R&D 100

Clear optical properties, reliable and durable protection, easy and robust processing are key characteristics for LED luminaire encapsulants in harsh environments. Lighting under harsh environments (outdoor, explosion-proof) particularly suffers from heavy and costly fixtures for protecting the electronic parts, and to penetrate this market, lightweight LED luminaires require sustainable and reliable protection. The luminaire market…

Superclean Glass has developed a new technology that has potential to reduce the cost of solar energy: New generation of electrostatic based self-cleaning technology for increasing energy yield from dusty solar panels. The original concept was used by NASA to prevent Martian dust deposition on solar panels of the Mars rovers, where the screen of…

Argonne National Laboratory and Northern Illinois University developed a new versatile method for preparing highly effective electro-catalyst for CO2 to chemical conversion. At over 90% selectivity under low-voltage, at notably reduced onset potential with remarkable long-term stability, these results represent state-of-the-art performances, outperforming the best-published works in recent literature. Key to this breakthrough technology in…

With increased performance from smaller transistors, U.S. Government access to trusted high-performance foundries is decreasing, thereby disadvantaging U.S. military systems which require high degrees of trust. One concern with untrusted fabrication is the issue of malicious modification or tamper, where a trusted design is modified by a fabricator to insert a “hardware Trojan” or “backdoor”…

The Three Electrodes Coin Cell, invented by General Motors, has a novel non-swagelok type 3-electrode cell design, providing many benefits and advantages compared with other Swagelok type cells. The coin format design offers compatibility with the current coin format cell electrode and cell parts on the commercial market. The non-swagelok design also enables a tight…

Most farming regions that experience severe droughts have abundant brackish water aquifers that are too expensive to access. Membrion’s Ceramic Ion Exchange Membranes, made from silica gel, the desiccant in the bottom of a beef jerky package, provide a 30% reduction to the levelized cost of brackish water purification compared to the gold standard currently…

5G’s success relies on the availability of quality mobile devices. Keysight Technologies’ Keysight E7515B UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform is a software-defined test platform that emulates a real network for engineers to validate and test 5G device performance. It combines the most advanced RF and digital hardware with world-class software for chipset/device makers, network operators…

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Cluster Integrity, Exception Resolution and Reclustering Algorithm (CIERRA) ensures that all lightning – regardless of size – is represented properly and adds both context and in-depth descriptions for each flash. This information improves the understanding of lightning and situational awareness of lightning hazards. CIERRA is the first and only software that…

Prior to birth, the ductus arteriosus, the artery that connects the aorta to the pulmonary artery, remains open so blood can bypass the lungs and flow directly into the heart. For most babies, their ductus arteriosus closes shortly after birth, but in some cases, the hole fails to close. This means that a newborn’s blood…

QUIC-Fire is the first laptop-capable, real-time speed wildland fire prediction software to explicitly model a fire’s two-way interaction with the atmosphere and 3D heterogeneous vegetation — the very factors that drive fire and are essential to simulating complex site-specific wildfire and prescribed fire scenarios. QUIC-Fire transforms a fire practitioner’s ability to assess risk, optimize fuel…

The Ion Torrent Genexus System, from Thermo Fisher Scientific, directly addresses two of the main issues plaguing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis today: slow turnaround time for results and lack of automation. The Genexus system has unprecedented turnaround time, delivering results in as little as 14 hours where competitors can take weeks to go from…

TIDE (Threat Identification, Determination and Evaluation), developed by Argonne National Laboratory, is the most comprehensive, generally applicable and thoroughly vetted facility threat assessment tool available today. TIDE provides security professionals with a more effective, efficient and cost-effective way to evaluate threats to facilities, and to identify threat-specific mitigation options. Moreover, TIDE provides a more customized,…

The insatiable demand for portable power, from handheld electronics to electric vehicles, continues to drive materials innovations for Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs). Current inorganic cathodes in LIBs have peaked in performance, yet still suffer from low capacity and energy density, limited structural versatility, environmental pollution and safety risks which have created hurdles in the consumer marketplace.…

Following up on the popular inaugural episode of R&D 100 – The Podcast, today, Episode 2 was released. In this episode, co-hosts Paul J. Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas, editors with R&D World, talk a little about the first year of the publication’s revamped website and what the top article has been. Then, they delve into…

PLA (Polylactic acid) is one of the few biopolymers available in large quantities and at a commodity price; however, its brittleness significantly limits its use in many applications. Strategies to improve its ductility are available, however, they compromise the strength and modulus of PLA and are costly. In contrast, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s low cost,…

The ChemSitu Microfluidic Technology for In Situ Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Microfluidic Devices, from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a microfluidic chip and chemical analysis system that allows in situ chemical characterization at any point within the device. It provides a new analytical capability to solve the problem of elucidating the complex chemistry occurring within…

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s transformative Self-Healing Cement fills cracks and restores cement to its original mechanical integrity in intense, high-temperature environments. The combination of synthetic polymer and cement outperforms conventional concrete. The pollution-preventing technology extends the life of cement by at least 30 years. The cement also reduces drilling interruptions and costly repairs. Self-healing cement…

The Information Age we live in demands data security, but the safety of our data is in peril given the rise of quantum computers that can decode classical encryption schemes. Currently, the only safe alternatives are quantum cryptography approaches that rely on photons. With Berkeley Lab’s Matter-wave modulating secure quantum communicator (MMQ-Com) innovation, the world…

Keyence Corporation of America’s VHX-7000 Digital Microscope pushes the benchmark for what can be offered from a digital microscope. The VHX-7000 is the world’s first 4K microscope, allowing users to view, capture and measure at any angle. With an easy-to-use interface, anyone is able to take high-resolution images and perform 2D/3D measurements. Specialized lenses have…

  What if airline passengers could leave their shoes on while still being scanned for security? Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) to build the millimeter-wave shoe scanner developed the Millimeter-Wave Shoe Scanner — a solution that relies on proven state-of-the-art imaging…

Winners for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards in the Mechanical/Materials category have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide competition, now in its 58th year, received entries from 19 countries/regions. This year, the judging panel grew to include nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals across the globe, including new judges in places such as…

Winners for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards in the Mechanical/Materials category have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide competition, now in its 58th year, received entries from 19 countries/regions. This year, the judging panel grew to include nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals across the globe, including new judges in places such as…

Winners for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards in the first two categories have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide competition, now in its 58th year, received entries from 19 countries/regions. This year, the judging panel grew to include nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals across the globe, including new judges in places such…

Winners for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards in the four Special Recognition categories have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide competition, now in its 58th year, received entries from 19 countries/regions. This year, the judging panel grew to include nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals across the globe, including new judges in places…

Finalists for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide competition, now in its 58th year, received entries from 19 countries/regions. This year, the judging panel grew to include nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals across the globe, including new judges in places such as Australia, Nigeria, and the…