Phases) and Borides (MAB Phases), and Their 2D Counterparts (MXenes, MBenes) Focused Sessions S13: Development and Applications of Advanced Ceramics and Composites for Nuclear Fission and Fusion Energy Systems v Special Focused Session on Diversity, Entrepreneurship, and S14: Crystalline Materials for Electrical, Optical, and Medical Commercialization Applications v 10th Global Young Investigator Forum S15: 4th International Symposium on Additive Manufacturing and FS1: Bio-Inspired, Green Processing, and Related Technologies of Advanced 3D Printing Technologies Materials S16: Geopolymers, Inorganic Polymers, and Sustainable Materials FS2: Materials for Thermoelectrics S17: Advanced Ceramic Materials and Processing for Photonics FS3: Molecular-level Processing and Chemical Engineering of Functional and Energy Materials S18: Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics FS4: Ceramic/Carbon Reinforced Polymers FS5: Fractography of Ceramics

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 | www.ceramics.org 43 resources

Calendar of events

September 2020 March 2021 28–30 MagForum 2021: Magnesium 29 15–17 Minerals and Markets Conference – Ceramic Manufacturing China Refractory Minerals Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Noordwijk, Solutions Conference – Forum 2021 – InterContinental Dalian, Amsterdam; http://imformed.com/get- VIRTUAL ONLY EVENT; Liaoning, China; http://imformed.com/ imformed/forums/magforum-2020 www.ceramics.org/CMSC get-imformed/forums/china-refractory- minerals-forum-2020 July 2021 October 2020 24–29 nd 18–23 Materials Challenges in 13 Fluorine Forum 2020 ONLINE; 2 Global Forum on Smart Alternative & Renewable Energy http://imformed.com/get-imformed/ Additive Manufacturing, Design and 2020 (MCARE 2020) combined with forums/fluorine-forum-2020-revised Evaluation (SmartMADE) – Osaka University, Nakanoshima Center, Japan; the 4th Annual Energy Harvesting http://www.jwri.osaka-u.ac.jp/~conf/ Society Meeting (EHS 2020) – 26–30 81st Conference on Smart-MADE2021 RESCHEDULED-Hyatt Regency Glass Problems (GPC2020) – VIRTUAL EVENT ONLY; Bellevue Bellevue, Wash.; https://glassproblemsconference.org 27–31 The Int’l Conference www.ceramics.org on Sintering 2022 – Nagaragwa November 2020 Convention Center, Gifu, Japan; September 2021 https://www.sintering2021.org th 2–6 ACerS 122nd Annual 14–17 20 Biennial Worldwide Meeting with Materials Science April 2021 Congress Unified International – & Technology 2020 – VIRTUAL Technical Conference on Refractories EVENT ONLY; www.matscitech.org 25–30 International Congress Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Ill.; on Ceramics (ICC8) – Bexco, Busan, www.ceramics.org TBA th Korea; www.iccs.org 7 Int. Conference on October 2021 Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD 2021) May 2021 – Santa Fe, New Mexico; http://www. 12-15 International th engconf.org/conferences/materials- 1–4 6 Ceramics Expo – I-X Center, Research Conference on science-including-nanotechnology/ Cleveland, Ohio; https://ceramics.org/ NEW Structure and thermody- electrophoretic-deposition-vii- event/6th-ceramics-expo DATE namics of Oxides/car- fundamental-and-applications bides/nitrides/borides at 16–19 High Temperature (STOHT) – Arizona Ultra-high Temperature State University, Ariz.; https://mccor- 29–Dec 3 2020 MRS Fall Ceramics: Materials for Extreme macklab.engineering.ucdavis.edu/ Meeting & Exhibit – Environment Applications V – The events/structure-and-thermodynamics- VIRTUAL EVENT ONLY; Lodge at Snowbird, Snowbird, Utah; oxidescarbidesnitridesborides-high- www.mrs.org/fall2020 http://bit.ly/5thUHTC temperatures-stoht2020

