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Projects/Programs

Displaying 51 - 75 of 77

NIST U.S. Pacific Islands Program

Completed
To help address environmental research and resource management in the Pacific Islands region, the 111th U.S. Congress directed NIST to "expand its capabilities and resources into the Pacific region through a Pacific Islands component of NIST" and included funding to "expand its biodiversity storage...

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Ongoing
Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a family of compounds that are distinguished by partial or complete fluorination of alkyl hydrocarbons. Dubbed “forever chemicals”, the unique chemistry of PFAS imparts a high level of stability, making the compounds resistant to...

Performance Metrics for Industrial Gas Separation and Purification

Ongoing
Sorbents in Direct Air Capture (DAC) are exposed to the atmosphere, where they adsorb CO2 then are isolated from atmosphere, the CO2 is driven off by heating or pulling vacuum, refreshing the sorbents. This adsorption-refresh cycle depends not only on the competitive adsorption of CO2 with the other...

Photonic Radiometry

Ongoing
Meeting the needs of the photonics industry and anticipating emerging technologies requires investigation and development of improved measurement methods and instrumentation. This project develops state-of-art, absolute microfabricated thermal detectors with absorber coatings consisting of carbon...

Premise Plumbing Systems for High-Performance Buildings

Ongoing
Objective To develop new measurement methods, modeling approaches, and data to support improvements in building plumbing design, utility consumption, and water quality. Technical Idea The technical idea is to advance understanding of the impacts water use and water-related energy use on its delivery...

Quantification and Characterization of Plastic Additives

Paused
Plastic products are not “pure polymers” as they can consist of up to 70% additive chemicals by weight. Plastic additives are mixed into the polymer matrix during production to enhance the functional properties, performance, or appearance of the final product. The use of additives in plastics is...

Quantum Radiometry

Ongoing
For quantum applications, it is important to generate quantum states of light and detect them with extremely high efficiency. This project explores the metrology challenges associated with precision measurement of single photon sources and detectors. The classical photonic radiometry techniques used...

Radioanalytical Metrology

Ongoing
The Group engages in a wide range of methods applicable to the detection and characterization of nuclear materials. The work can benefit environmental studies, waste remediation, naturally occurring radioactivity detection and characterization and general radioanalytical metrology. Expertise in...

Real Fuels

Ongoing
The variability of the price of oil, the need for energy efficiency and pollution minimization has led to increasing interest in alternative fuels. These fuels are structurally and compositionally different than the conventional fuels presently used.  Past work on conventional fuels have established...

Reference Material Production and Support

Ongoing
Bulk Cryogenic Production Large-batch cryogenic reference materials are produced using a specialized Palla VM-KT Vibrating Cryomill. The mill is pre-cooled to cryogenic temperatures using liquid nitrogen. Frozen material is fed through the inlet funnel to a vibrating chamber containing 26 titanium...

Reference materials for emerging and legacy organic contaminants

Ongoing
The Biochemical and Exposure Sciences Group (BSEG) produces environmental matrix and solution-based reference materials to support the environmental measurement community. These materials assist in identifying legacy organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)that were commonly...

Renewable Polymers

Completed
In this project, use innovative measurements to optimize existing materials synthesis and discover new routes to polymers from renewable feedstocks by providing characterization methods that can describe the mechanisms and of enzymatic catalysis of polymers from renewable feedstocks and synthetic...

Sample Tracking and Analytical Reporting (STAR)

Ongoing
STAR (formerly known as Marine STAR) will develop a web-based interface to provide easy access to sample information from the NIST Biorepository. Information will include, but is not limited to, sample availability, chemical analysis status and results, and links to publications. Metadata associated...

Smoke Stack Flow Measurement

Completed
The Fluid Metrology Group is using its smoke stack simulator (See Fig. 1.) and field tests in operating smoke stacks to critically test conventional and improved ways of measuring the flow of stack gases. In the NIST stack simulator, the inlet cone and reference (upstream) section of the simulator...

Standards Development to Ensure Reliable Breath Analysis in the Field

Ongoing
Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in human breath. These compounds can be produced by the body or by organisms in the body (e.g., bacteria or viruses) and provide a non-invasive window into human health. Inexpensive point-of-care devices are being developed to diagnose...

Steroid Hormone Suite Analysis

Ongoing
Steroid hormones are signaling molecules that are major regulators of development, reproduction, stress, and growth. Steroids are synthesized from cholesterol through a series of enzymes, resulting in hormones with distinct biological activities. Although hormones are similar in structure, and...

Synthesis and longevity of candidate direct air capture (DAC) materials

Ongoing
We have been working on the identification and development of repeatable synthesis techniques for DAC materials for the purposes of generating repeatable samples for evaluating DAC characterization techniques. We have initially focused on impregnated and grafted aminosilane-silica materials. We are...

Thermometry

Ongoing
The NIST Temperature and Humidity Group supports industry and advances measurement science through an extensive suite of thermometry calibration services as well as research projects aimed at improving the utility for the International Temperature Scale. We also develop guidelines, and contribute to...

Traceable Calibration Gases: SRMs, NTRMs, and Protocol Gases

Ongoing
The Gas Sensing Metrology Group prepares the highest level gas standards, known as Primary Standard Gas Mixtures based on precise gravimetric methods and accurate purity analysis. These Primary Standards are verified at NIST, stability confirmed through reanalysis over many years, and compared...

Vapor Sampling in the Field

Ongoing
Breath sampling of cannabis users. Several versions of breath collection devices are being marketed for the detection of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in the breath of cannabis users. THC is not directly correlated to intoxication but may indicate recent smoking or vaping. THC and other...

Ventilation Performance for Novel Sustainability and Resilience Challenges

Ongoing
Objective: To develop tools, metrics, and data to enable sustainable, resilient, high-performance building and ventilation system design and operation in response to current and future challenges. Also, to develop a methodology to evaluate potential changes to ventilation and IAQ standards so their...

Vertebrate Endocrine Metrology in Non-Traditional Matrices

Paused
NIST collaborates with stakeholders to develop techniques for measuring hormone levels as part of animal health assessment. The process of capturing and transporting animals before sampling can induce stress, which may alter the hormone levels in the bloodstream. Therefore, the collection of blood...
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