2003 Chemical Engineering Division annual technical report.

Abstract

The Chemical Engineering Division is one of six divisions within the Engineering Research Directorate at Argonne National Laboratory, one of the U.S. government's oldest and largest research laboratories. The University of Chicago oversees the laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Argonne's mission is to conduct basic scientific research, to operate national scientific facilities, to enhance the nation's energy resources, to promote national security, and to develop better ways to manage environmental problems. Argonne has the further responsibility of strengthening the nation's technology base by developing innovative technology and transferring it to industry. The Division is a diverse early-stage engineering organization, specializing in the treatment of spent nuclear fuel, development of advanced electrochemical power sources, and management of both high- and low-level nuclear wastes. Additionally, the Division operates the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which provides a broad range of analytical services to Argonne and other organizations. The Division is multidisciplinary. Its people have formal training in chemistry; physics; materials science; and electrical, mechanical, chemical, and nuclear engineering. They are specialists in electrochemistry, ceramics, metallurgy, catalysis, materials characterization, nuclear magnetic resonance, repository science, and the nuclear fuel cycle. Our staff have experience working in and collaborating with university, industry and government research and development laboratories throughout the world. Our wide-ranging expertise finds ready application in solving energy, national security, and environmental problems. Division personnel are frequently called on by governmental and industrial organizations for advice and contributions to problem solving in areas that intersect present and past Division programs and activities. Currently, we are engaged in the development of several technologies of national importance. Included among them are: Advanced lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries for transportation and other applications, Fuel cells, including the use of an oxidative reformer with gasoline as the fuel supply, Production and storage technologies critical to the hydrogen economy, Stable nuclear waste forms suitable for storage in a geological repository, Threat attribution and training relative to radioactive dispersal devices (''dirty bombs''), and Aqueous and pyrochemical processes for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Other important programs are focused in superconductivity, catalysis, nanotechnology, and nuclear materials. During fiscal year 2003, CMT had an annual operating budget of approximately $36 million. Of that, more than 90% was from DOE and the remainder from other government agencies and private industry. Displayed below is an overview organization chart of the Division. A complete organization chart appears at the end of this report. In this annual report we present an overview of the technical programs together with representative highlights. The report is not intended to be comprehensive or encyclopedic, but to serve as an indication of the condition and status of the Division.