Engineering Commons^™

This paper examines how the concept of public values can be operationalized in an ongoing public initiative to stimulate innovation in an emerging technology. Our study focuses on Innovation Corps (I-Corps)—a program initiated in 2011 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to accelerate the process of commercializing science-driven discoveries. The I-Corps method has since spread rapidly across multiple US agencies. Separately, there has also been heightened attention to the early anticipation and mitigation of the implications of emerging science and technology. Drawing on the case of nanotechnology, the paper considers how public values related to nanotechnology commercialization can be integrated …

Corrosion-induced damage in ZK60A magnesium alloy is analyzed via chemo-mechanical tests. A certain “diffusion” corrosion layer (DCL) is identified, where partial corrosion takes place. This layer is different from the corrosion product layer (CPL). Nanoindentation analysis shows that corrosion modifies mechanical properties in the DCL, which extends up to 8–9 micrometers into the bulk, away from the CPL. Measurements over the DCL indicate a lower elastic modulus and lower fracture toughness compared with the bulk, as well as higher variance (heterogeneity). Elemental analysis confirms the layer is composed of partially oxidized magnesium and diffused chloride ions. Gradual changes in mechanical …

Risk research for nanomaterials is currently prioritized by means of expert workshops and other deliberative processes. However, analytical techniques that quantify and compare alternative research investments are increasingly recommended. Here, we apply value of information and portfolio decision analysis—methods commonly applied in financial and operations management—to prioritize risk research for multiwalled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticulate silver and titanium dioxide. We modify the widely accepted CB Nanotool hazard evaluation framework, which combines nano- and bulk-material properties into a hazard score, to operate probabilistically with uncertain inputs. Literature is reviewed to develop uncertain estimates for each input parameter, and a Monte Carlo …