Development of "Smart" Materials Focus of University At Buffalo Engineering Research

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Imagine road surfaces never sullied by potholes or a construction material that could detect internal cracks as soon as they begin to form. Think of a pacemaker battery that could warn its host that it is losing power or a material that could prevent electromagnetic interference in electronic devices.

In the near future, these "smart" innovations will be moving closer to commercialization, thanks to the engineering acumen of Deborah D.L. Chung, Ph.D.

A professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and Niagara Mohawk Professor of Materials Science at the University at Buffalo, Chung did not begin her career with an obsession for real-world problem-solving.

Ten years ago, she was conducting research on the fundamental structures and properties of new materials developed by other scientists.

"Before long, I realized that that mode was not very fruitful because I wasn't in the driver's seat," she said. "I knew that I had to start developing my own materials."

Chung never looked back.

With nine patents to her name and two pending and more than $1 million in research funding from government and industry, she is one of a new class of university scientists striving to bridge the gap between research and the market.

Already, one of her innovations -- an inexpensive, new material that acts as an electromagnetic shield -- is moving toward commercialization, and a patent application has been filed.

Radiofrequency waves from wireless devices, such as cellular phones, tend to interfere with those from digital computers and devices, such as calculators. This can result in problems ranging from minor disruptions in electronic performance to disastrous losses of information.

"Throughout the world, the market for shielding materials is growing rapidly," she said.

This past fall, Chung teamed up with Applied Sciences, Inc., the company that makes the carbon filaments used in the material. Together, they were awarded a $100,000 small-business technology grant, of which $60,000 went to UB, to conduct the tests and make improvements necessary to bring the material closer to the market.

"It was a natural marriage," said Chung.

The material is designed to eliminate electromagnetic interference in electronic devices.

She noted that it is important not only commercially, but for military applications where such materials could help aircraft escape radar detection.

Chung hopes that the skinny filaments will be commercially available in only four to five years.

Another Chung invention that has a good chance of making it to market is "hairy carbon," a new material comprised of tiny carbon filaments, each of which is about a thousand times thinner than a human hair.

The material, which is also expected to be easier and cheaper to produce than those currently being used, may one day be the powerhouse behind much smaller and faster computers, longer-lasting batteries and ultrasensitive biomedical sensors.

The ability of the carbon filaments in "hairy carbon" to lose power gradually would also make them useful in pacemaker batteries.

To study that application, Chung teamed up with Wilson Greatbatch, Ltd., the Western New York company started by Wilson Greatbatch, one of the inventors of the pacemaker, and a UB adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering.

"In implantable applications, if you can pack more into a smaller, lightweight package, then you're obviously better off," said Chung.

An invention Chung calls "smart concrete" is probably her most groundbreaking (no pun intended).

Unlike other materials developed for "smart structures," the new concrete does not rely on sensors embedded in the material to track structural flaws. Instead, tiny carbon fibers mixed into the concrete with a conventional concrete mixer make the material intrinsically "smart." In the presence of a flaw, the concrete's electrical resistance will increase, which can be easily detected by electrical probes placed on the outside of structures.

"The carbon fibers are distributed everywhere throughout the concrete on a microscopic scale so its conductivity is 10 times higher than that of ordinary concrete," Chung explained. The new material is also capable of shielding electromagnetic radiation, making it potentially useful as a building material for electric power plants, military structures and nuclear reactors.

The material could make potholes obsolete and greatly increase the life of bridges and highway structures, especially those subject to weather extremes and earthquakes.

"Smart concrete," like most of Chung's endeavors, has attracted interest from companies, but she said it may be difficult to get it to market. That's because of the construction industry's conservatism and because new construction materials require changes in civil-engineering codes that take a long time to implement.

Still, Chung remains unfazed, continuing to improve smart concrete and the other technological innovations that she is intent on moving from her laboratory to the marketplace.

"New materials excite me if they're useful technologically," Chung said. "Now I'm naturally geared toward technological applications."