January 2021 17–20 China Ceramitec 2021 – 17–21 ACerS 123rd Annual Meeting Messe München, Germany; with Materials Science & Technology 19–22 Electronic Materials https://www.ceramitec.com/en 2021 – Greater Columbus Convention and Applications (EMA2021) – Center, Columbus, Ohio; VIRTUAL EVENT ONLY; 23–28 14th Pacific Rim Conference www.ceramics.org www.ceramics.org/ema2021 on Ceramic and Glass Technology (PACRIM 14) – Hyatt Regency February 2021 Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Dates in RED denote new entry in Canada; www.ceramics.org/PACRIM14 this issue. 8–12 45th International Conference and Expo on June 2021 Entries in BLUE denote ACerS Advanced Ceramics and events. Composites (ICACC2021) – 7–9 ACerS 2021 Structural Clay denotes meetings that ACerS VIRTUAL EVENT ONLY; Products Division & Southwest cosponsors, endorses, or other- www.ceramics.org/icacc2021 Section Meeting in conjunction with wise cooperates in organizing. the National Brick Research Center Meeting-Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, denotes virtual meeting 700 San Jacinto Street, Austin, Texas; www.ceramics.org

44 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 PROOF of your advertisement for insertion in the FEBRUARY issue

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46 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 7 Call for contributing ADINDEX OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2020 editors for ACerS-NIST ‡Find us in ceramicSOURCE 2020 Buyer’s Guide AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY Phase Equilibria bulletin Diagrams Program Professors, researchers, retirees, post-docs, and DISPLAY ADVERTISER graduate students ... AdValue Technology‡ www.advaluetech.com 13

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American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 7 | www.ceramics.org 47 deciphering the discipline Iva Milisavljevic A regular column offering the student perspective of the next generation of ceramic and glass Guest columnist scientists, organized by the ACerS Presidents Council of Student Advisors.

From ceramics to Schnitzels: Student exchange programs are part of life- long learning process I have always believed personal and long flight and professional growth begins once we a two-hour train develop a positive attitude toward the ride through the growth itself and open our minds to new scenic country- ideas and life-long learning. side south from As a Ph.D. student in ceramic engi- Frankfurt, I arrived neering at Alfred University working in Bodelshausen, under the supervision of Dr. Yiquan a small town in Wu, I had the opportunity to put this western Germany, belief into practice when I participated where the Edmund in the Collaborative Exchange Research Bühler headquarters and Materials in Ceramic Sciences and manufacturing

