Development of New Knowledge and Early Commercial Products and Processes

AlliedSignal, Inc. Near-net-shape gelcasting process that Commercialization likely. is safer and less costly than conventional gelcasting based on acrylamide, a cumulative neurotoxin-demonstrated by making structural ceramic parts for very high-temperature applications. BioTraces, Inc. Multiphoton detection (MPD) technology— Licensee PetroTraces: applications of the demonstrated in enhanced immunoassay, technology in the petrochemical field. chromatography and nucleic acid analysis Marketed directly by BioTraces: ssMPDTM, for clinical diagnostics applications. Geltech Inc. Room temperature net-shape gelcasting Materials processing and mold fabrication method—demonstrated in the production of methods used to develop a porous-glass high-quality, silica glass micro-optics. product which is a component of a home sensor for toxic gases. IBM Corporation Nonlinear optical polymeric waveguides— Commercialization not likely. demonstrated in the development of inexpensive optoelectronic switches for computers and communications systems. IBM Corporation Low-polymer foams—demonstrated as Commercialization not likely until potentially feasible for microelectronics follow-on research takes it further. insulators. Michigan Molecular Institute Fundamentals of polymer compatibilization— Prefabricated wall units using plastic targeted at demonstrating that mixed plastics panels made compatible, made by (either from waste streams or virgin) can be Eagle Plastics Systems of Florida in successfully combined into materials with high collaboration with University of Florida performance characteristics. researchers.