BOZEMAN, Montana -­ Under a recently signed research agreement, NASA will test innovative new composite materials fabricated by MSE Technology Applications of Butte, Mont., for potential use in aircraft and space vehicles.

The MSU TechLink Center of Bozeman, Mont., working in conjunction with the NASA Glenn Research Center Commercial Technology Office, brokered the agreement with MSE, which is currently expanding its own aerospace division.

MSE is one of Montana¹s largest R&D companies and is already well known nationally for its research on energy-related and environmental technologies. During the past several years, it has been conducting cutting-edge, advanced materials research, including casting of metal-matrix composites and thermal spraying of metal alloys. The U.S. Department of Defense has funded much of this research.

The Butte company has recently developed unique capabilities in casting improved metal composites containing functionally graded silica particles. These composites are both exceptionally strong and unusually light-weight, making them ideal for aerospace applications. The same metal composites also have numerous military and civilian applications, such as improved armor plating and ³lifeftime² brake discs.

NASA¹s Glenn Research Center is a world leader in the development of powerful software modeling programs that predict how structural materials will behave under real-world conditions, such as those that occur during air and space flight. MSE will supply test specimens of its new functionally graded metal composites and NASA will utilize its modeling program to test them under a variety of conditions. The results are expected to provide substantial benefits to both organizations.

MSE will use the results of these tests to evaluate and improve the performance of its structural materials for different commercial and military applications. NASA will gain access to samples of unique materials that have high potential for aerospace use. The results of these tests will provide the Glenn Research Center with new data that will improve the performance of its modeling software and, in addition, help NASA to design improved aerospace vehicles.

The MSU TechLink Center is funded by NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) to link companies in Montana and the surrounding region with federal laboratories for joint research and technology transfer. One of TechLink¹s primary objectives is to contribute to the success of technology-based companies, such as MSE, in the state and region.

Contacts:
Will Swearingen
MSU TechLink
(406) 994-7704
wds@montana.edu

Ron Glovan
MSE Technology Applications
(406) 494-7416

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