(CERAMICS) program in 2019. facility are located. Credit: Iva Milisavljevic Wu established the CERAMICS pro- During my visit, Figure 1. Examples of architecture in Frankfurt, Germany. Student exchange programs give students the valuable opportunity to gram with NSF CAREER award funding I learned about the gain both research and culture experience, Milisavljevic says. in 2016. The program provides students company’s 140-year- from the United States an opportunity long history, their business practices and (potatoes) and Sauerkraut (sour cabbage), to visit institutes and research facilities products, and even saw a part of their and later on a famous Schnitzel (boneless at companies abroad to collaborate, pro- manufacturing facility. Then, after a cutlet coated in breadcrumbs) and Brätzel mote knowledge exchange, and establish detailed step-by-step training from their (pretzel) with a glass of local beer. good relations between the institutions. senior engineer on how to operate one of I left Germany with a smile on my I traveled to Germany to visit labora- their furnaces, I conducted experiments face, partly because of the successful visit tory equipment manufacturer Edmund using the novel processing method. to Edmund Bühler, which provided me Bühler GmbH for an experimental dem- The processing method involves melt- with new ideas and opportunities for my onstration that may help with my work ing the material above its liquidus tem- research, and partly because of the valu- on transparent ceramics. perature in the melt-spinning furnace, able culture experience I gained as well. One of the most significant challenges which the company modified for my I am so grateful for the opportu- in current transparent ceramic process- experiments, followed by a fast quench- nity I was given to participate in the ing technology is the fabrication of high- ing to room temperature. The final prod- CERAMICS program. I always recom- ly dense bodies with minimum porosity uct of this process—an amorphous mate- mend to my friends and peers to con- because the presence of even the small- rial that exhibits high chemical homoge- sider spending at least some time abroad est pores can limit the product’s optical neity—can be used as a raw material to during their studies because it can help transparency and, therefore, application make nanoceramics or even transparent them expand their views, open their in various optical devices. nanoceramics through further processing minds, and gain valuable research and Edmund Bühler has a specialized fur- with sintering equipment. culture experience. I look forward to nace they use for processing amorphous After I finished my experiments and my next opportunity to travel and par- materials in a novel manner. We believe said goodbye to my lovely hosts from ticipate in a student exchange program the processing method is promising for Edmund Bühler, I finished the research related to ceramics science. creating transparent ceramic materials as part of my trip. After that, I headed back it would enable the formation of ceramic to Frankfurt to explore that beautiful Iva Milisavljevic is a third-year Ph.D. materials with grain sizes smaller than city for another two days before depart- student in ceramic engineering at Alfred the wavelength of the incident light. So, ing for the U.S. University, working in Yiquan Wu’s my goal of visiting was to learn about As I walked down the busy streets of research group. Her main research this technique, test its applicability to Frankfurt, I witnessed a remarkable fusion interests are the novel solid-state sin- ceramic materials, and bring the knowl- of the colorful traditional and stunning gle-crystal growth method and ceramic edge back to further our research at modern architecture of this city (Figure 1). processing methods for transparent cera- Alfred University. As an unavoidable part of any trip, I tasted mics fabrication. She resides in Upstate I had visited Germany before, but some of the local cuisine specialties. I New York, where she enjoys long walks I was very excited for this trip. After a enjoyed a Currywurst sausage with Kartoffeln and hiking in many of the state parks. n

48 www.ceramics.org | American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 99, No. 8 Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science. For more than 165 years, we have applied our unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics to develop products that transform industries and enhance people’s lives.

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© 2020 Corning Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. yttrium iron garnet glassy carbon photonics fused quartz beamsplitters piezoceramics europium phosphors additive manufacturing III-IV semiconductors ITO 1 1 2 2 H He 1.00794 4.002602 Hydrogen transparent conductive oxides sol-gel process bioimplants Helium YSZ 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 2 10 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Li Be B C N O F Ne 6.941 9.012182 10.811 12.0107 14.0067 15.9994 18.9984032 20.1797 zeolites Lithium Beryllium raman substrates barium uoride Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen FluorinenanoNeon ribbons 11 2 12 2 13 2 14 2 15 2 16 2 17 2 18 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar 22.98976928 24.305 26.9815386 28.0855 30.973762 32.065 35.453 39.948 anode Sodium Magnesium sapphire windows anti-ballistic ceramicsAluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon silicates 19 2 20 2 21 2 22 2 23 2 24 2 25 2 26 2 27 2 28 2 29 2 30 2 31 2 32 2 33 2 34 2 35 2 36 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 10 11 13 13 14 15 16 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 K 1 Ca 2 Sc 2 Ti 2 V 2 Cr 1 Mn 2 Fe 2 Co 2 Ni 2 Cu 1 Zn 2 Ga 3 Ge 4 As 5 Se 6 Br 7 Kr 8 39.0983 40.078 44.955912 47.867 50.9415 51.9961 54.938045 55.845 58.933195 58.6934 63.546 65.38 69.723 72.64 74.9216 78.96 79.904 83.798 oxides Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton cermet 37 2 38 2 39 2 40 2 41 2 42 2 43 2 44 2 45 2 46 2 47 2 48 2 49 2 50 2 51 2 52 2 53 2 54 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 8 8 9 10 12 13 13 15 16 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 Rb 1 Sr 2 Y 2 Zr 2 Nb 1 Mo 1 Tc 2 Ru 1 Rh 1 Pd Ag 1 Cd 2 In 3 Sn 4 Sb 5 Te 6 I 7 Xe 8 85.4678 87.62 88.90585 91.224 92.90638 95.96 (98.0) 101.07 102.9055 106.42 107.8682 112.411 114.818 118.71 121.76 127.6 126.90447 131.293 Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon

