Industrial Research Laboratories Research Articles

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MATERIAL EXTRUSION AND VAT PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE USING SQUARE BASE PYRAMID AS AN ARTIFACT AND APPLICATIONS

A comparative analysis of Material Extrusion and VAT Photopolymerization 3D printing is done using various geometrical models, including square base pyramid, co-centric circular stamps, and lattice structures. The pyramid with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) logos, texts printed by both techniques is studied for its dimensional accuracy as per the process parameters. The 3D printed specimen by Material Extrusion measured an average layer thickness of ~ 104 µm and VAT Photopolymerization measured a layer thickness of ~ 54 µm. The calculated void volume of the printed pyramid due to the staircase effect is ~ 2.9 % for the Material Extrusion and ~ 0.14 % for the VAT Photopolymerization. Mechanical properties of ASTM D638 tensile test samples based on build orientation showed anisotropy for Material Extrusion, whereas VAT Photopolymerization printed test samples are isotropic. The degree of anisotropy (DOA) of 0.35, modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 1.7 GPa and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 62 MPa are measured for the Material Extrusion printed test sample. The ZXY build-oriented test sample showed the lowest values compared to all the other build orientations. Comparatively, the MOE and UTS for the VAT Photopolymerization printed samples are equal for all build orientations and are ~ 950 MPa and ~ 39 MPa, respectively. The applicability of the present comparison of 3D printing techniques is demonstrated through functionality studies of printed stamps for ring electrodes and lattice structures as templates. The active area of the Fused deposition modeling (FDM) printed ring electrodes for maximum resolution is 17 times larger compared to that of Digital light processing (DLP) printed stamps. Additionally, the mean pore size for FDM-printed lattice structures was found to be ~ 650 µm, while the lattice structure printed by DLP using Polyurethan acrylate resin exhibited a pore size of ~ 220 µm. This analysis evaluates the dependence of stamp size due to print resolution specific to the technique. The importance of this research lies in addressing the growing demand for optimized 3D printing processes in manufacturing applications, such as sensors, electrodes, and structural components. By comparing dimensional accuracy, surface finish, print resolution, and mechanical properties, this study offers valuable insights into how the selection of printing techniques and process parameters can significantly influence the final product's performance.

Dismantling Silos: Academia, Industry, and a Science Museum Working Together

ABSTRACT A partnership between four universities, an industrial research lab, and a public science museum, created as a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, offers diverse collaboration and learning opportunities in cellular engineering. Each institution plays a vital role: universities advance science education, industry develops and commercializes technologies based on basic research, and science museums educate and engage the public. However, differences in the culture, values, and focus of these institutions create collaboration challenges. Three workshops highlight how consistent funding, intellectual property agreements, shared facilities, and long-term collaborations can harness the strengths of each institution to promote rapid prototyping, confront global problems, and encourage commercial applications from research.

ORIGINS AND OUTCOMES OF THE 1961 SEPM/AAPG CARBONATE ROCK CLASSIFICATION SYMPOSIUM

ABSTRACT In the spring of 1961 William E. Ham of the Oklahoma Geological Survey organized a symposium at the joint meeting of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (SEPM) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) in Denver, Colorado on the topic “Modern Concepts and Classification of Carbonate Rocks”. This meeting brought together some of the most experienced and well-regarded sedimentologists and stratigraphers from academic and industry research laboratories. The symposium was motivated by an expansion of interest in carbonate petrology over the preceding two decades driven primarily by advances in petroleum exploration. The scientific origin of the meeting as well as the status of carbonate rock classification prior to the symposium is reviewed. The evolution of the Folk classification, from his dissertation research in the early 1950s through the Denver meeting and subsequent publication in the 1962 AAPG memoir is reviewed. Comparisons between the Folk and its well-known alternative the Dunham classification are drawn along with a review and summary of other approaches to classification presented at the meeting. The impact of the symposium on advances in carbonate rock classification over the six decades since the Denver meeting is summarized including a brief review of emergent advances in digital rock textural analysis utilizing deep-learning neural network technology.

