For release: Nov. 10, 1998
Contacts:
Pat Thiel, Materials Chemistry, (515) 294-7568
Dan Sordelet, Metallurgy and Ceramics, (515) 294-4713
Susan Dieterle, Public Affairs, (515) 294-1405
AMES, Iowa -- A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory
at Iowa State University has earned national recognition for its work with quasicrystals,
relatively new materials with potential as highly effective coatings for automotive and
mechanical parts and frying pans.
The group received DOE's 1998 Materials Sciences Award for "Outstanding Scientific
Accomplishment in Materials Chemistry" for its work in understanding the surface
properties of quasicrystals.
Quasicrystals were discovered in 1982 and first reported in 1984, changing the long-held
belief that solid matter existed in only two states: amorphous or crystalline. In
amorphous substances, atoms exist in a random, disordered manner. In crystalline
substances, atoms form specific geometric patterns that are repeated periodically in the
material. Quasicrystal materials fall outside these groups, containing atoms that are
arranged in an ordered but not periodic way.
In the late 1980s, scientists discovered that quasicrystals were highly resistant to wear
and corrosion, and that they had low coefficients of friction -- highly desirable
properties for coatings on mechanical and automotive parts. Such coatings would make the
parts less vulnerable to wear- and rust-related damage.
What was lacking, though, was an understanding of why quasicrystal materials exhibited
these surface properties -- a shortcoming that Ames Lab researchers wanted to address.
"Five years ago, there were almost no papers in the literature concerning surface
properties of quasicrystals," said Pat Thiel, director of the Lab's Materials
Chemistry Program. "The Ames group has begun to lay a foundation for understanding
this topic, and is now internationally recognized for its efforts."
Thiel said the interdisciplinary nature of the group is the key to its success. The nine
Ames scientists come from three different backgrounds: materials chemistry, condensed
matter physics, and metallurgy and ceramics. Approaching quasicrystal research from a
variety of viewpoints has enabled the group to address not only the fundamental nature of
the surfaces of these materials, but also how the materials could be adapted for use in
industrial settings.
Materials scientist Dan Sordelet said the broad-based approach has given the group a more
complete understanding of how quasicrystal materials can be used in both consumer and
industrial products. "The first application of quasicrystals is as a surface coating
for certain frying pans, which are now commercially available," Sordelet said.
"We expect our integrated work to lead to other commercial applications ranging from
thermal protection of aircraft engines to wear-resistant, reduced-adhesion surfaces for
injection-molding dies."
Along with Thiel and Sordelet, the Ames group includes James Anderegg, Matt Besser, Tamara
Bloomer, Alan Goldman, Cynthia Jenks, Matt Kramer and Tom Lograsso. Also collaborating
with the group are Martin Gierer from Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany,
and Michel Van Hove of DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The Materials Sciences Awards are given annually to recognize scientists at Department of
Energy laboratories throughout the country for outstanding research.
Ames Laboratory is operated for the DOE by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts
research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed
computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new
materials.Body
Last revision: 11/10/98 sd
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