1. Why a focus on advanced materials?

It’s exciting work .

This is a field for people interested in seeing ideas made into products. Advanced materials are market-changing and world-changing.

 

Tech Valley is a good place to learn more.

Look around and you will see materials invented and brought to market by workers in the Capital Region—

Tungsten filament, making light bulbs possible since 1909

Non-reflecting glass for camera lenses and optical devices

LEXAN used to manufacture CDs and DVDs

LEXAN SLX used in automotive body panels and sports equipment

Laser Light making possible the compact disc player, the laser printer and modern fiber optic.

These breakthroughs in materials technology at GE Global Research help put Tech Valley on the map. As a center of government and research, the area offers plenty of opportunities to learn about advanced materials. Here’s a small sample:

• Students at Siena College have the opportunity to work with a chemistry teacher, a physics teacher and researchers at Evident Technology to analyze nanocrystalline materials. The project was developed through a “Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education” award, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Materials Research.

• Local scientists enrich high school science with hands-on laboratory experiences such as the virtual polymer laboratory web site. It’s part of a Bring Nanotechnology to the Classroom project, coordinated by Rensselaer Professor Chang Ryu.

• Families and primary school classes can visit the first-ever Molecularium and see “Riding Snowflakes” a 19 minute adventure animation created by “experience designers, ” and a group of Rensselaer materials scientists and engineers.

• Schenectady-based SuperPower, Inc. aims to “ grow a high-tech workforce” in partnership with Schenectady County Community College and Union College. A $5 million grant from the New York state Legislature in 2005 will fund programs to educate new scientists, engineers and technicians in the manufacturing of superconducting wire, which was developed by materials scientists at SuperPower.

There are already jobs, here and around the world.

Materials science (the study of stuff) is one of the hottest career areas in science, according to Chemistry.org, sponsored by the American Chemical Society. Semiconductor packaging, data storage technology, latex technology, fiber science—it’s difficult for employers to find people with training in these areas.

It’s a material world—and there’s never been a better time to contribute.

For example, chemists who work with advanced materials study how different combinations of molecules and materials result in different properties. They use this knowledge to create new materials with special properties. Aerospace, automobiles, telecommunications, bio-medical and integrated circuit technologies are all dominated by materials technology!

The big picture: why science, math and technology matter

They’re essential for everyone. On a practical level, an increasing number of jobs require technical skills. We live in a technology-driven economy. But there are other reasons too:

• Learning about technology will mean more opportunities to succeed, whether or not a student wants to work in fields related to math, science and engineering.

• Boosting awareness of the importance of technology increases esteem for jobs and encourages more students to pursue careers in science and engineering.

• Technological literacy can help narrow the wage gap—and related shortage of skills—between salaried workers with higher education and hourly workers without it.

• Technological literacy can provide a tool for dealing with rapid changes. The kind of thinking that comes from engineering (considering risks, benefits, trade-offs) helps us make sense of the world.

• There’s a technical component to most current political, legal and ethical issues, from global warming to protecting privacy in the information age.

• We know that students are more likely to succeed when they see academic knowledge and skills applied in the workplace. With high-tech companies moving to New York’s Capital Region and the workplace changing in fundamental ways, it’s more important than ever to help students meet New York state’s CDOS standards (Learning Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies).

Good jobs are available at many levels . High-tech fields like alternative energy depend on a workforce that falls generally into four classifications—scientists, engineers, technicians and operators. Starting on a high tech career path is possible directly after high school.

2. A few advanced materials basics

Advanced materials are those that are just beginning to be used and improved and/ or just beginning to be profitable to manufacture. According to the Advanced Materials Sector Report of the local Technology Roadmap Project, they are “early in their product and/or technology lifecycle.” This includes improvements in traditional materials—steel, aluminum, plastics, rubber and glasses/ceramics—through new manufacturing processes. In the case of nano materials, the material and the process are new. The advanced materials category also includes electronic materials, medical materials, reprocessing-of-waste materials and superconductors.

What advanced materials make possible:

Smart skis embedded with material that damps out vibrations keep the ski edges on the snow. And skiers wear clothing made of microfiber fabric to keep themselves dry. Advanced materials are also used in America 's Cup yachts, golf shafts and fishing rods, wind-surfing masts, monocoque bicycles, hockey shafts and baseball bats.

Surgical nanobots will operate from within the human body. Examples such as implantable insulin-dispensing devices and miniature cochlea ear implants already exist.

Electronic ink on paper-thin, flexible electronic paper can display moving text and images.

 

Synthetic DNA can be used in robotics, cloned life forms and synthetic human organs .

Stuffdust is a nano material used to mark computers and other objects with serial numbers able to be read with an optical microscope but invisible to the naked eye. The new material makes inventory and theft control easier.

Biodegradable implants , made of polymers, function for a specific period of time while the body heals itself and then degrade into non-toxic products. These include sutures and stainless steel implants.

 

Deep space exploration is the goal of a materials technology team charged with developing high-performance materials for a civilian spacecraft nuclear power system. The Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO) will explore the existence of subsurface oceans and possible ocean life on three of Jupiter's moons.

Mechanical design engineer, dental lab technician or ceramic machinist are some of the careers related to advanced materials. For job profiles, select from these six categories:

• Ceramics
• Glass
• Metals
• Polymers
• Techniques and Applications
• Thin Films

3. Advanced materials in Tech Valley—what’s going on?

High tech fuel oil covers, computer shells
Kintz Plastics in Howes Cave , Schoharie County , is competitive in the plastics industry because of thermoforming. Thermoformed plastic looks better, is more durable and is one-half as heavy at one-half the cost of fiberglass.

 

World's first superconducting power cable to be tested in the Albany power grid
Schenectady-based SuperPower Inc., in partnership with Japanese and British firms, will demonstrate the usefulness of HTS technology. (HTS is high temperature superconducting.) HTS cable allows electricity to flow without resistance and is lighter, smaller and safer than cables containing copper wire. The 5-mile installation is planned for 2006.

 

Cornell “pushing forward” to Albany
Materials technology support from the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) will be available to area manufacturers through a partnership with Tech Valley 's Center for Economic Growth. This includes a day-long workshop on CCMR testing and analysis capabilities and other services to small business. The mission of CCMR is to “push forward the frontiers of advanced materials” including educational programs for K-16 students and teachers.

 

Motorcycle racer hails new generation of brakes
Starfire Systems, located at NYSERDA's Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP) in Malta, NY, conducted a three-day test track evaluation with racer Jason DiSalvo, riding a 2004 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorbike equipped with the company's STARBLADE ceramic composite brake rotors. The successful test was good news for the company's development of lighter weight, higher performance brake and pad combinations for motorcycles, passenger vehicles, light trucks and aircraft.

Calming vibrations
A team of scientists at RPI has developed a new class of nanostructured material used to reduce vibrations in manufacturing equipment, sensitive laboratory equipment and everyday electronic devices, according to team leader Nikhil Koratkar. The devices are carbon nanotube fillers that, when added to traditional vibration-reducing materials, increase the amount of surface area and reduce vibrations.

4. Connecting interests with opportunities in advanced materials

Sports —Faster, lighter, stronger materials have changed the way games are played. In some cases advanced materials have led to changes in business priorities with much more investment in innovation and cutting-edge performance. Researchers at Spalding's sporting-goods division added “infusion” (a straw-sized air pump) to basketballs. “Perhaps new materials could show a thermal handprint on a football, so you could see if you're throwing with the right grip” said a Spalding manager. “ Spalding: An idea with bounce”

 

Health care —From injectable gel to repair cartilage torn during athletic competition to polymer smart bombs that blast drugs to tumors to veneers for teeth featured on the ABC show “Extreme Makeover, ” advanced materials speed healing and improve lives.