Production of native recombinant proteins using a novel split intein affinity technology

Affinity tags are frequently engineered into recombinant proteins to facilitate purification. Although this technique is powerful, removal of the tag is desired because the tag can interfere with biological activity and can potentially increase the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Tag removal is complex, as it requires adding expensive protease enzymes. To overcome this limitation, split intein based affinity purification systems have been developed in which a CC-intein tag is engineered into a protein of interest for binding to a NC-intein peptide ligand fixed to a chromatographic support. Tag removal in these systems is achieved by creating an active intein-complex during protein capture, which triggers a precise self-cleavage reaction. In this work, we show applications of a new split intein system, Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™. One advantage of the new system is that the NC-intein ligand can be robustly produced and conjugated to large volumes of resin for production of gram scale proteins. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager in this work were successfully captured on the affinity resin and scaled 10-fold. Another advantage of this system is the ability to sanitize the resin with sodium hydroxide without loosing the 10–20 g/L binding capacity. Binding studies with IL-1b and IFNAR-1 ECD showed that the resin can be regenerated and sanitized for up to 50 cycles without loosing binding capacity. Additionally, after several cycles of sanitization, binding capacity was retained for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and a Bispecific T Cell Engager. As with other split intein systems, optimization was needed to achieve ideal expression and recovery. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein of interest required engineering to enable the cleavage reaction. Additionally, ensuring the stability of the CC-intein tag was important to prevent premature cleavage or truncation. Controlling the hold time of the expression product and the prevention of protease activity prior to purification was needed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the Cytiva™ ProteinSelect™ system to be used in academic and industrial research and development laboratories for the purification of novel proteins expressed in either bacterial or mammalian systems.

Teaching Experimental Instrumental Analytical Chemistry Are we forming professionals, training operators or illuding students (and ourselves)?

Teaching Experimental Instrumental Analytical Chemistry Are we forming professionals, training operators or illuding students (and ourselves)?

How technoscientific knowledge advances: A Bell-Labs-inspired architecture

Understanding how science and technology advance has long been of interest to diverse scholarly communities. Thus far, however, such understanding has not been easy to map to, and thus to improve, the operational practice of research and development. Indeed, one might argue that the operational practice of research and development, particularly its exploratory research half, has become less effective in recent decades. In this paper, we describe a rethinking of how science and technology advance, one that is consistent with many (though not all) of the perspectives of the scholarly communities just mentioned, and one that helps bridge the divide between theory and practice. The result is an architecture we call “Bell's Dodecants,” to reflect its six mechanisms and two flavors, and their balanced nurturing at Bell Labs, the iconic 20th century industrial research and development laboratory.

Evaluation of a prototype reverse fill/flush flow modulation-splitter system for the highly detailed separation required in industrial settings

Reverse fill/flush (RFF) differential flow modulators are a lower cost, consumable free, robust option to achieve comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) with FID and MS dual detection. For the required highly detailed separation of all hydrocarbon classes for a petroleum industry setting thermal-based modulators are considered the “gold standard” for their high performance, but there are substantial costs involved. In an industrial setting, there is a necessary balance between the separation performance, cost of instrumentation and costs of operation. It is uncertain if an RFF modulator chromatographic performance is sufficient to achieve the demands of an industrial research laboratory as a cost-effective alternative to thermal modulation. This paper reports an evaluation of the capabilities of a new prototype RFF flow modulator with flow splitter system and its chromatographic performance relative to thermal modulation for detailed hydrocarbon analysis. The prototype RFF modulator splitter system was easy to use with straightforward method optimization due to the lack of restrictors and implementation of back pressure regulation for variable restriction. It also provided good peak shapes, accurate quantification, and maintained constant split to both detectors throughout the analysis. The data processing workflow was greatly improved with the alignment of the MS and FID traces in the software. However, the chromatographic performance of the RFF was found to be less and insufficient for detailed hydrocarbon analysis when compared to thermal modulation. The greatest discrepancy was found in the differentiation of the saturate class, specifically the alkanes, iso-alkanes, and cycloalkanes from each other and other monoaromatics. A comparable separation was found in the lower carbon range of C7-C14 while the region of C16-C22 was challenging for the RFF modulator. Overall, the detailed analysis of a middle distillate was found to be too complex for the RFF flow modulator in comparison to thermal modulator.

