catalysis and chemical reaction kinetics, plasma research, chemical and 

 physical processes, biological processes, physical environment and 

 ecology, and social science research. 



Materials Research — The inability to predict accurately the behavior 

 of materials in extreme environments, and to design suitable 

 materials, is one of the greatest technical obstacles to development and 

 iitiprovement of energy systems. There are various recognized gaps in 

 fundamental understanding in these areas. One of these, for example, 

 is reflected by the largely empirical approach which must be taken now 

 in the search for superconducting materials with higher critical 

 temperatures or easier formability. The steady advances made in solid 

 state theory and in scientific instrumentation provide a firm basis for 

 efforts to narrow these gaps and obtain new materials with properties 

 required for energy-related functions. Some examples of areas of 

 needed materials research are: (1) strength of materials, including 

 embrittlement by hydrogen and radiation; (2) high temperature 

 environments, including the impact of thermal shock, behavior of 

 surface interactions, and microstructural changes; (3) radiation 

 effects; (4) electrical conductivity, including superconductivity and 

 conduction at high temperatures; and (5) refractory alloys, including 

 their ductility, fabricability, and plastic and elastic properties. 



Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Kinetics — Advances in these areas are 

 critical to several approaches for producing energy, in terms of fuel 

 production as well as the sequent processing of effluents. The use of 

 catalysts can raise chemical reaction rates by as much as a factor of 10^, 

 and may often reduce or eliminate undesirable waste by-products in 

 the process. Their use is expected to be significant in the processing of 

 coal, oil and shale, and gaseous fuel production. Although catalysts 

 have been used extensively, basic understanding is deficient in regard 

 to how catalysts interact with reacting systems; this knowledge is 

 needed to deal with the desulfurization problems of coal and heavy 

 petroleum tars and crudes. Further knowledge of chemical reaction 

 kinetics of noncatalytic systems is important in conserving existing 

 fuels and in obtaining efficient uses of new ones. Some examples of 

 important areas of study are: (1) structures of surfaces and absorbed 

 molecules; (2) structure and immobilization of enzymes and soluble 

 homogeneous catalyst molecules; and (3) mechanisms of 

 homogeneous reactions including reactive intermediates. 



Plasma Research — The behavior of plasma is not satisfactorily 

 described by the methods used for studying solids, liquids, and gases. 

 Considerable research, theoretical and experimental, must precede 

 the development of plasma systems for generating and transforming 

 energy — systems such as fusion reactors, magnetohydrodynamic 

 converters, thermionic cells, high temperature chemical processing, 

 and gas lasers. The needed knowledge centers around how to keep the 

 plasma where it is wanted, how to keep it clean, and how to keep it hot. 



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