Material self-repairs with light

A team of researchers in the United States and Switzerland has developed a polymer-based material that can heal itself with the help of a widely used type of lighting. Called "metallo-supramolecular polymers," the material is capable of becoming a supple liquid that fills crevasses and gaps left by scrapes and scuffs when placed under ultraviolet light for less than a minute and then resolidifying. The team involves researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, the Adolphe Merkle Institute of the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. (Source: National Science Foundation, 04/21/11) Gulf Coast note: The University of Southern Mississippi is known nationally for its advanced materials research.

BASF to cut 250 jobs

MOBILE, Ala. - BASF SE will cut 250 of the 700 employees and contractors at its McIntosh chemical plant over the next two years as the German firm tries to lower costs to compete with new plants in Asia. The employee reductions at the Washington County plant could happen through layoffs, retirements, buyouts or attrition. The plant makes a variety of chemicals used to enhance plastics, lubricants, coatings, paper and laundry detergent. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 02/16/11)

Chevron announces expansion

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Chevron's Pascagoula Refinery will begin construction of a $1.4 billion lubricants manufacturing facility at the refinery, officials said today. The project will generate about 1,000 job over the next two years of construction and about 20 permanent positions for the project. The plant would produce 25,000 barrels a day of oil that would be used in the manufacturing of high-performance lubricants, such as motor oils, for consumer and commercial use. (Source: Sun Herald, 01/31/11)

Polymer possibilities discussed

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Students from eight high school polymer programs were on hand for the second annual High School Polymer Science Day at the University of Southern Mississippi's Shelby Thames Polymer Science Research Center. The day is designed to pique the interest of students in careers in materials science. Mississippi is investing in materials businesses such as GE Aviation and solar panel-maker Stion, and the nation is making a larger commitment to science and technology. USM polymer science professor Jeffrey Wiggins called it a "perfect storm" that provides great job opportunities in the materials science field. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 01/29/11)

Plant to expand, add workers

FOLEY, Ala. - Nylon maker Ascend Performance Materials of Foley plans a $7 million expansion that will create 20 jobs. The company, which has about 70 workers, will install a new extruder to double nylon production. Ascend's nylon is used by the auto, electrical and electronic, apparel, carpet industries and others. The company also operates a large plant in Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/25/11)

Accelerator gets new tenant

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Bracco Diagnostics, headquartered in Milan, Italy, is the newest tenant in the University of Southern Mississippi’s incubator, The Accelerator. Bracco's Healthcare Protective Products Division in Hattiesburg will manufacture a lotion that neutralizes chemical warfare agents. The lotion is already used by the Department of Defense and most NATO militaries. Bracco plans to initially hire 10 people to operate the new facility. First production of the lotion is targeted for this summer. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 01/18/11)

Polymer science competition set

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - High school students from Mississippi will gather at the University of Southern Mississippi later this month for the second annual Polymer Science High School competition. It’s Jan. 28 at the Polymer Science Research Center at the Hattiesburg campus. The competition is designed to encourage interest in careers in science. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 01/16/11)

Materials focus of NOVA series

Materials innovations drive civilization and inspire scientific breakthroughs, and it's that notion that motivated the television series NOVA to take viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the world of materials. In a new four-part series, "Making Stuff: Stronger, Smaller, Cleaner, Smarter," New York Times technology reporter David Pogue travels the globe to examine the latest advancements in materials research and to find out what the future might hold in this field. The series airs on four consecutive Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 19. (Source: National Science Foundation, 01/13/11) Gulf Coast note: The University of Southern Mississippi is internationally known for its advanced materials research.

Solar panel company moving in

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Stion, a company that makes thin film solar panels, announced Tuesday that it's locating a mass production facility in the former Sunbeam appliance factory in the Forrest County Industrial Park. It's the first phase of a company investment of $500 million and will create 1,000 jobs over the next six years. The company will use about 300,000 square feet of the facility to produce panels for residential and commercial use. Stion now produces them at a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing and research and development facility in San Jose, Calif., where the company is headquartered. One reason Hattiesburg was chosen is the presence of the University of Southern Mississippi's advanced materials research. The state's contribution is a $75 million incentives package. (Sources: Gov. Haley Barbour, 01/04/10, Hattiesburg American, Mississippi Press, 01/05/11)

January sci-tech newsletter available

The latest issue of Alliance Insight, a quarterly newsletter highlighting science and technology in South Mississippi, is now available. The January issue takes a look at what's in store for South Mississippi in 2011. Also included: feature stories about NASA's Stennis Space Center, the Infinity Science Center, South Mississippi's airports and the Tradition planned community. The newsletter is produced by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development. (Source: Alliance Insight, January 2011)