Activity and Stability of High-Surface-Area Nickel-Based Catalysts for the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Under Industrially Relevant Conditions

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is at a stage of high technological maturity, and modern pressurized designs have mitigated the weaknesses of now-outdated atmospheric electrolyzers. For instance, pressurized systems now deliver high hydrogen outputs and can efficiently adjust to rapid changes in power loads. These improvements were, in part, made possible through significant reductions to internal ohmic losses coming from improved gas separators, shorter distances between electrodes, and increased operating temperatures.From an industrial point of view, the critical parameter to optimize is the full stack voltage. The stack voltage is tightly bound to the individual cell voltage and can thus be lowered by employing more efficient electrocatalysts. However, reducing the cell voltage by raising the temperature of operation—thereby improving both reaction kinetics and the conductivity of the KOH electrolyte—can be of similar or even higher importance (e.g., ca. 4.5 mV/˚C, Figure 1) [1]. Therefore, stability under operation at elevated temperatures must be considered when evaluating novel hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction catalysts for AWE. Else, a novel catalyst risks becoming the bottleneck in the pursuit of higher operating temperatures, limiting its applicability for large-scale electrolysis [2]. Many assessments of novel AWE catalysts are still carried out at room temperature in diluted electrolytes and at low current densities [3]. In the harsher conditions of an electrolyzer, catalysts experience higher dissolution rates and are subject to higher mechanical stress from, for instance, the aggressive bubble evolution. This gap hinders the transfer of catalyst developments from academia to industrial research laboratories and, ultimately, to practical applications.In this work, we attempted to narrow that gap by conducting electrochemical measurements under more application-oriented conditions (i.e., 80-120 °C and 8-11 M KOH). We evaluated the HER activity and the robustness of high-surface-area electrodes produced through controlled leaching of bimetallic nickel-based alloys. A parametric study of the overpotential and robustness as a function of electrochemically active surface area was enabled by varying the synthesis parameters of a Raney-type preparation. Direct coupling to renewable energy sources requires the electrolyzer to frequently and rapidly shut off and on. This intermittent operation induces additional stress on the electrodes as the catalysts transition through different redox states, which is often overlooked in AWE electrocatalyst research. To track redox, compositional, and morphological changes, we used ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy. At the same time, the dissolution and redeposition of ionic species were monitored using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. By matching the characterization data with the evolution of the overpotential until complete deactivation, we gained an understanding of the degradation mechanisms in high-surface-area nickel-based electrodes. These results shed light on the challenges and prospects of this promising class of electrocatalysts for alkaline HER under industrial conditions.Acknowledgement:This work is partly funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD) under File No. 1044-00162B.

Of People, Programs, and Priorities: The Impact of Organizational Culture in Industrial Research and Development Laboratories

Of People, Programs, and Priorities: The Impact of Organizational Culture in Industrial Research and Development Laboratories

Using human-centered design to develop a national research landscape for marine energy in the United States

