Materials are important in the pursuit of virtually every human endeavor. Advances in materials are applied not only in advanced technological systems such as spacecraft, jet engines, computers, and telecommunications but also in a world of familiar applications, from automobiles to floor coverings to fishing rods. Materials are an enabling technology –that is, each improvement in materials increases the possibility for advances in other fields of technology. Based on a synthesis of a 3-day workshop that featured presentations by National Materials Advisory Board members and case studies by invited representatives from four materials suppliers, this report addresses the factors that impede the transition of new materials from concept into commercial use. It suggests action-oriented strategies that government and industry, together with universities, can take to remove these impediments.

This report is the result of a request by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the National Materials Advisory Board (NMAB) to examine the process by which U.S. industry brings new materials to market and to suggest ways to promote more rapid commercialization of promising new materials and processes. The agencies have two reasons for such an interest:

1. Rapid and frequent commercial production of new materials in larger volume would allow DOD and NASA contractors to build more-capable advanced systems at lower life-cycle cost.

2. The nation invests substantial resources in the pursuit of national security and leadership in space. Yet the results of this materials research and development (R&D) often do not find their way readily into the civilian economy. Rapid commercial availability of new materials would permit their incorporation into products and thereby enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing industries.

The NMAB held a 3-day workshop to examine these issues. The workshop was held October 28–30, 1990, at the Beckman Center of the National Academy of Sciences in Irvine, California.

Four speakers were invited to the workshop to present specific case studies. Mr. Paul R. Langston, Senior Program Manager at DuPont, presented the development of Kevlar^™ fiber; Dr. David M. Schuster, Vice President, Duralcan USA, presented the development of a metal-matrix composite: aluminum reinforced with ceramic particles; Dr. John P. Riggs, Vice President, Hoechst Celanese Corporation, and a member of the NMAB, presented the development of carbon-fiber composites; and Mr. C. K. Mullen, Vice President, BP Chemicals (HITCO) Incorporated, presented the development of carbon-carbon composites.

Presentation and discussion of these case studies formed the basis of a plenary session that was in turn followed by four parallel workshop sessions on design and manufacturing issues, component materials issues, institutional and policy issues, and market factor issues. These were followed by a final session to crystallize the findings of the group and to discuss strategies on how to overcome barriers to commercialization. A small editorial committee met on three separate occasions following the workshop, and final discussions were held at two subsequent NMAB meetings. The authors of the report are the board members listed on pages v-vii.

It quickly became evident in the workshop that the factors impeding commercialization involve not only technical barriers but also legal/regulatory and economic barriers. Although the expertise of the members of the NMAB and invited guests was primarily in the technical arena, all barriers to commercialization were discussed. General strategies to overcome these barriers were synthesized, with the recommendation that they be further explored by other groups possessing a balance of current, detailed knowledge of all factors associated with these barriers. Follow-on studies could draw on these strategies as a starting point in formulating specific recommendations.

The NMAB hopes that the report and the strategies it presents will provide useful guidance to government, industry, and universities as they deal with this timely and important issue for the nation.

Any comments or suggestions that readers of this report wish to make can be sent via Internet electronic mail to nmab@nas.edu or by fax to NMAB at (202) 334-3718.

James C. Williams

Chairman

The National Materials Advisory Board (NMAB) would like to express its appreciation to the many participants who attended the workshop. The NMAB would also like to thank the speakers who presented specific case studies at the workshop: Mr. Paul R. Langston, Senior Program Manager at DuPont; Dr. David M. Schuster, Vice President, Duralcan USA; Dr. John P. Riggs, Vice President, Hoechst Celanese Corporation; and Mr. C. K. Mullen, Vice President, BP Chemicals (HITCO) Incorporated. The NMAB is also grateful to the following individuals who assisted with the early drafting of the report: Cathryn Summers, Project Assistant; Mary W. Brittain, Administrative Assistant; and Courtland S. Lewis, Technical Writer.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

COMMERCIALIZATION OF NEW MATERIALS FOR A GLOBAL ECONOMY