Argonne National Laboratory

Manufacturing Engineering

Argonne maintains a wide-ranging science and technology portfolio that seeks to address complex challenges in interdisciplinary and innovative ways. Below is a list of all articles, highlights, profiles, projects, and organizations related specifically to manufacturing engineering.

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  • Electrolyte Materials Available for Sampling

    Argonne’s Materials Synthesis and Manufacturing Research and Development Program provides advanced electrolyte and cathode materials to interested parties for evaluation and further research.

  • Applied Materials

    The Applied Materials Division accelerates the development of new materials and processes using scalable synthesis, advanced characterization, and device fabrication and testing to drive innovation from invention to commercialization.
    Research

  • Expertise and History

    The Glassblowing Studio is staffed by Kevin Moeller, a highly-trained longtime glassblower with deep expertise.
    Kevin Moeller fabricates a custom separatory funnel.

  • Glassblowing Studio

    Argonne’s scientific glassblower can be a one-stop shop for your research needs. The Glassblowing Studio provides a wide range of custom glassware to enable breakthrough research.
  • Economical coatings that offer improved performance
    Intellectual Property Available to License
    US Patent 10,131,991; US Patent 7,709,056
    • Precise Application of Transparent Conductive Oxide Coatings for Flat Panel Displays and Photovoltaic Cells (ANL-IN-06-076 and ANL-IN-09-080)
    New ALD reaction chamber containing 12-in x 12-in piece of plate glass

    The Invention

    Argonne has developed new thin-film, transparent conducting oxide (TCO) coatings for large panel displays and photovoltaic (PV) cells. 

    These new TCO coatings are deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD employs gaseous precursors to make thin films with thicknesses from atomic mono layer to micron dimensions. This process enables atomic-level control over film thickness and composition, and eliminates line-of-sight or constant-exposure constraints which limit conventional film deposition processes. 

    Argonne has scaled up the ALD process and successfully demonstrated conformal coating of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) TCO over 3D nano- and micro-structures at this scale. 

    Benefits 

    • Improves flat-panel performance due to thinner, more transparent conductive coatings; 
    • Reduces materials consumption and expense due to improved coating precision; 
    • Provides uniform coating of complex, 3D nano-structures such as electrodes for next-generation PV cells; 
    • Eliminates line-of-sight or constant-exposure constraints which limit conventional film deposition processes; and 
    • Reduces product rejection resulting from defect free coatings. 

    Applications and Industries 

    • Photovoltaics 
    • Electronics

    Developmental Stage 

    Proof of concept. The production cost analysis showing advantages over state-of-the-art manufacturing has not yet been completed by Argonne. While the coating process has been demonstrated at scale, the performance of a flat panel display or PV cell has not been physically demonstrated in a full scale device. 

  • Increased performance and stability
    Intellectual Property Available to License
    US Patent 7,871,738 B2
    • Nanosegregated surfaces as catalysts for fuel cells
    Schematic illustration of the nanosegregated Pt(111)-Skin near surface atomic layers with oscillatory compositional profile.

    The Invention 

    Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have developed a method for creating a new class of platinum multi-metallic catalysts that are not only compositionally stable but also exhibit an advantageous electronic structure with enhanced catalytic properties. 

    Using this process, researchers created an alloy of platinum and one or more transition metals (such as cobalt, nickel, iron, titanium, chromium and others). Next, they modified the near surface layers by annealing, which induces formations known as nanosegregated surfaces. These surfaces vastly improve performance by overcoming kinetic limitations for the oxygen reduction reaction. The result is a catalyst particularly advantageous for use in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. 

    In the energy industry, fuel cells are rapidly becoming an important component. However, the high cost of manufacturing the platinum catalyst—a required element in a fuel cell—makes fuel cells relatively non-competitive in the commercial world. So far, such catalysts have not been able to demonstrate the performance and life expectancy consistent with a fuel cell’s long-term operation. Argonne’s invention overcomes this limitation. 

    Benefits 

    • Enhanced catalytic properties that drive improved performance, 
    • Greater stability 
    • Greater cost-effectiveness 

    Applications and Industries 

    • Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells 
    • Energy storage devices, such as metal-air batteries 
    • Magnetic storage devices 
    • Automotive industry 

    Developmental Stage 

    Proof of concept