 

Automobile engineering —Advanced materials allow more interior space and greater design freedom, including easily replaceable body panels and components to change the look and feel of a car. Thermoplastic resins and compounds are lightweight alternatives to metal and glass. Found in bumpers, fuel tanks, body panels, battery housings, instrument panels, wire, lighting and electronics, they are more resistant to corrosion, heat and impact and use less fuel. GE Advanced Materials has played a role in this transformation since the 1960s. They are now a supplier to over 19 vehicle brands and 80% of the automotive industry.

 

Art & Design — In a convergence of science, technology and design, an exhibit called “Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance” opened at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in April 2005. The exhibit is organized according to high-performance characteristics of the materials—stronger, lighter, faster, smarter, safer. Included are a knitted bag to hold a weakened heart, (helping it pump blood), a battery-powered fleece jacket, (keeping the wearer warm), as well as fibers shaped into bicycle frames and sculling oars.

 

Electronics — To keep getting smaller, electronics will shift down to the nanoscale. In a convergence of technologies, the lab co-founded by materials chemist, Angela Belcher has developed ways to make electronic materials using genetically engineered viruses and bacteria. Nanostructures that self-assemble could “grow” into very small semi-conductors.

 

Construction —Material scientists and architects have created ultrahigh-performance concrete that bends like metal. Another type of concrete forms translucent blocks. Also improved are materials such as coatings, sealants, adhesives, composites, and roofing materials.

 

Business & Finance —Breakthrough innovations such as those in advanced materials require different management practices , according to Rensselaer 's Lally School of Management and Technology. To thrive, technology transfer programs, high tech business incubation programs and technology-based economic development require a combination of science and business expertise.

 

Cosmetics — Chemists and engineers formulate new products by conducting extensive research. For example, tiny synthetic materials called pearls and micas change the way light bounces off the face in flattering ways. Foundation make-up lasts longer too because of new techniques that allow materials to be ground in extremely small pieces. MORE

 

5. Voices from the high-tech workforce

“I have the opportunity to shepherd my original conception through its useful life.”
"I always tinkered as a child. I studied ceramic science and engineering. Now I work with catalysts. A person with materials science training can do a lot in catalysis, more than I was aware. Catalytic materials are overwhelmingly ceramic. I really like the breadth of activities in which I get to participate. I get to conceive of a concept and work on that concept completely through commercial sales. I determine the practicality of the concept and work with the manufacturing group to develop a manufacturing process. I work with customers and let them know how the product will enable them to do what they need to do better, faster and cheaper. This way, I have the opportunity to shepherd my original conception through its useful life."
Barry Speronello , engineering fellow, Englehard Corporation

 

“It's about interplanetary travel. I think that's pretty cool stuff.”
“At Starfire we make a silicon carbide-forming liquid polymer that is heat-resistant and super-hard. Starfire's material could be used both in the structure and power systems of NASA's moon and Mars vehicles. Working on the moon mission gives me something to brag about. It gives me a lot of personal satisfaction, something to tell the grandkids.”
Lynn Tarnowski , composites specialist, Starfire Systems, Malta , NY

 

“My teacher made me repeat fourth grade, which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. ”
“ The lesson became my mantra, along with the title of a book I helped write for children: “Never Give Up.” I was always interested in research. Although my major was in solid mechanics, my work at GE Global Research has led me into areas beyond my wildest dreams or training: that of laser material processing and fiber optics. The beauty of this work is that laser technology is both an emerging and an enabling technology. I've helped solve problems in lighting, medical, aircraft, power generation, plastics. It's a long way from repeating fourth grade, but when you never allow yourself to give up, everything is possible.”
Marshall Jones , GE Global Research, Niskayuna , NY.

