R&D Magazine has named Lockheed Martin and Sandia National Laboratories' research on multifunctional optical coatings as one of the 100 greatest technologies introduced this year. The technology was developed as part of the Shared Vision cooperative program that fosters collaboration among top scientists and funds research in key technologies for both organizations.

"We are proud of the Lockheed Martin-Sandia research team that developed this award-winning new chemical process. The method enables the improved design and fabrication of the affordable nanocomposite coatings that we developed in earlier research," said Dr. John D. Evans, Lockheed Martin vice president, business innovation. "The process improves the material's performance and allows the coatings to be more easily tailored to specific applications."

An independent judging panel and editors of the magazine choose the annual R&D 100 Awards, which are widely recognized as the "Oscars of Innovation." Winners span high technology research and development in industry, academia, and government-sponsored research.

"This award provides exciting affirmation of Lockheed Martin's commitment to collaborative, world-class research," said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Lockheed Martin senior vice president and chief technology officer. "Lockheed Martin and Sandia National Laboratories' joint research is driving innovation and creating important new solutions for our customers."

Led by Dr. Earl Stromberg from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Dr. Hongyou Fan at Sandia National Labs, the team developed a new chemical process that radically improves the design and manufacture of multifunctional optical coatings by rapid self-assembly. The research has led to significantly improved anti-reflective performance of multifunctional optical coatings and has boosted the ability to tailor the coatings to specific applications.

The innovative research has led to important improvements in the development and manufacture of multifunctional optical coatings, including significant cost savings, a revolutionized repair system that allows repairs to be done in the field rather than in the factory, and enhanced scalability from small- to large-scale coating processes.

"This is boundary-pushing research that revolutionizes the development and manufacture of multifunctional optical coatings," said Dr. Stromberg. "We'll be reaping the benefits of these advances from both a technology and a business perspective long into the future."

The Lockheed Martin-Sandia team first won an R&D 100 Award in 2008 for its initial research on self-assembled nano coatings. The company will be honored at a black-tie awards banquet on November 11 in Orlando, Fla. The team continues to explore other possible beneficial outcomes from the research.

Sandia National Laboratories is a government owned, contractor operated facility that is managed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia National Laboratories is based in Albuquerque, NM and develops science-based technologies to solve national and global threats to peace and freedom.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin