NETL will showcase its research capabilities in materials engineering and manufacturing at this year’s Materials Science and Technology Technical Meeting and Exhibition (MS&T20), to be held Nov. 2-6.

MS&T is an annual conference focused on recent advances in materials science and technology and is organized by some of the leading materials science societies, such as the American Ceramic Society, the Association for Iron & Steel Technology and the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society. Each year, MS&T brings together scientists, engineers, students, suppliers and business leaders to discuss current research and technical applications to help shape the future of materials science and technology.

MS&T20 expects more than 3,200 attendees, this year in a virtual format, to discuss the latest advances in the materials engineering field. The conference addresses structure, properties, processing and performance across the materials community and showcases a wide variety of equipment and services to the automotive, aerospace, instrumentation, medical, oilfield and energy industries.

More than 2,000 presentations are planned for the meeting. NETL scientist Michael Gao co-organized the symposium on “High Entropy Materials: Concentrated Solid Solution, Intermetallics, Ceramics, Functional Materials and Beyond,” and Richard Oleksak, Ph.D. co-organized the symposium on “High Temperature Corrosion and Degradation of Structural Materials.” NETL scientists and engineers also contributed to 21 technical presentations on NETL’s machine learning, solid oxide fuel cells, advanced sensors, advanced alloy development, microwave processing, and carbon capture research. This included a keynote presentation, “Keynote: The Department of Energy’s High-Performance Materials Program and Its High Entropy Alloy R&D,”by Briggs White, Ph.D. at the High Entropy Alloy Symposium.

NETL is internationally recognized for its leadership in designing, developing and deploying advanced materials for use in energy applications and extreme service environments, such as the high-heat conditions of power plants. In response to the nation’s energy needs, the Lab’s accomplishments in materials sciences include the development of corrosion-resistant refractory bricks used in nearly all slagging gasifiers worldwide; improved heat-resistant steels and superalloys for extreme environment applications; Basic Immobilized Amine Sorbents and other sorbent technologies for capturing carbon dioxide; separating rare earth elements from process and waste stream and removing lead from water; alloy-based metal catalysts and electrochemical technologies that convert flue gas waste streams into valuable fuels and chemicals; and processes to convert domestic coal to produce low cost graphene.

Other areas of interest for NETL and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) during MS&T20 include materials for energy conversion and fuel production, computational materials modeling, materials for oil and gas applications, additive manufacturing and materials for extreme environment applications.   

“MS&T20 is a splendid opportunity for the Lab to educate attendees about NETL’s research and technology capabilities while developing relationships with attendees,” said Michael Knaggs, NETL’s associate director of strategic partnerships. “This conference not only promotes NETL’s materials engineering and manufacturing research and other core competencies, but also our extramural efforts such as small business and educational outreach.”

NETL exhibited at the 2019 MS&T conference in Portland, Oregon, near the Lab’s Albany site. Attendees noted that the technical content was in line with NETL’s capabilities and that the Lab had a significant presence on the technical agenda.

More information on MS&T20 can be viewed here.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that produces technological solutions for America’s energy challenges. From developing creative innovations and efficient energy systems that make coal more competitive, to advancing technologies that enhance oil and natural gas extraction and transmission processes, NETL research is providing breakthroughs and discoveries that support domestic energy initiatives, stimulate a growing economy, and improve the health, safety, and security of all Americans. Highly skilled men and women at NETL’s sites in Albany, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; Houston, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania conduct a broad range of research activities that support DOE’s mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.