The Only Government-wide Forum for Technology Transfer

1. The Only Government-wide Forum for Technology Transfer Leveraging Federal Technology Assets as Your Own Presented at: American Filtration & Separations Society Annual Meeting Valley Forge, PA May 21, 2008

2. The opinions expressed are the author’s and do not represent the position or policy of the US Government. Disclaimer

3. Agenda • The Federal Lab Consortium Gateway • The Federal Labs • Generically, your opportunities at the labs • Example lab separations interests • How to leverage the labs • Abyss of misunderstanding

4. Entry Points to the Federal Labs www.federallabs.org www.flcmidatlantic.org

5. Federal Laboratory Consortium • Nationwide network of over 700 Federal laboratories and R&D centers organized in 1974 and formally chartered by Congress in 1986 to promote and strengthen technology transfer throughout the U.S. • A forum that links technology with laboratory missions and the marketplace • 18 Departments and Agencies, conducting $100 billion in R&D annually and employing over 100,000 scientists and engineers.

6. What is theFederal Laboratory Consortium? Departments • Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Army • Air Force • Navy • Education • Energy • Health and Human Services • Interior • Justice • Labor • Transportation • Veterans Affairs Agencies • Central Intelligence Agency • Environmental Protection Agency • National Aeronautics and Space Administration • National Science Foundation • Smithsonian Institute • Tennessee Valley Authority

7. Personnel • NIST has 2000 employees – and 1,500 guest scientists/engineers • NIH has about 18,000 employees and maintains about 3000 post docs/yr • FDA has about 10,000 employees

8. NIH

9. NIST

10. NASA Langley

11. NASA Wallops

12. Wallops Island

13. Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

14. ARS Appalachian Fruit

15. Federal Labs are Centric to Many Industries • NASA & NAWC drive space & aerospace • NIH, Navy Medical, Army Medical, FDA & USDA stimulate medical & biotechnology • NIST at forefront of nanotechnology • NRL, NAWC & NSWC lead naval technologies • NSA, CIA, FBI, NGA are drivers of IT, sensors & communications • DOD labs are key to defense • DHS is stimulating a growing security industry

16. The Cost of Separations Rate-Limits Progress • 90% of biotech processing • 70% of high volume chemical operations • Salt from sea water and brine • Recycled values from mixed waste • H2 from H2O • CO2 from the atmosphere • Rock from rock for mining & tunnels • Astronauts from the planet

17. Federal Agency Interests in Separations • All 700 labs use separations for R&D • EPA: Water/air impurity separations for analysis & cleanup • DOC/NIST: Nano separations • NIH: Blood filtration; poisons from body; drugs from time-release capsules; drugs from natural products; proteins; cells

18. More Agency Interests • NOAA: Rain from clouds • Interior: Mineral from rock; processing chemicals from product and waste; mine field drainage wastes • FDA: Contaminants from food, water & drugs • DHS/FEMA: Filters for Chem/Bio/Radioactive agents; decontamination; first responder masks; water purification in disaster areas

19. More Agency Interests • FAA: Air circulation filters for cabins • USDA/ARS: Food from fiber; dirt from food; plant pathogens from greenhouse air; biofuels and bio-products • Forestry Service: brush from forest

20. DOE Strongly Needs Advances in Separations • CO2, NOx, Hg from hydrocarbon combustion • Oil from rock, water, S, drilling fluids • Oil fractionation • Coal from rock, water, S • Tar from tar sands • Ethanol from biomass • Uranium from ore; Isotopes from each other • Silicon from SiO2 for solar • Ions from each other in batteries/fuel cells • Salts from geothermal steam • Fish from hydro turbines

21. Example DOD Separations Purposes • Marine vessel onboard wastewater treatment system • Dirt from wounds; contamination from ground & aquifers; • Chemical operations • Army Engineer R&D Center: Salt from water • Selective chem-bio detectors • Functional clothing • Batteries • All of the applications sought by other labs

22. DOD Licensing Opportunities TechMatch www.dodtechmatch.com Key WordsHits Filtration 345 Filter 1,498 Membrane 480 Separation 1,296 Separator 143

23. Regulatory & Safety Agencies Use Separations for Quantitative Analyses • FBI • EPA • FDA • OSHA • DHS • Consumer Products Safety Commission • CDC • USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service • USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service

