DOE Announces CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize Winners

In celebration of National Nanotechnology Day, the US Department of Energy announced Stage 1 winners of the Conductivity-enhanced materials for Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric and thermal applications (CABLE) Conductor Manufacturing Prize. Ten teams selected in Stage 1 of this $4.5M, three-stage competition will work to develop affordable, manufacturable materials that conduct electricity more efficiently and upgrade our manufacturing and transportation infrastructures.

The 10 winning teams for Stage 1 submitted breakthrough concepts for more conductive and affordable materials for both electrical and thermal (heat-based) energy applications. Each winning team has earned a $25,000 cash prize and a stipend for third-party conductivity testing in Stage 2.

Stage 1 winners from DOE EPSCoR jurisdictions include:

• Based in Butte, MONTANA, the 59701 Nano Innovations team is designing a Highly Conductive CNT-Composite-Cable made from CNTs that are manufactured from carbon dioxide and small amounts of metal, such as copper from the local mine.