R&D Portfolio

The Nanomanufacturing activity provides R&D cost-shared support for collaborative R&D for the development and deployment of technologies to cost-competitively produce uniform nanomaterials and incorporate the materials into manufactured goods.

The Nanomanufacturing R&D portfolio has 33 active projects at this time. The projects promise to make revolutionary improvements in a broad range of energy production, storage, and consumption applications that will reduce energy and carbon intensity in industrial processes. The 33 research projects are focused in the two technical areas of concept definition studies and nanomanufacturing process development.

Concept Definition Studies

Projects under this area of interest will produce concept definition studies for specific, promising nanotechnologies in the areas of catalysts, coating and thin films, separations media, nanocomposites, and other nanodevelopments. The studies will include technical and economic feasibility analyses as well as a complete lifecycle analysis for a proposed nanotechnology, from synthesis to disposal.

Concept definition project abstracts are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Architectured Nanomembranes for In-Situ Energy Conversion Technologies, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 462 KB)

Filled Carbon Nanotubes: Superior Latent Heat Storage Enhancers, Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois at Chicago (PDF 463 KB)

High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) of Ultra-Hard and Low-Friction Nanocomposite Coatings for Improved Energy Efficiency and Durability in Demanding Industrial Applications, Argonne National Laboratory (PDF 462 KB)

Highly Dispersed Metal Catalyst for Fuel Cell Electrodes, Savannah River National Laboratory (PDF 461 KB)

Hydrogen and Wear Resistant Nanolaminate Coatings, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PDF 467 KB)

Infrared Absorbing Nanoparticles for Reducing Cure Temperatures In Industrial Coatings, National Energy Technology Laboratory and PPG Industries (PDF 458 KB)

Large-Scale Nanofermentation of Quantum Dots, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 467 KB)

Mesoporous Carbon Membranes for Selective Gas Separations, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Georgia Institute of Technology (PDF 464 KB)

Microwave and Beam Activities of Nanostructured Catalysts for Crude, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 462 KB)

Nanocatalytic Conversion of Biomass into Second-Generation Biofuels, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 455 KB)

Nanocrystallization of LiCoO₂ Cathodes for Thin Film Batteries Utilizing Pulse Thermal Processing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 469 KB)

Nanoscale Electrodeposition Process for Manufacturing High Selectivity Catalysts, Argonne National Laboratory (PDF 451 KB)

Nanoscale Interpenetrating Phase Composites for Industrial and Vehicle Applications, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 464 KB)

Oxide-Nanoparticle Containing Coatings for High Temperature Alloys, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 449 KB)

Pulsed Thermal Processing of Self-Assembled Quantum Dot Structures, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 454 KB)

Self-Assembled Biomimetic Nanostructured Anti-Reflection Coatings for Highly Efficient Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells, Savannah River National Laboratory and University of Florida (PDF 466 KB)

Synthesis of Highly Ordered TiO₂ Nanotubes Using Ionic Liquids for Photovoltaics Applications, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 462 KB)

Transformational Fabrication of Nanostructured Materials Using Plasma Arc Lamps, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 461 KB)

Nanomanufacturing Process Development

Projects in this area of interest focus on enabling processes for nanomaterials production or nanomaterial use in industrial processes. DOE national laboratories are partnering with industrial companies to (1) design production systems that will generate uniform material in production-scale quantities, or (2) identify and modify promising processing techniques to handle nanomaterials at one tenth of the smallest scale in use in industry today.

Process development project factsheets are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Accelerated Deployment of Nanostructured Hydrotreating Catalysts, Argonne National Laboratory (PDF 1.0 MB)

Application of Wear-Resistant, Nanocomposite Coatings Produced from Iron-Based Glassy Powders, Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Nanosized complex metal boron carbides will be incorporated into a metal matrix coating and tested on full-size components with the intention of extending the life and maintenance cycle of any iron-based substrate that can benefit from improved wear resistance.

Development and Application of Processing and Process Control for Nanocomposite Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries, Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Develop process control and quality measures for a homogenous and reliable deposition and treatment of a nanocomposite coating to be used in lithium ion battery technology with guidelines for scale-up and mass production.

Development, Characterization, Production and Demonstration of Nanofluids for Industrial Cooling Applications, Argonne National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Erosion-Resistant Nanocoatings for Improved Energy Efficiency in Gas Turbines, National Energy Technology Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Large-Scale Manufacturing of Nanoparticulate-Based Lubrication Additives for Improved Energy Efficiency and Reduced Emissions, Argonne National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Manufacturing of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Nanoscale and Microscale Features, Idaho National Laboratory (PDF 924 KB)

Microchannel-Assisted Nanomaterial Deposition Technology for Photovoltaic Material Production, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Modular Hybrid Plasma Reactor and Process for Low Cost Nanoparticle Production, Idaho National Laboratory — Develop an extended plasma zone reactor with rapid quench capability for low cost commercial production of high performance nanoparticles from inexpensive solid feedstock.

Nanocatalysts for Diesel Engine Emission Remediation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Nanoparticle Technology for Biorefinery of Non-Food Source Feedstocks, Ames Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Coatings for Breakthrough Energy Savings, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 509 KB)

Process Development for Nanostructured Photovoltaics, Argonne National Laboratory — Develop and scale-up the supercritical drying and atomic layer processing manufacturing steps for producing nanostructured, dye-sensitized solar cells.

Self-Assembled, Nanostructured Carbon for Energy Storage and Water Treatment, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)

Ultratough Thermally Stable Polycrystalline (TSP) Diamond/Silicon Carbide Nanocomposites for Drill Bits, Los Alamos National Laboratory (PDF 1.1 MB)