AAC Announces Awards of Excellence Winners, New Academic Initiative

Back to Newsroom

Wauconda, Illinois - The Aluminum Anodizers Council (AAC) announced the recipients of two Awards of Excellence during the 19th Annual International Anodizing Conference on October 6, 2010. The 2010 Anodizing Conference took place in Montréal, Québec attended by more than 130 delegates representing 12 different countries on five continents. The Awards of Excellence acknowledge exemplary contributions by authors and presenters from the previous year's Anodizing Conference. The 2010 Awards of Excellence recognized two authors who presented papers at the 2009 Anodizing Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Also during the 2010 Anodizing Conference, the Council announced an initiative to engage academia in furthering the anodizing industry.

The Donald I. Johnson Award of Excellence for best presentation at the 2009 Anodizing Conference was awarded to H. Hau Wang, Ph.D. from Argonne National Laboratory for his paper New Uses for Anodized Aluminum Oxide. Wang, a Chemist and Principal Investigator in the Molecular Materials group, Materials Science Division, at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois is an expert in electroactive, polymeric, and nano-scaled material synthesis and characterization. His presentation covered some of the work performed by the nano-science and engineering research community on Anodized Aluminum Oxide (AAO). In his presentation, he explained that the framework of AAO is very similar to micro-channel plate (MCP) used in various devices such as night vision goggles and photo-detectors. Wang noted that, with proper surface coating, AAO might lead to inexpensive large-area MCP detectors, which are components used for detection of particles such as electrons, ions and radiation such as ultraviolet radiation and X-rays. His presentation also briefly reviewed AAO-based exploratory efforts from basic research to energy and security applications.

The Robert L. Kersman Award of Excellence for best paper from the 2009 Anodizing Conference was awarded to Dale Barkey, Ph.D., Professor of Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. His paper, Electrochemical Kinetics, Transport & Pattern Formation in Anodizing, addressed the formation of anodic oxide finish examined as a far-from-equilibrium electrochemical phase-formation process. In this view, the growth of a highly ordered oxide phase is related to competition among electrostatic and diffusive driving forces, surface kinetics, and spare charges. The paper studied the framework compared with published models of oxide growth, as well as experimental data from this laboratory.

“I was surprised and delighted to learn that I received the Robert L. Kersman Award of Excellence for my paper last year,” commented Barkey. “I am honored by this recognition.”

Plans now focus on the Twentieth Annual International Anodizing Conference and Exposition, scheduled for October 4 through 6, 2011 at The Buttes Resort in Tempe, Arizona. The Council announced plans to invite student poster sessions featuring the work of students from a number of universities at the 2011 Anodizing Conference. “We see an opportunity to foster mutually beneficial relationships between industry and academia through the Council,” said Greg Rajsky, AAC President. “Therefore, we are embarking on an initiative to further develop relationships with academic institutions around the world.”

The Council recently formed an Academic Task Force, driven by volunteers from AAC member companies and academia. The task force currently is seeking ways to engage the academic community to foster future developments in technology, as well as to prepare people for careers in support of aluminum anodizing. “Taking advantage of the location of each Annual Anodizing Conference to tap into local universities is a good way to begin to focus attention on surface-treatment technologies in institutions of higher learning. We aim to provide students with activities that develop their understanding and appreciation of surface treatments, leading to placement in positions that support our industry,” Rajsky said. “It will take time and effort, but theory and practice can come together; our future depends on it.”

The Aluminum Anodizers Council is the international trade association of firms engaged in aluminum anodizing and whose mission it is to support its members—and users of anodized aluminum—through education, advocacy, and promotion. For more information, contact the Aluminum Anodizers Council, 1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214, Wauconda, IL 60084-3102 USA. Telephone 847/526-2010; fax 847/526-3993; mail@anodizing.org; www.anodizing.org.

###

Download the high resolution image of the Robert L. Kersman Award of Excellence awarded to Dale Barkey, Ph.D.

Download the high resolution image of the Donald I. Johnson Award of Excellence awarded to H. Hau Wang, Ph.D.

For more information, contact the Aluminum Anodizers Council:

Nancy Molenda, Communications Manager

1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214
Wauconda, IL 60084 USA
Telephone 847.526.2010
Fax 847.526.3993
mail@anodizing.org
www.anodizing.org

Back to Newsroom