25. NSF • Supports fundamental research on novel methods & materials for separation processes • Recognizes processes are central to chemical, biological, materials, energy & pharmaceutical industries • Looks for proposals addressing energy sources

26. Research topics in NSF-CBS include fundamental molecular-level work on: • Biochemical separations and purification processes • Microporous and novel molecular-recognition adsorbents • Self-assembly in the synthesis of adsorbents and membranes • Nanostructured materials for separations • Fuel-cell membranes • Biomimetic materials for separations • Chiral separations • Separations for environmentally benign processing • Novel polymeric and ceramic membranes • Hybrid separation processes • Control and separation of organic crystalline materials • Separations using ionic liquids • Purification of drinking water • Membranes for ion-selective sensors • Adsorption and chromatography • Field (flow, magnetic, electrical) induced separations. • Separation of molecular constituents from blood • Thermodynamics and transport simulations for the design of separation processes • Combinatorial design of separation systems • Rational ligand design for separations

27. Examples in Separations

28. Army Corps of EngineersAir Pollution Control Laboratory • High Temperature Particulate Filter Development: • The U.S. Army operates furnaces to demilitarize spent and expired munitions. • These furnaces are subject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. • Fine mesh steel screen filters operating at 1200 F and perlite-based solid sorbent materials are used to capture metal vapors and residual organics. • Surface treated perlite and surface treated absorbent carbons are studied for mercury reduction.

29. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Processes Laboratory • Development of environmental technologies to treat Army industrial wastewater from explosives manufacturing and munitions packaging • Developing-cost effective methods to treat Army wastewater contaminated with explosives (like TNT, RDX, Perchlorate, other Insensitive Munitions) and toxic metals (like arsenic, lead and chromium) • Currently we are also looking at removal of oxidizers used in missiles. One of the projects evaluates biosorbents (material made out of shrimp shells, CERL patented) for treatment of perchlorate in groundwater and wastewater from bomb/missile packaging facilities. • Also membrane based separation systems at bench and pilot scale for reduced sensitive munitions program.

30. Available Technology: Magnetic Bead-Based Solid Phase for Selective Extraction of DNA • Functionalized micro-bead enables capture of generic targets • Office of Naval Research • Contact Dottie Vincent: 703-696-4792 • www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/3t/transition/tech_tran

31. Licensing Opportunity: Miniature Microbial Fuel Cells with Nanoporous Membrane: Harvests Energy in Aerobic Environments Office of Naval Research Contact Dottie Vincent: 703-696-4792

32. Available Patent:Handheld and Hand-powered Centrifuge Device • Patent Number: 6905454 • Army Medical Research and Materiel Command • Fort Detrick, MD • Abstract: This invention relates to a handheld, hand-powered centrifuge device. The device preferably includes a centrifuge body and a sample-holding member connected to a tether. The device centrifuges the sample by a user physically spinning the member preferably in a vertical arc. The device preferably includes a pull handle which allows a user to shorten the length of the tether to reduce the circumference of the arc, thereby increasing the speed of rotation and centrifugal force on the sample. The device also preferable includes a brake to prevent the member from contacting the handheld centrifuge body. The centrifuge body may have a storage cavity for storing the pull handle when not in use, wherein the member serves to seal the storage cavity when not in use.

33. Solid/liquid Separation at NIST Polymer Lab Sorting and manipulating nanotubes by length and type using size exclusion chromatography http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/sans/pdf/publications/0526.pdf

34. Ceramic Membranes at the National Energy Technology Lab • The water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction, CO + H2O ↔ H2 + CO2, is used to increase the hydrogen content of synthesis gas. • One approach for overcoming this limitation is to carry out the reaction in a reactor with walls that are CO2 permeable. • This continuously removal of CO2 from the system should allow the reaction to continue. • http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/factsheets/project/Proj195.pdf

35. Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEmphasis Areas • Crown ethers, macrocycles, and designer ligands for recognition and transport of cations and anions • Novel materials and processes for waste remediation, environmental restoration, and decontamination • Metal-organic frameworks • Metallo-organic compounds for sensors, catalysis, and other applications

36. Oak Ridge National LaboratoryAccomplishment • Separation of Radioactive 137Cesium • Development of a new solvent extraction process for separating radioactive 137cesium from the nation's troublesome high-level wastes.

