Corning Research Team Awarded National Medal of Technology for the Invention of the Cellular Ceramic Substrate
In February, 2005, President George W. Bush announced the winners of the 2003 National Medal of Technology, including the team of Corning Incorporated scientists that invented the cellular ceramic substrate: Drs. Rodney D. Bagley, Irwin M. Lachman and Ronald M. Lewis. The National Medal of Technology is the highest honor bestowed by the President of the United States on America’s leading innovators.
While working at Corning in the 1970’s, the research team developed a totally new, economical, high-performance cellular ceramic substrate that has set the standard for vehicular catalytic converter efficiency worldwide.
Since 1975, catalytic converter-equipped vehicles have helped cut air pollution by more than 3 billion tons worldwide, according to the Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA). Virtually every automotive company in the world today relies on the basis of the Corning team’s cellular ceramic technology to control exhaust emissions.
Corning’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James R. Houghton remarked that, “Researchers Bagley, Lachman and Lewis’ accomplishment exemplifies what Corning does best. More than 30 years ago, our automotive contacts urged us to direct our research efforts toward discovering a ‘miracle material’ that could withstand the extreme temperatures and caustic environment of a catalytic converter. The reality was that they were asking for a technology that didn’t exist at that time. With our deep understanding of materials and manufacturing processes, we seized the opportunity and eventually developed the ideal substrate material that went on to become the key enabler of today’s advanced emission control systems. In fact, 2005 marks the 30th anniversary of the commercialization of that technology.”
In 1978, Corning developed a cellular ceramic particulate filter to remove soot from diesel emissions. Corning continues to be a leading supplier of advanced catalytic converter substrates and particulate filters to the world’s major manufacturers of gasoline and diesel engines and vehicles.
This award marks the fourth time Corning has been affiliated with the National Medal of Technology since the medal’s inception in 1985.
|Dr. Rodney D. Bagley
||Dr. Irwin Lachman
||Ronald M. Lewis