TiCN 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 h-BN 55 56 57 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 Cs 1 Ba 2 La 2 Hf 2 Ta 2 W 2 Re 2 Os 2 Ir 2 Pt 1 Au 1 Hg 2 Tl 3 Pb 4 Bi 5 Po 6 At 7 Rn 8 132.9054 137.327 138.90547 178.48 180.9488 183.84 186.207 190.23 192.217 195.084 196.966569 200.59 204.3833 207.2 208.9804 (209) (210) (222) Cesium Barium Lanthanum Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon

87 2 88 2 89 2 104 2 105 2 106 2 107 2 108 2 109 2 110 2 111 2 112 2 113 2 114 2 115 2 116 2 117 2 118 2 ZnS 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 InGaAs 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 18 18 18 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 18 Nh 18 18 Mc 18 18 Ts 18 Og 18 Fr 1 Ra 2 Ac 2 Rf 2 Db 2 Sg 2 Bh 2 Hs 2 Mt 2 Ds 1 Rg 1 Cn 2 3 Fl 4 5 Lv 6 7 8 (223) (226) (227) (267) (268) (271) (272) (270) (276) (281) (280) (285) (284) (289) (288) (293) (294) (294) Francium Radium Actinium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium Copernicium Nihonium Flerovium Moscovium Livermorium Tennessine Oganesson Si3N4 epitaxial crystal growth cerium oxide polishing powder rutile 58 2 59 2 60 2 61 2 62 2 63 2 64 2 65 2 66 2 67 2 68 2 69 2 70 2 71 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 32 9 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 Ce 2 Pr 2 Nd 2 Pm 2 Sm 2 Eu 2 Gd 2 Tb 2 Dy 2 Ho 2 Er 2 Tm 2 Yb 2 Lu 2 140.116 140.90765 144.242 (145) 150.36 151.964 157.25 158.92535 162.5 164.93032 167.259 168.93421 173.054 174.9668 quantum dots Cerium Praseodymium Neodymium Promethium Samarium Europium Gadolinium Terbium Dysprosium Holmium Erbium Thulium Ytterbium Lutetium spintronics 90 2 91 2 92 2 93 2 94 2 95 2 96 2 97 2 98 2 99 2 100 2 101 2 102 2 103 2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 18 20 21 22 24 25 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 32 10 9 9 9 8 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Th 2 Pa 2 U 2 Np 2 Pu 2 Am 2 Cm 2 Bk 2 Cf 2 Es 2 Fm 2 Md 2 No 2 Lr 3 SiALON 232.03806 231.03588 238.02891 (237) (244) (243) (247) (247) (251) (252) (257) (258) (259) (262) YBCO Thorium Protactinium Uranium Neptunium Plutonium Americium Curium Berkelium Californium Einsteinium Fermium Mendelevium Nobelium Lawrencium GDC transparent ceramics chalcogenides nanodispersions perovskites scintillation Ce:YAG superconductors fuel cell materials laser crystals sputtering targets TM CVD precursors deposition slugs Now Invent. silicon carbide MBE grade materials beta-barium borate alumina substrates solar energy The Next Generation of Material Science Catalogs lithium niobate photovoltaics Over 15,000 certi ed high purity laboratory chemicals, metals, & advanced materials and a magnesia state-of-the-art Research Center. Printable GHS-compliant Safety Data Sheets. Thousands of ber optics new products. And much more. All on a secure multi-language "Mobile Responsive” platform. thin lm MgF2 dialectric coatings ultra high purity materials borosilicate glass metamaterials

American Elements opens a world of possibilities so you can Now Invent! superconductors www.americanelements.com indium tin oxide