37. Desalination at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory • The LLNL has created a membrane made of carbon nanotubes and silicon that may offer less expensive desalination. • The nanotubes, special molecules made of carbon atoms in a unique arrangement, act as the pores in the membrane. • The pores are so small that only six water molecules could fit across their diameter. • The super smooth inside of the nanotubes allow liquids and gases to rapidly flow through, while the tiny pore size can block larger molecules.

38. LLNL Nanotubes

39. Nanoporous Catalytic Membranesat Argonne National Lab • Conversion of the feedstocks into chemicals, diesel fuel or gasoline using catalytic membranes would be a great step towards energy independence. • Argonne aims to fabricate novel nanostructured catalytic membranes that enable the cheap and efficient synthesis of hydrocarbons for gasoline and diesel fuel. • Ultra-uniform nanoporous catalytic membranes are based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO). • By using atomic layer deposition (ALD) thin film growth techniques AAO pore size is optimized for reactant/catalyst contact time as well as to provide filtration capability.

40. Argonne’s Nanoporous Catalytic Membranes

41. USDA Agricultural Research Servicewww.ars.usda.gov Membrane Separation of Ethanol • This technology addresses the energy efficiency of bioethanol production. • The invention is called a spiral-wound liquid membrane module • It could potentially replace the widely used process of distilling ethanol.

42. Some EPA Available Patents • Separation process using pervaporation and dephlegmation • Adsorbent-filled membranes for pervaporation • Recovery of volatile organic compounds from emulsion of volatile organic compounds in water by pervaporation • Vacuum distillation automatic sampler • Lightweight low permeation piston-in-sleeve accumulator • Biomass concentrator reactor • System and method for vacuum flushing sewer solids • On-line gas chromatograph with sample preparation, concentration, and calibration apparatus for measuring trace organic species from combustor flue gas • Enhancement of electrostatic precipitation with pre-charged particles and electrostatic field augmented fabric filtration • Minimizing emission of hexavalent chromium from combustion sources • Vacuum extractor incorporating a condenser column • Processes for removing acid components from gas streams • Enhancement of electrostatic precipitation with electrostatically augmented fabric filtration

43. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Desalination and Water Purification Research & Development Program • Reclamation has formed partnerships with private industry, universities, local communities, and others to address a broad range of desalting and water purification needs. • The overall program objective is to reduce the cost of desalting and water purification technologies in order to augment U.S. water supplies. • Research focuses on desalination technologies and related issues that push the state of the art forward so costs can be reduced.

44. Gas Separation atNASA National Space Science and Technology Center • The continuing rising costs of helium justifies the construction of an economic system that will separate helium gas from gas streams that would normally be considered waste gas. • Since almost all of NASA's launch and other propellant related test operations use helium and hydrogen, this system would be capable of recovering these valuable gases to the point that they could be separated and recycled.

45. Organically Modified Silicates Polymer Membranes at Glenn Research Center • NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a series of membranes with acceptable ionic conductivity as well as thermal and dimensional stability. • Applications include proton-conduction for fuel cells, gas separation membranes, and solid electrolytes for lithium batteries.

46. Organically Modified Silicates Polymer Membrane

47. Hollow Fiber Freeze Thaw Filter SBIR Opportunity Solicitation • Open Date: 4/21/2008 • Close Date: 6/18/2008 • Marine Corp Infantry Combat Equipment • Research and test a practical method for preventing damage to hollow fiber water filtration media subjected to freezing and thawing. A practical method must NOT make the resultant system so heavy and bulky as to negate the weight and size advantage of hollow fiber filtration media. • http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/index.htm • Email: john.strang@usmc.mil

48. How to Use Federal Assets

49. There are Many Ways for Companies to Leverage Federal Labs • License Federal technology • Collaborate on R&D projects • Access Federal equipment • Obtain technical information & advice • Employee exchange • Hire post-docs when they leave the labs • Participate in meetings, seminars & conferences • Publications

50. FLC MAR Annual Meeting • Tech transfer, licensing, commercialization • September 15-17, 2008 • Rocky Gap Resort, Cumberland, MD • www.flcmidatlantic.org