National Materials Advisory Board Research Articles

Informatics and integrated computational materials engineering: Part II

This issue of JOM presents the second in a twopart series on materials informatics. In the previous issue (March 2008), some of the basic concepts of what constitutes informatics were introduced. In this issue, we continue that theme with papers that serve to emphasize the diversity of topics that encompass the fi eld of informatics. The timing of the publication of these JOM topics on materials informatics coincides with the issuing of a report of the National Materials Advisory Board on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME). This report defi nes that information as including “curated data sets, structure-property models, processing-structure relationships, physical properties and thermodynamic, kinetic and structural information.” It provides a good summary of the needs, status, and challenges Informatics and Integrated Computational Materials Engineering: Part II

Special issue on optimization of aerospace structures

A recent report by the US National Materials Advisory Board estimates that a 1 lb weight reduction amounts to a total saving of $200 over the 100,000 h life of a civil transport, increasing to $1,000 in the case of military aircraft. Even this is orders of magnitude less than for spacecraft, where the cost of putting 1 lb of payload into orbit is estimated at $20,000. These numbers explain why structural weight is considered particularly critical in the aerospace industry. Furthermore, weight savings are directly linked to an increase in payload, reduction in fuel consumption, hence an overall improvement in efficiency and environmental impact. With increasing concerns for sustainability, the development of lightweight and efficient materials and structures has become one of the technology priority areas. Consequently, there is a significant and ever-growing interest in optimization of aerospace structures. This Special Issue of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization presents research interests in structural optimization, with a particular reference to aircraft and spacecraft. Included in this issue are selected papers from two recent conferences: the 7th World Congress

IN MEMORIAM: SAM CLARK

Early in the morning Thursday October 26, 2006 Samuel K. Clark passed away at the age of 81. “Professor Emeritus Samuel K. Clark, Ph.D., P.E., SAE Fellow” said that anyone who was impressed by such things deserved what they got, which is why he was known to most people as “Sam.”Sam was one of the preeminent tire researchers in the last half of the twentieth century and remained active after retirement working on specialized instrumentation in support of tire science. He will be remembered not only for his research work, but also for his positive influence on his students, consulting clients, and all who worked with him. A generation of tire research and development engineers had Clark's “Mechanics of Pneumatic Tires” as the foundation of their professional libraries. To tire engineers and tire scientists, they are simply known as Clark's Book.Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on November 3, 1924 Sam was the son of the late Floyd Clark and Esther Kelly Clark. He grew up in Ypsilanti, and graduated from Roosevelt High School, the teaching school of the former Michigan Normal College. He entered the U.S. Navy V-12 Program in 1942 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant, but did not see active service. Following World War II, he was employed as an engineer with the Douglas Aircraft Company of California and the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI.Professor Clark earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan in 1946, 1948, and 1951, respectively. He married Mary Battelle, an Ypsilanti native, in 1952. In 1968 he and his wife Mary purchased land and designed and built a home in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, where they summered and visited frequently until 1998.In 1952, he joined the faculty of Chase Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Then he returned to the University of Michigan, Department of Engineering Mechanics, in 1955 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1957 and professor in 1959. In addition to his research work, Professor Clark served as director of the undergraduate materials testing laboratory from 1957 to 1978, developed popular courses in composite materials and experimental stress analysis, and was the dynamics course leader. He remained on the faculty as professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics until his retirement from active faculty status on May 31, 1992. He continued consulting and research during a retirement sabbatical, then took full retirement from the University in 1994.Like many researchers he came to tires somewhat indirectly. When he arrived at the University of Michigan, he was interested in walking machines. An Akron consortium of tire companies came to the University of Michigan looking for a consultant on tires. The Engineering Mechanics Department suggested they speak to their new faculty member who was interested in transportation mechanics.Professor Clark made seminal research contributions in studies related to aircraft and automotive tires. His research has been sponsored by major rubber, automobile, and aircraft companies as well as by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, NSF, and the Department of Transportation and he authored over 100 journal articles and research reports. Professor Clark was asked to write a book on tire mechanics. In 1971 the U.S. Bureau of Standards published the first edition of “Mechanics of Pneumatic Tires,” which tire engineers relied on for many years for detailed information about the principles of tire design and use. In 1981 a substantially revised second edition was published. With the books long out of print, he served as chair of an Editorial Board composed of leading executives of the tire industry, which provided guidance during the monograph's third revision.He was a founding member of The Tire Society, and Professor Clark was asked to present the plenary lecture at the first meeting of The Tire Society in 1982, and was an Associate Editor of The Journal of Tire Science and Technology until his death. He was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, The Society for Experimental Stress Analysis, the National Materials Advisory Board Committee on Surface Effect Vehicles, and The Society of Automotive Engineers. In honor of his many achievements, he was named a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1985.Building on his research experience in tire engineering, he started the Precision Measurement Company in 1966, which he continued to actively run with his son Sam until his death. Survivors include his wife, Mary B. Clark, sons Samuel C. of Ann Arbor, Andrew B. of Boston, MA, and Frederic A. Clark of Baraboo, WI. He was preceded in death by two of his children, Elizabeth B. and David H. Clark.Sam Clark was a great person, mentor, and teacher who will be dearly missed by his family, his colleagues, his students, and his friends.

