The Copper Country and curiosity were the bedrock of an inventive career in materials science
Ames National Laboratory Scientist Iver Anderson retires this month, ending a thirty-eight-year career in materials innovation and as a faculty member of Iowa State University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
While “scientist,” “engineer,” and “professor” are fitting labels that have been applied to Anderson over the decades, the one that really sticks is “inventor.” With over 56 patents to his name and inventions that have had global impact on multiple industries, his ability to apply science and engineering to solving practical challenges has earned him widespread recognition as an innovator.
In 2016, Anderson was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The NAI Fellows Selection Committee credited Anderson for demonstrating a “highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.”
In 2017, Anderson was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). Anderson was recognized for developing lead-free solder, an alloy of tin, silver and copper that is now used worldwide in most consumer electronic devices.
Early Life and Education
Iver Anderson's fascination with science began early, while still a child growing up on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, a ruggedly beautiful and remote area surrounded by Lake Superior. Also known as the Copper Country for its rich geology and historic mines, it was the land young Iver roamed with a curious mind, and his family encouraged him to pursue his interests.
“I was particularly fascinated by the native copper nuggets that we could find on the ground nearly everywhere. I wanted to learn more about how it was first discovered and how ancient Indians mined it and hammered it into tools and weapons,” Anderson said. “This was the start of my intense interest in geology and metallurgy. Further spurring me on that path was my own discovery of a 30-pound tongue of float copper in my backyard when raking out rocks at my dad’s direction.”
Anderson went on to study Metallurgical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1975. He then continued his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering by 1982.
Early Career
After earning his PhD, Anderson spent five years at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. In 1987, Anderson joined Ames National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Iowa State University. Soon after, he joined the faculty as an adjunct at Iowa State, in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The dual role allowed him to explore his interests in developing materials and processes that have practical applications in a variety of industries and to mentor graduate students in this exciting pursuit.
At the Naval Research Lab, Anderson said he had many great projects and colleagues, including one of the co-inventors of Nd-Fe-B “supermagnets” and the discoverer of quasi-crystals (a Nobel Prize winner) at the neighboring National Bureau of Standards (now NIST). Anderson’s start at NRL (1982) coincided with both huge discoveries. His central project involved building a gas atomization system from the floor up and using it to make powders of interest to the Navy.
“After nearly 5 years the constrain of this narrow focus pushed me to pursue an alternative National Lab with a broader mission, hopefully in the Mid-West (for my growing family), and a golden opportunity appeared in Ames,” said Anderson.
“Immediately on starting at Ames Lab I was encouraged to jump into building a new gas atomizer using the learning from my first system. One of my first atomization projects involved producing fine Nd-Fe-B magnet alloy powder for eventual use in automotive applications. I KNEW that I was in the right place!”
Innovations in Powder Metallurgy
Anderson has made significant contributions in the field of powder metallurgy. His work on high-pressure gas atomization has led to the production of vastly improved fine metal powders that are essential for creating advanced materials. Industries use these powders in a variety of applications, including structural components, lightweight materials, and magnetic and electronic parts.
In one notable advance, Anderson and a team of scientists at Ames Lab and Praxair Surface Technologies (now known as Linde Advanced Material Technologies) developed a unique titanium atomization process with the design of a unique “Hot Shot” molten metal pour tube. The highly erosion-resistant ceramic tube that contained an internal induction heater produced titanium powder by an atomization process that is ten times more efficient than previous methods, lowering production costs by more than 80 percent. The technology won an Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC).
Lead-Free Solder: A Revolutionary Invention
Anderson's most well-known achievement is the invention of lead-free solder. This innovation came at a time when the worldwide electronics industry was seeking alternatives to traditional tin-lead solder due to environmental and health concerns, expressed as a law by the European Parliament to ban sales in their valuable marketplace.
Anderson and his team developed a tin-silver-copper alloy that not only met but exceeded expectations, transforming the industry. Lead-free solder is now used in electronic items worldwide, significantly reducing the environmental impact of lead contamination. Licensed by more than 65 companies and used in all kinds of electronic devices, lead-free solder generated nearly $60 million in royalties, making it the most successful invention in the history of Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University and among the top technologies developed by U.S. Department of Energy researchers.
“Science exists to solve problems, but the questions have to be relevant,” said Anderson in a video celebrating his National Inventors Hall of Fame induction. “It makes me feel warm inside to have solved one issue that will help us going on into the future.”
Mentorship and Teaching
In addition to his research, Anderson has been a dedicated mentor and educator. He has guided hundreds of students through their academic and research careers. Anderson’s guidance has resulted in 18 Master of Science degrees granted and a total of 16 Ph.D. degrees awarded. His mentorship has helped shape the next generation of engineers and scientists, many of whom have gone on to make their own significant contributions to the field of materials sciences and engineering in elevated positions in numerous industries, labs, or institutes in the US and internationally.
Anderson noted many examples, including: Joel Rieken (Ph.D. 2011), Vice President of Linde Global Advanced Materials Division; Paul Prichard (Ph.D. 1997), Distinguished R&D Staff Member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Matt Osborne (Ph.D. 1997), R&D Manager of Metallurgical Technology at Global Advanced Metals; Jason Ting (Ph.D. 1998), Director of Atomization Operations at Elementum 3D; Emma White (Ph.D. 2014), Senior Scientist and High Temperature Alloys Group Lead at DECHEMA (Frankfurt, Germany); and Nathaniel Oster (Ph.D. 2012), Senior Engineering Manager for Microelectronics Packaging at Collins Aerospace.
“One of the most enjoyable moments for me has always been gathering at national technical society meetings and introducing my current graduate students to a former student who is now a captain of industry,” said Anderson. “This always leads to traded stories and many shared experiences that never lose their relevance or humor.”
“Iver’s career at Ames Lab is a shining example of how scientific research can lead to innovations with tangible and wide-ranging impacts on society,” said Ames Laboratory’s Chief Research Officer James Morris. “He has left an indelible mark on the field of materials science.”
“Ames Laboratory’s vision is to lead the nation in translating foundational science for energy and
chemical conversion into critical technology innovation,” said Ames Laboratory’s Director Adam Schwartz. “Throughout his career, Iver has done exactly that.”