1998 Features Archive

Cleaner Diesel Engines Possible with First Major Breakthrough from Argonne's Transportation Technology R&D Center

On September 25, 1998, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced an energy and environmental breakthrough at Argonne that should enable diesel engines to operate cleaner and more efficiently. (More...)

R&D 100 AWARD WINNER: Near-Frictionless Carbon Coating Is Really Slick!

Argonne researchers Ali Erdemir and George Fenske received a 1998 R&D 100 Award for their near-frictionless carbon (NFC) film coating. Each year, R&D Magazine honors 100 new products that have great technological significance. The new material is many times slicker than Teflon - its coefficient of friction is less than 0.001 when measured in a dry nitrogen atmosphere - 20 times lower than the previous record holder, molybdenum disulfide. (Under the same conditions, Teflon's coefficient of friction is around 0.04.) Thin (1-micrometer) NFC films can be deposited on virtually any substrate by ion-beam deposition, sputtering, or chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures (room temperature to 200°C) without risking damage to heat-sensitive materials. (More...)

Richardson Applauds Transportation Center Success, Pledges Continued Support at Dedication Ceremony

Hundreds of enthusiastic Argonne employees joined DOE Secretary Bill Richardson on a warm fall morning to dedicate Argonne's Transportation Technology R&D Center (TTRDC). (More...)

Recycled Plastic Makes the Grade

A 100% recycled plastic, recovered by an Argonne-patented separation process, is passing injection-molding feasibility tests with flying colors. (More...)

November 2009