The story of the national materials advisory board

The story of the national materials advisory board

The Story of the National Materials Advisory Board in the United States

The Story of the National Materials Advisory Board in the United States

Microwave Processing - An Emerging Industrial Technology?

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requested that the National Research Council's National Materials Advisory Board conduct a study to assess the current status of microwave processing technology, identify applications of microwave technology where resulting properties are unique or enhanced relative to conventional processing or where significant cost, energy or space savings can be realized, and to recommend future activities in microwave processing. A committee was established to perform the study and report on their findings. This paper is a summary developed from the committee's report, Microwave Processing of Materials (NMAB Report Number 473, Copyright 1994 by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy Press, Washington, DC).

The National Materials Advisory Board

The National Materials Advisory Board

New Horizons in Electrochemical Science and Technology, National Materials Advisory Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council (National Academy Press, 1986)

New Horizons in Electrochemical Science and Technology, <i>National Materials Advisory Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council</i> (National Academy Press, 1986)

Research opportunities in magnetic materials (invited)

Earlier this year the National Materials Advisory Board established a Committee on Magnetic Materials to assess the adequacy of U. S. research in magnetic materials and to identify opportunities for future research. The findings and recommendations of this Committee are presented here.

Improved Fire Resistance of Insulation and Jacketing Materials for Electric Cables

Abstract The increasing use of synthetic organic polymers as insulation for wire and cable has led to some concern regarding the flammability of these materials, which may contribute to propagation of an electrically initiated fire. An analysis of statistical data for 1977–1979 reported through the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to the National Fire Data Center of the U.S. Fire Administration [1] has revealed that wire and cable insulation is involved in 59% of the fire incidents in which a plastic material is ignited first, accounting for a considerable percentage of the “civilian injuries” recorded by the data system for plastic products' fires. Wire and cable insulation thus poses a significant, albeit unusual flammability hazard, as well as complex technical problems relating to the selection of materials and designs for improved flame resistance. The magnitude of these problems is reflected, for example, in the proceedings of workshops held under the aegis of the National Research Council, with contributions from many experts in the field. Technical reports covering these workshops have been issued by the National Materials Advisory Board [2] and by the Electric Power Research Institute [3], and they demonstrate that overviews of materials and technology employed in wire and cable insulation, and approaches to flame resistance, can provide only an introductory discussion of a difficult and multifaceted subject. In the context of these limitations, the present paper presents a brief review of the polymeric materials and flame retardants currently used in the industry, and of some advanced state-of-the-art approaches that have been developed to enhance fire resistance in wire and cable products.

Materials and processes for electron devices : National Materials Advisory Board, U.S.A. 5. 1972. MNAB-289. DA-49-083-OSA-3131 FR

Materials and processes for electron devices : National Materials Advisory Board, U.S.A. 5. 1972. MNAB-289. DA-49-083-OSA-3131 FR