“Designing an industrial electric-microwave furnace, she's in there with a screwdriver. It's not looking at a computer screen.”
“ I started Ceralink in 2000 after spending a decade abroad. It's a small firm whose mission includes developing and commercializing microwave technology for industry. Our space includes a microwave testing center, with a battery of equipment that ranges from an ordinary gadget to a $100,000 machine that can work at super-high temperatures and create vacuums. Microwave heating isn't just for food. It can be used to heat high-tech metals and ceramics, to process nanomaterials, do rapid prototyping and a whole host of other things. But you need to figure out how to do it. You need the cookbooks.”
Holly Shulman , Ceralink founder and President, North Greenbush , NY http://www.ceralink.com/personnel.htm

More:
The Strange Matter exhibit web site features short video clips of materials scientists speaking about why their work is important.

Getthatgig.com features great interviews with individuals who work in thirteen career clusters.

Career Cruising is a service available for a free three-month trial subscription at your school. Call the Center for Innovation in Career Development (CICD) for details.

Want ads are useful for a taste of high tech employment opportunities that might be in your future. Check Monster.com, classified ads in the Capital Region's Tech Valley Times , newspaper business sections and the Business Review .

News releases and other communications from area colleges often feature interviews with students, faculty members and graduates about the work they do. Regular visits to college web sites are a great way to put you in a high tech mindset.

 

6. Helping Tech Valley students get a head start in advanced materials

Why a head start?

No one should make critical decisions about a career path in a vacuum. Unfortunately, this is the situation for many students, according to a survey of high school juniors and seniors nationwide.

Following some of the suggestions here (and in the Resources section) might help a student have something to write about on the college application essay and know who to ask for a paid summer internship.

• View exotic and new materials from around the globe, complements of the Materials Research Society’s “ Popular Materials Science News”
• Visit Strange Matters, a terrific exhibit and web site, also from the Materials Research Society.
• Connect on-line with people doing groundbreaking work through NOVA ScienceNOW, a TV science magazine.
• How do CDs work? For answers to questions like this, visit “Ask a Scientist” on the web site of the Cornell Center for Materials Research and then submit your own.
• Film studies: Rent Flubber, a 1997 movie starring Robin Williams as a scientist who invents a polymer that saves his college from disaster. The original Flubber movies were The Absent-minded Professor with Fred MacMurray in 1961 and Son of Flubber in 1963. The site lists more serious resources too.
• Hot Rodding: The Society of Automotive Engineers (the SAE on motor oil cans) sponsors 4-day competitions for engineering students worldwide. Teams produce a prototype autocross-type racer. They make design, manufacturing and costing presentations and reports. They undergo test events. Then they race. Also check the SAE web site for the Clean Snowmobile Challenge and others.
• Invite the Science News for Kids e-Letter to your inbox every week. Its SCIFIZONE challenges us to write a movie script using a new science idea such as “What could you do with a fabric that both detects light and conducts electricity?”
• Visit www.howstuffworks and the world-class research facility, Jefferson Lab.
• Spend a 2 ½ minutes a week reading or listening to “ Engineering & Life” commentary by Bill Hammack. His piece on chemist Willard Gibbs, celebrated on a new postage stamp, explains discoveries in chemistry that are key to almost all manufactured objects—plastic, soap, glass, butter and cosmetics. Subscribe on-line to the public radio program or try searching the archives.
• Visit the web site of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and search for notice of the next Black Family Technology Awareness Day. A “Lets Make Nylon” workshop was one of the choices. Call Kenneth Durgans, Rensselaer’s vice provost for institute diversity for more information.
• Make virtual visits to museums and science centers, listed by the Association of Science-Technology Centers with links to hundreds of creative places.
• Tune in to Tech Club, a public radio show about women in science originating at Albany’s WAMC. Hosts are local high school students Emily Lescak and Ivy Hughes.
• Anotherfeature of NovaScienceNOW on TV (PBS) is “ Science in the News”
• Advanced materials in sports might be a great research paper topic for an English class. For background, consult “Is the Use of Advanced Materials in Sports Equipment Unethical?” with a focus on running, pole vault, bicycling, tennis, golf and baseball/softball. The July 2004 issue of Science includes articles about ways materials science has transformed some Olympic sports.

See Academic Enrichment in the Resources section for additional career exploration information .