Titanium shipbuilding explored

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The University of New Orleans has been awarded a three-year $4.8 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to advance the science and technology of titanium shipbuilding. The research will focus on the manufacturability and structural performance of a titanium mid-ship section. Both material requirements and advanced welding processes will be investigated. Titanium is more resistant to corrosion than traditional structural steels and aluminum alloys, but lacks robust welding and joining techniques. (Source: Media-Newswire, 11/23/10)

Well-known research slated as speaker

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - An internationally recognized expert in polymer nanotechnology and former researcher will give a lecture at the University of Southern Mississippi Oct. 19. Dr. Craig Hawker, director of the Materials Research Laboratory and professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara will present "A Few Good Reactions - Functionalized Nanostructures Based on Efficient Chemistry" at 1:30 p.m. in the Shelby F. Thames Polymer Science Research Center auditorium. His presentation is part of the annual Bayer Distinguished Lectureship Series at the university. (Source: USM, 10/15/10)

Jobs cut at Solvay

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. - Fourteen workers are losing their jobs at Solvay Advanced Polymers, a plastics manufacturer in Port Bienville Industrial Park. The company announced it's suspending production at the facility that makes PrimoSpire SRP, a polymer used in commercial aircraft, medical devices, electronics and defense-related applications. Five R&D jobs will be maintained at the site and another five will be transferred. (Source: Sun Herald, 09/16/10)

Contract won for reactive armor

General Dynamics has won a $48 million contract to produce reactive armor side skirt tiles for Bradley Fighting Vehicles at its McHenry, Miss., facility. Deliveries are expected to begin in February 2011 and completed in September 2011. The reactive armor system is composed of tiles that fasten to the exterior of a vehicle, allowing it to better withstand direct hits from a variety of anti-armor munitions. A strategic partner, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Ordnance and Protection Division, will share the production workload in Haifa, Israel. (Source: General Dynamics, 08/25/10)

Plant processes first coil of steel

MOBILE, Ala. - ThyssenKrupp AG's carbon steel unit has rolled the first coil of steel in Calvert, a milestone in the path to full operation for the $5 billion complex. The coil was rolled late on July 31, but leaders of Germany's largest steelmaker didn't acknowledge it until Friday. The steelmaker now has 1,440 employees in Calvert, 1,200 working for the carbon steel unit and 240 for a sister stainless operation. That's more than halfway to the 2,700 permanent employees that ThyssenKrupp has pledged to hire. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 08/14/10)

Contract: General Dynamics, $48.2M

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt., was awarded a $48,215,074 firm-fixed-price contract for 12,180 Bradley reactive armor skirt tiles and 435 installation kits for the Bradley fighting vehicle system. Stone County, Miss., will handle 3.6 percent of the work. Other work locations are in Israel, Canada, Vermont, Florida, Texas, New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Iowa. Completion date is estimated as Aug. 31, 2011. U.S Army Contracting Command, CJM-MA, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/14/10)

Pipe maker eyes two counties

MOBILE, Ala. - Officials in Mobile and Clarke counties have been courting a pipe-making plant that could become the first new business drawn to the region by the ThyssenKrupp AG steel complex. A spokesman for ThyssenKrupp Steel USA said Lakeside Steel Inc., of Welland, Ontario, contacted the steelmaker and expressed interest in possibly locating to the area. The company wanted to know who to contact for incentives, the spokesman said. (Source: Mobile Press Register, 06/09/10)

F-35 composite work earns award

FORT WORTH, Texas - Lockheed Martin, Magestic Systems Inc. and Nikon Metrology jointly won a first-place JEC Innovation Award in composites manufacturing for technology used in the production of the F-35. The 2010 JEC Innovation Award was presented in Paris earlier this month in recognition of the cured laminate compensation process, a composite manufacturing process for achieving precision, as-built laminate thickness without post-cure machining. This new process is used in the production of composite parts for the F-35 and was developed to pre-measure and correct the thickness of cured composite wing skins for the F-35. (Source: PRNewswire, 04/26/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is scheduled to become home of the F-35 training center; fabrication and research into advanced materials is a key sector in South Mississippi.

Refinery getting leadership change

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Chevron Corp. has announced that Roland Kell, general manager of the company's Pascagoula Refinery since 2002, is retiring. Taking his place will be Tom Kovar, general manager of the company's Pembroke refinery in Wales. The company is considering selling the Wales property, but it's moving ahead with plans to expand the Pascagoula Refinery, which employs 1,500. (Source: Sun Herald, 03/17/10)

DuPont 4Q report

DuPont of Wilmington, Del., reported earnings of $441 million for the fourth quarter 2009, compared with a loss of $629 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. The company surpassed its 2009 goal of $1 billion in cost reductions. Titanium dioxide, electronic materials, performance polymers and seed products enjoyed sales of 20 percent or greater. DuPont's 150-worker facility in Axis, Ala., makes insecticide and its 120-worker First Chemical facility in Pascagoula, Miss., makes specialty chemicals. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/26/10) Note: DuPont's facility in Delisle, Miss., makes titanium dioxide.