Release Date:  02 July 2008

Key discoveries recognized for advancing scientific discovery

Columbus, OH—Battelle and the national laboratories it manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy have won 20 of the 2008 R&D 100 Awards.
 
Broadway has the Tony Awards, movies have the Academy Awards, and music bestows the Grammy Awards—but in the world of research and development, R&D Magazine’s Top 100 awards are the pinnacle of recognition.  This year was Battelle’s largest haul of trophy hardware in the last four years and brings the total number of wins for Battelle and its affiliate labs to 191, tallied during the time Battelle has managed or co-managed those labs.  The magazine has been presenting the awards since 1969.

The awards are given annually to honor the year's most significant scientific and technological innovations.  This year, Battelle won two awards and had two others which were shared with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory*.
 
Other national laboratories affiliated with Battelle won 16 awards for technologies dealing with such subject matter as adaptive band excitation controllers, nano superhydrophic technology, antibody profiling identification, and automated alignment systems.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory won six awards (the most awards of any national lab), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory won four, Idaho National Laboratory won one, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory won two, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory won three. All told, these Department of Energy laboratories have won nearly 500 R&D 100 Awards over the course of the competition (including the time periods in which they were not managed or co-managed by Battelle.)

“I am extremely proud of the special work being done at Battelle and the excitement that these awards create among our staff. The achievement and recognition for Battelle and its family of labs is unrivaled,” said Battelle President and CEO Carl F. Kohrt.  “At Battelle and the labs we manage or co-manage, we intend to use science for the betterment of mankind.  The R&D 100 Awards demonstrate that our hard work, dedication, and devotion is helping to achieve this goal.”

The winning Battelle technologies are:

Velocys-FT: Fischer Tropsch Fuels Using Velocys Microchannel Technology (in cooperation with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Battelle)

Velocys-FT is, in short, an advanced reactor technology which greatly reduces the size and cost of second-generation biofuel facilities.  In techspeak, it’s a breakthrough process for economical production of transportation fuels via Fischer Tropsch synthesis in revolutionary microchannel reactor systems.  First generation biofuels, including corn ethanol and biodiesel, are prevalent today but are an interim solution because they use food crops for raw material.   Next generation biofuels, ones that use non-food biomass, are a more sustainable choice.   Velocys-FT can help next generation biofuels be produced more inexpensively at smaller-scale facilities.  Primary benefits include favorable economics at smaller scales, more easily deployed and modular units and improved heat transfer.
 
D3:  Degradable by Design Deicer technology (Battelle with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

It is difficult to get ice off airport runways and airplane wings without using toxic chemicals.  But Battelle scientists and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory already have won an American Chemical Society Regional Industrial Innovation award for development of the   D3: Degradable by Design Deicer technology.
 
The D3 is a family of non-toxic biodegradable fluids used to remove and prevent the formation of snow and ice on aircraft, airport runways, roads, and pavement.  It can also prevent snow from sticking to deiced surfaces, providing additional protection.
 
Removing ice and snow from these types of surfaces is a high priority to ensure transportation safety worldwide, but the high toxicity levels of previous deicing products posed environmental threats.  D3 was developed to be more environmentally friendly and is manufactured primarily from bio-based materials.  The material substantially reduces toxicity levels and potential environmental damage while providing the same performance and benefits of other commercial deicing products.
 
F-LLX:  Flotation-Liquid Liquid Extraction

As oil prices increase, the demand for coal is rising rapidly.  But coal mining often has negative effects on the surrounding environment.  Battelle’s F-LLX water purification process is a novel way to help prevent acid mine drainage (AMD) while producing purified water and saleable products instead of wastes.

The F-LLX process removes metals and sulfate contaminants from acid mine drainage water and converts them into valuable co-products for sale to offset the cost of water purification.  In the United States, there are hundreds of contaminated mine sites.  In Pennsylvania alone, there are 144 sites discharging more than two million gallons of contaminated water per day.

The F-LLX process mixes a tailored extractant liquid phase with the AMD water that is contaminated with toxic yet useful metal cations, such as iron, aluminum, and sulfate. The extractant is formulated to pull these contaminants rapidly from the AMD and then cleanly separate, leaving purified water. The now-loaded extractant is then processed to recover the former pollutants as products such as salable products such as ferrous sulfate and potassium sulfate. The regenerated extractant is then recirculated via a closed loop to continuously purify more AMD water. A key feature of the F-LLX process is that is effectively purifies AMD water at mild operating conditions, in simple equipment, without generating any significant waste stream. 

 
Bio-Based Powder Coating Technology (Battelle with Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Ohio Soybean Council)

The powder coatings market represents about 12 to 15 percent of the world’s total coating business, but it is growing twice as fast as that of standard paints.  It is not hazardous to transport (it’s a solid, which also means easier transportation), requires only one coat and is environmentally friendly—it has no volatile organic compounds, no waste and requires only air to clean it, not solvents or water.  Powder coatings can be used in a variety of ways instead of paint because the process of using it maximizes production, cuts costs, and offers maximum compliance with environmental regulations.

Battelle’s bio-based powder coating technology also is low temperature cured, leading to lower energy costs. It uses renewable resources and is comparable to current coating technology, plus it is compatible with current manufacturing plants and it has a better appearance at lower curing temperatures. Funding for the technology was provided by the Ohio Soybean Council. Hexion Specialty Chemicals, the Battelle licensee, is commercializing the technology.

Battelle is the world’s largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses:  Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences.  It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $4 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization.  Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education. For more information contact Public Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (410) 306-8638 or at delaneyk@battelle.org or Media Relations Specialist T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or at masseytr@battelle.org.

* The two awards shared by Battelle and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (which is managed by Battelle) are counted two times as separate awards for each entity.