Monday, May 7
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(immediately following SPE Annual Business Meeting)
Duke Energy Center

The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business

Jack Uldrich
President, The NanoVeritas Group

Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, independent scholar, sought-after business speaker, and best-selling author. His books include the best-selling The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, and the award-winning Into the Unknown: Leadership Lessons from Lewis & Clark’s Daring Westward Expedition. His latest book, The Exponential Executive: Eight Essential Elements for Exploiting the Emerging Economy, is due out in the fall of 2007.

Mr. Uldrich’s other written works have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Futurist, Future Quarterly Research, The Wall Street Reporter, Leader to Leader, Management Quarterly, and hundreds of other newspapers and publications around the United States. He also writes a daily column on emerging technologies for The Motley Fool, and he is a frequent guest of the media worldwide -- having appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and National Public Radio on numerous occasions.

In addition to speaking on future trends, emerging technologies, innovation, change management, and leadership, Mr. Uldrich is a leading expert on helping businesses adapt to change. He has served as an advisor to Fortune 1000 companies and is noted for his ability to deliver provocative, new perspectives on competitive advantage, organizational change, and transformational leadership.

 

Tuesday, May 8
11 a.m.-12 Noon
Duke Energy Center

“STF Armor”: Nanoparticle Composite Textiles and Performance Plastics for Flexible Ballistic & Puncture-Protective Materials

Norman J. Wagner
Alvin B. and Julia O. Stiles Professor, Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware

Leading an active research group at the University of Delaware, Professor Wagner pursues studies in the fields of rheology, complex fluids, particle technology, nanotechnology, and molecular science. He recently received the Paul A. Siple Memorial Award from the U.S. Army for his research on applications of shear-thickening fluids for ballistic-resistant nanocomposite materials, jointly with scientists from the Army Research Labs.

Professor Wagner is currently on sabbatical as a visiting professor of soft condensed matter physics at the University of Rome. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and a guest professor at the ETH, Zurich. He has over 90 publications in internationally recognized journals and is active in the Society of Rheology and AIChE (among other organizations).

Dr. Wagner received his B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Presentation Abstract:

Novel ballistic-, stab- and puncture-resistant flexible composite materials are synthesized from colloidal and nanoparticle dispersions exhibiting shear thickening, i.e., shear- thickening fluids (STFs). STFs are intercalated in aramid and other performance textiles.

Through ballistic, stab & laboratory testing, the mechanism of energy adsorption at ballistic rates is demonstrated to result from reversible shear thickening. NIJ standard testing shows the performance enhancement of the composites. Control of particle size, size distribution, shape, surface and bulk properties in the synthesis is shown to be critical to performance. Melt blending of STFs with elastomers yields new materials, known as STF-suspoemulsions, with exceptional tear resistance. Potential applications of these dispersions as novel energy-absorbing materials are discussed.

Sponsored by:

Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films