THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 23, 1996 TAG: 9603230251
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES SCHULTZ, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SURRY COUNTY LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
A space age superplastic invented by a NASA scientist could end up saving Virginia Power millions in maintenance and repair costs.
Officials from the power company, Langley Research Center and Virginia Tech signed a $100,000 agreement Friday to evaluate the new material over the coming year. If environmental and toxicity tests pan out, the superplastic will be applied as a protective coating to water intake pipes at the Surry nuclear power station.
Because it can be sprayed on, like paint, to virtually any material, the superplastic may be the first nonpolluting coating to reduce or eliminate clogging of conduits in everything from factories to boats. Should the superplastic prove its worth at Surry, it also could become a coating, sealant or ingredient for a practically unlimited range of manufactured goods.
``If it's successful, this could be a giant product,'' said Joseph Heyman, director of Langley's Technology Applications Group. ``Its economic and social value could be phenomenal. This literally could be applied anywhere, from sewage to satellites.''
Derived from research into strong, lightweight materials known as composites, the superplastic was originally developed as part of the skin for a next-generation supersonic airplane.
But inventor Robert Bryant, a Langley researcher, knew the substance had a wide variety of other uses.
``What makes this material different is its unique combination of properties,'' Bryant said. ``A little goes a long way.''
In its most common form, as a dry powder, small amounts of the superplastic can be mixed with a near-universal range of materials, including concrete, steel and ceramics.
Sprayed, the superplastic produces a smooth, uniform surface that is durable, liquids-proof and heat-resistant up to 500 degrees.
Combining the superplastic with other materials can produce a new substance altogether, a hybrid material that adopts the properties of both - a process Langley's Heyman refers to as ``morphing.''
Virginia Power is keenly interested in the superplastic because of a persistent and nagging problem with aquatic creatures known as hydroids.
Akin to jellyfish and coral, the seaweed-resembling hydroids attach themselves to the rough inner walls of Surry's 8-foot-wide water intakes whenever the nearby James River warms to 50 degrees.
The hydroids can reduce water flow and electric power generation by as much as 20 percent. And the creatures must be removed with high-pressure water hoses. The weekly costs to the utility can mount to the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Virginia Power has long been searching for a slick, protective coating to which the hydroids cannot cling, officials said Friday. Assuming the superplastic proves environmentally benign and durable under daily operations, it could be the answer.
``We're excited about it,'' said Robert Saunders, utilities vice president for nuclear operations.
``Dr. Bryant's product has tremendous promise for us. We hope it will allow us to greatly extend our maintenance schedules.''
Researchers from Virginia Tech's Center for Adhesive and Sealant Science will take the lead in evaluating the superplastic's ability to adhere and endure.
Thus far, because it has been produced in such small quantities, the superplastic is expensive, on the order of $300 a pound. According to inventor Bryant, production costs should drop far and fast, to about $20 to $30 a pound once it's made in quantity.
NASA has chosen Imitec Inc., a Schenectady, N.Y., firm, to manufacture the superplastic and provide samples to companies interested in licensing the technology.
If the superplastic performs as Virginia Power and NASA Langley hopes, it may become the most visible in what Langley intends to be a steady stream of commercially viable products issuing from the Hampton aeronautics complex. Another invention, a carbon monoxide filter and detector, has also received national attention.
More inventions and breakthroughs are on their way to market, promises NASA's Heyman. The pilot program with Virginia Power is just the start.
``This is an ideal agreement,'' he said.
``This brings an industrial customer together with a national laboratory. Jobs, many jobs, could be generated from this.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
HIGH HOPES FOR SUPERPLASTIC
NASA's superplastic can be used to make gears and other products, or
sprayed onto surfaces as a powder.
``A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY''
In its most common form, as a dry powder, small amounts of the
superplastic can be mixed with a near-universal range of materials,
including concrete, steel and ceramics. Sprayed, the superplastic
produces a smooth, uniform surface that is durable, liquids-proof
and heat-resistant up to 500 degrees.
by CNB