CESE Alum Paul Natishan wins H.H Uhlig Award

Congratulations to Paul Natishan (UVa MSE PhD '84) who has been selected as the Electrochemical Society's 2014 H.H. Uhlig Award winner. This is the highest technical award from the Corrosion Division of the Electrochemical Society.  Natishan previously served as president of E.C.S from 2009-2010, an ECS fellow since 2005, on the board for eight years, and has been active in ECS in many other roles.

Natishan is a leader in the field of marine corrosion and heads up the activities of the Navel Research Laboratories Corrosion Science Section. As well as holding seven U.S. Patents, he has published extensively in corrosion resistance, pitting, electrodepostited coatings, ion beam surface modification, and diamond-coated materials.

This award further distinguishes the Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering, as it the second such award for the U.Va center. The 2009 awardee was U.VA Professor John Scully.

From NACE:

The H.H. Uhlig Award is given in recognition of outstanding effectiveness in post-secondary corrosion education at the undergraduate or graduate level as exhibited by an educator who excites their students through outstanding and innovative teaching in corrosion. To qualify, nominations must be received within 10 years of the nominee entering the field of education. An educator may qualify who has effectively conveyed and instilled in students the principles and applications of corrosion science and technology, and has stimulated students to enter professional pursuits in defining and mitigating corrosion problems.

Gates Foundation selects RTI International among winners of the "Reinvent the Toilet" Challenge

Seeking to improve the lives of the 2.5 billion people who live without safe and sustainable waste processing, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" in 2011.  Last month, the Better Toilet project, helmed by U.Va Materials Science alumni Brian Stoner (MSE MS  89') completed a full scale prototype of a new integrated toilet system which will be demonstrated in March at an upcoming fair in Delhi, India.  The RPI International collaborative project was previously awarded one of the largest grants given to participants in the second round of the international challenge.

Side view showing liquid disinfection module
and solid-liquid separation stage underneath

In addition to Brian Stoner, two other alumni of the U.Va Materials Science and Engineering department are Jeff Glass and Paul Natishan.  Jeff Glass (MSE PhD 86'), is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University and serves as the project's electrochemical disinfection and materials development lead. Paul Natishan (MSE PhD 84') serves as one of two of the project's technical advisers lending his expertise in electrochemical treatment of waste.







From the "A Better Toilet" website:

Faraday Tech, home to CESE alumni, nets award from EPA

Presented by the American Chemical Society and the EPA as part of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, the Small Business Award  for 2013 went to Faraday Technology.   Two former members of the Center of Electrochemical Science and Engineering are due congratulations for their contributions toward the EPA award.

img: Faraday Technology

The research leadership at Faraday includes Jennings Taylor who graduated in 1981 and was advised by Glenn Stoner as well as Maria Inman who was a post-doctoral researcher with Rob Kelly's group.   Taylor serves as the Chief Technical Officer for  Faraday Technology while Inman is the Research Director at Faraday and leads Faraday’s research and development function.  Faraday Technology's innovations remain focused on the development and commercialization of novel electrochemical technology and processes.

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award recognizes the advances yielded by FARADAYIC® TriChrome Plating process; the process eliminates the need to use  hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) by replacing it the far less toxic trivalent chromium Cr(III).  While Trivalent chromium is  currently used to create light chrome coating processes, it hasn't been suitable for the creation of heavier coatings needed for more demanding industrial uses.  Via the novel electrodeposition process developed at Faraday Technology,  trivalent chromium is now yielding greatly improved coating results that are suitable for industrial processes that were only previously realized when Cr(VI) was used. 


Via Faraday Technology:

    The conventional Cr(VI) electrodeposition process uses a constant direct current during the entire process. Faraday designed a new electrodeposition process that alternates between a forward (cathodic) pulse followed by a reverse (anodic) pulse and an off period (relaxation). Not only does this process allow for thicker coatings from Cr(III), but it can also be adjusted to affect the structure and properties of the coating. This new process results in a product that exhibits equivalent or improved wear and fatigue performance compared to chrome coatings plated from a Cr(VI) bath. In addition, this new Cr(III) plating process is more efficient that the Cr(VI) plating process and does not produce any Cr(VI) as a byproduct. Yet another advantage to this technology over non-chrome alternatives is that it is a true drop-in replacement technology for Cr(VI) coatings. Only new plating bath electrodes are required. Unlike many non-chrome technologies, Faraday’s process can plate both the inner and outer surfaces of a tube.