In 2021, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust a grant to act as the coordinator of a foundational research network, ultimately named the University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC). The community aims to facilitate connection between U.S. university researchers, industry, and government research laboratories to close common gaps in foundational research that are prohibiting the pathway to commercialization. To achieve this goal, UMERC held a series of workshops to create a Research Landscape (Landscape), which identified current challenges, gaps, research capabilities as well as uncovering additional questions about where the sector is headed. A human-centered design (HCD) approach was used throughout the three-workshop series. 
 HCD is a problem-solving and design technique that uses human perspective and emotion to develop solutions. The stages of human centered design include inspiration, ideation, implementation and validation, or testing, in an iterative, or cyclical process that results in ongoing refinement. HCD is carried out with the acknowledgement that values vary from context to context and are subject to change as people and technologies interact over time (Zachry and Spyridakis).
 It is through this approach that we are able to identify the current gaps and challenges and through the HCD approach, we will continue to refine the Landscape as current challenges and gaps are retired and new challenges and gaps arise. This will help account for the fast pace of innovation in the marine energy sector, where human-technology interactions are changing as the technology develops, and there are new entrants into the market. With the current state of fluidity in technology design and application, what works at one location may not work at another location. Using HCD methods and sensibilities, workshop participants, including individuals from universities, private sector companies and the national laboratories, we able to bring in their individual perspectives to develop the Landscape.
 Through the HCD process, the workshops revealed a set of values, tools, research interests and gaps and challenges. These were synthesized into what is now the current Landscape that can be found on the UMERC website. The values are themes that should be considered when designing marine energy projects. These include community, innovation and new technologies or applications, education, sustainability, equity, blue economy, and collaboration. The main challenges were condensed into four categories that include creating markets and a trained workforce, management and logistics, understanding and protecting the environment, and marine energy engineering, research and development. The tools are actions that can be carried out to overcome the main challenges. Finally, a list of common research areas was identified under each main challenge area.
 Following our HCD methodology, our cycle of iteration will soon start again. While the current Landscape serves as a benchmark, the next steps include a series of industry-academic brainstorming sessions, with the aim of creating collaborative projects to address challenges, as well as come up with a list of common technology agnostic challenges, in hopes to push future research funding.

Analysis Of Irrigation Water Quality For Fields In Treman Village, North Minahasa Kauditan Regency

Abstract. Syafira Salsabella1), Bobby J. V. Polii1*), Wiske Ch. Rotinsulu1) , Frangky J. Paat1), Jellie V. Porong1) , Adeleyda M. W. Lumingkewas1), Jooudie N. Luntungan 2) , Sofia Wantasen. Analysis Of Irrigation Water Quality For Fields In Treman Village, North Minahasa Kauditan Regency. Ekoton 5. 28-35. This study aims to determine the quality of irrigation water in rice fields in Treman Village, Kauditan District, North Minahasa. This research was conducted for two (2) months, namely from March to April 2023. This research was conducted using purposive sampling method, the sampling technique is Composite. Research samples were taken at three points, namely the Primary Canal, Secondary Canal, and Tertiary Canal. Samples were taken as much as 4500 mL in each Canal, then analyzed at the Manado Industrial Research and Standardization Center Laboratory. The data obtained was analyzed using Bar Chart Statistics. The research shows that the Irrigation Water Quality of Rice Field Areas in Treman Village, Kauditan District, North Minahasa is still classified as very good because it meets the requirements as irrigation water according to Water Quality Of Irrigation based on Ayers & Westcott (1995), and there is no pollution based on Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Protection and Management of Irrigation Water. Keywords: Quality of irrigation water, Sodium Absorption Ratio

Front Cover: Ethylene Oxide Catalysis Under Commercial Conditions – A Guide for Researchers (ChemCatChem 13/2023)

The Front Cover shows a research engineer in-between 2 banks of ethylene oxide reactors in an industrial research laboratory. In their Perspective, J. R. Lockemeyer and T. L. Lohr explain how to operate ethylene oxide reactors under commercially relevant conditions. Catalyst response to added chloride modifiers in the presence and absence of perrhenate dopants is shown to be opposite in terms of catalyst activity. The concept of Cs optimization is described, along with efficient chloride moderation with changing Cs level. The addition of CO2 into the inlet of the gas feed is also suggested, as it is shown that CO2 can affect both the selectivity and activity of catalysts, with the effects being dependent on the catalyst formulation. Copyright (2021) of Shell Catalysts & Technologies US. More information can be found in the Perspective by J. R. Lockemeyer and T. L. Lohr.

A R&D productivity model to achieve self-sustainability for public funded/CSIR R&D laboratories, India

Purpose The paper develops a model for enhancing R&D productivity for Indian public funded laboratories. The paper utilizes the productivity data of five Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories for analysis and to form the constructs of the model.Design/methodology/approach The weighted average method was employed for analyzing the rankings of survey respondents pertaining to the significant measures enhancing R&D involvement of researchers and significant non-R&D jobs. The authors have proposed a model of productivity. Various individual, organizational and environmental constructs related to the researchers working in the CSIR laboratories have been outlined that can enhance R&D productivity of researchers in Indian R&D laboratories. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to find the predictability of the productivity model.Findings The organizational factors have a crucial role in enhancing the R&D outputs of CSIR laboratories. The R&D productivity of researchers can be improved through implementing the constructs of the proposed model of productivity.Research limitations/implications The R&D productivity model can be adapted by the R&D laboratories to enhance researchers’ R&D involvement, increased R&D outputs and achieving self-sustenance in long run.Practical implications The R&D laboratories can initiate exercises to explore the most relevant factors and measures to enhance R&D productivity of their researchers. The constructs of the model can function as a guideline to introduce the most preferable research policies in the laboratory for overall mutual growth of laboratory and the researchers.Originality/value Hardly any studies have been found that have focused on finding the measures of enhancing R&D involvement of researchers and the influence of significant time-intensive jobs on researchers’ productivity.

AAAI 2023 Spring Symposium on HRI in Academia and Industry: Bridging the Gap

AbstractOn March 27–29, 2023, the AAAI symposium on “HRI in Academia and Industry: Bridging the Gap” was held in a hybrid format, with both in‐person and remote participants, gathering Human‐Robot Interaction (HRI) researchers and practitioners from academia, industry, and national research laboratories to find common ground, understand the different constraints at play, and determine how to work together. The use of robots that operate in spaces in which humans are physically co‐present is growing at a dramatic rate. We are seeing more and more robots in our warehouses, on our streets, and even in our homes. All of these robots will interact with humans in some way, whether intentionally or unintentionally. To be successful, their interactions with humans will have to be carefully designed. For more than a decade, the field of HRI has been growing at the intersection of robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) , human‐computer interaction (HCI), psychology, and other fields; however, until quite recently, it has been a largely academic area, with university researchers proposing, implementing, and reporting on experiments at a limited scale. With the current increase of commercially‐available robots, HRI is starting to make its way into the robotics industry in a meaningful way. This symposium brought together HRI researchers and practitioners from academia, industry, and national research laboratories to find common ground, understand the different constraints at play, and determine how to effectively work together.

The Future of Synthesis Chemistry in Energetics

The Future of Synthesis Chemistry in Energetics

Computer-Aided Generation of N-shift RWS

Generating schedules for shift workers is essential for many employers, whether the employer is a small or a large industrial complex, research laboratory, or other businesses involving shift works. Previous methods for creating rotational workforce schedules included interactions between the schedule maker and the algorithm, including defining the length of sequences of consecutive days of working shifts. In this method, an algorithm takes into account inputs (or constraints) from the schedule maker and then presents the possible solutions (incl. that all shifts must be filled, working hours per week, minimal resting time, etc.) in a first phase. The schedule maker can then select which solutions are most feasible to proceed with in the second phase, where the final schedules are then constructed and exported.

Festschrift: experimenting with research: Kenneth Mees, Eastman Kodak and the challenges of diversification

Early industrial research laboratories were closely tied to the needs of business, a point that emerges strikingly in the case of Eastman Kodak, where the principles laid down by George Eastman and Kenneth Mees before the First World War continued to govern research until well after the Second World War. But industrial research is also a gamble involving decisions over which projects should be pursued and which should be dropped. Ultimately Kodak evolved a conservative management culture, one that responded sluggishly to new opportunities and failed to adapt rapidly enough to market realities. In a classic case of the ‘innovator’s dilemma’, Kodak continued to bet on its dominance in an increasingly outmoded technology, with disastrous consequences.

Area under Curve Method for the Simultaneous Quantitative Estimation of Pravastatin Sodium and Aspirin

Abstract: In the present study an economic, a precise UV-spectrosphotometric method for estimating Aspirin and Pravastatin sodium in bulk and physical mixture is carried out as there is less paucity of literature on simultaneous estimation of these drugs by area under curve method. 0.1M sodium hydroxide is used as a solvent in the estimation. The method determines Pravastatin sodium and Aspirin at the wavelength range of 292-302 nm and 233-243 nm respectively. Beer’s range was observed at 5-45 μg/mL for Aspirin, 2-18 μg/mL for Pravastatin sodium. 97.91-99.0% for Aspirin and 92.3-99.0% for Pravastatin sodium in the physical mixture are the percentage recoveries. The results observed were statistically validated and ICH guidelines were followed to check the reproducibility of the proposed method via recovery studies. The method may be used for routine analysis of Aspirin and Pravastatin sodium simultaneously at the industrial level and research laboratories in bulk and in their dosage forms. Keywords: Pravastatin sodium, Aspirin, Area under the curve, 0.1M Sodium hydroxide, Physical mixture, Recovery studies.

THE SUITABILITY OF LOCATION BATU ANGUS BITUNG FOR AQUACULTURE IN TERMS OF SEVERAL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF WATER QUALITY

Aquaculture activities require appropriate and supportive environmental requirements to live and develop optimally, this study aims to (1) Analyze the physical and chemical parameters of water quality in Batu Angus waters, (2) Evaluate the suitability of water quality as a potential aquaculture location in Batu Angus waters. This research was conducted in the waters of Batu Angus Bitung in July - August 2022. Water quality analysis was carried out by measuring the parameters of depth, temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen carried out in situ using a Multipurpose water quality tool (Horiba U-52G), measuring current speed using a Current floating meter and measuring brightness using a Secchi disk tool. In situ data collection of seawater samples at 3 stations (St) was carried out 3 times with a time interval of 2 weeks at 05:00, 09:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 21:00 WITA. Meanwhile, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and phosphate measurements were carried out using the spectrophotometer method at the Manado Industrial Research and Standardization Center Testing Laboratory. The results of the suitability analysis show that the Batu Angus Bitung water area is very suitable for aquaculture activities.

Impact of artisanal small-scale (gold and diamond) mining activities on the Offin, Oda and Pra rivers in Southern Ghana, West Africa: A scientific response to public concern

The surface water systems of Ghana serve as a major source of drinking water, besides other multi-purpose benefit of hydro-electrical power generation and transportation. Thus, the dependence and benefits from such resources are of national interest. For instance, the Pra river of the South-Western surface water system of Ghana was a major consideration for a projected 5 billion m3 water demand in the year 2020 and “African Water Vision 2025”. In recent times, the colour state of the Pra river and similar surface water bodies of the Offin and Oda rivers has attracted intense public discussion. The prime issue relates to incessant illegal artisanal gold/diamond mining on or along these rivers. In order to assess the state of these rivers, water samples were taken, and analysed at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory (CSIR, Accra-Ghana) to investigate their physico-chemical quality. The research objective was to assess the extent of their water pollution by measuring physico-chemical parameters of turbidity, colour, pH and content of selected metals. A total of 18 preserved bottled samples [(5 from Offin river and 2 boreholes), 5 from Oda river and 5 from Pra river and 1 borehole)] were analysed, and results compared with portable water standards as defined by the WHO and CSIR (GS-175-1) of Ghana.Results on turbidity, colour, mercury and iron from the river and water samples generally exceed WHO or GS-175-1 limit. The Pra river recorded the most alarming result; range for turbidity (2,010 to 2,745 NTU), colour (3,000 to 4,500 Hz), total suspended solutes (2,240 to 2,570 mg/L) and total dissolved solutes (97.80–99.60 mg/L, excluding 319.00 to 25,440 mg/L). The Oda river shows lowest parameter values among the three rivers, as the areas have been dormant from illegal gold mining for 5 years. Current data suggests polluted river bodies and boreholes, and that none of these water resources meets the portable water consumption criteria unless treated prior to usage. As the current state of the water bodies may incur higher cost of water treatment or purification, an integrated water governance under Ghana's Ministry of Water Resource, Work and Housing, and the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency are recommended for the management of these valuable water resources.