Our government leaders and physiologists may eventually answer why 19 terrorists would hijack four airplanes and kill so many innocent people as they identify and track down those behind these horrific attacks.

Understanding why the World Trade Center Towers collapsed following the impact and fires caused by the commercial airliners that hit them will be explained by forensic engineering and failure analysis that civil, mechanical and materials engineers will use in the investigation. Because you deal with materials issues in your career, some people may ask you for an explanation. A visit to a page on our website, at http://www.asm-hartford.org/wtc.htm, will help you understand how the twin towers collapsed.

The World Trade Center is just one of the strategic facilities, which the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey own and manage. While not as dramatic as attacks by terrorist, these structures are being undermined by the various radical elements that drive corrosion. If these facilities are not properly managed for corrosion attacks, these elements could produce catastrophic results that would shut down these facilities. Our October speaker spent 12 years on the front line doing battle against these attacks for the Port Authority as its principle corrosion engineer. You will find his stories of the strategies, of the battles and of the people in the war against corrosion fascinating.

If, as it is highly suspected, the attacks of September 11 were executed by al-Qaeda under the directions of Osama bin Laden, the lessening of our dependence on Arabian Oil becomes even more important. In 2000, Americans consumed 8.36 million barrels of gasoline a day. This is 43% of our daily consumption of petroleum. Our daily import of OPEC oil in 2000 was 5.136 million barrels (1.566 million barrels from Saudi Arabia). (Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/fueloverview.html)

Chris Vargas of International Fuel Cells (IFC) in South Windsor will be giving the technical presentation Materials Challenges for Affordable PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) Fuel Cells at our November 13, 2001 meeting. IFC is partnering with five major automobile manufacturers, including Hyundai and BMW, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy to develop fuel cell technology for cars. As PEM Fuel Cells run on hydrogen, converting our cars to fuel cell propulsion will lesson our need for oil. Chris will discuss the factors driving this conversion.

Our November Meeting will be our Past Chairman Night. We will honor those individuals who have served the Hartford Chapter in its top leadership role. Past Chairmen attend this night as guests of the chapter. Each will receive a small gift in token of our appreciation for their service.

Materials Week (April 15-19, 2002) will feature the theme Forensic Engineering. The joint Hartford/Southern CT committee has identified technical presentations, ASM chapters and other professional societies meetings, public presentations and awareness events and student outreach programs as desired proceedings during the week. UConn's Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering will coordinate its Advances in Materials symposium with this week.

While chapter members can participate in Materials Week in many ways, we need you now to submit candidate sites within Connecticut for ASM Historical Landmarks designation. Our goal is to present a plaque to a site meeting all the criteria at a public ceremony during Materials Week. 

Sites for consideration will be those that have played a prominent part in the discovery, development and growth of all engineered materials. For example, the USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the world's first nuclear powered submarine that is now a museum and anchored in Groton, CT is a possibility. Two sites in Connecticut presently have been designated Historical Landmarks by ASM: Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in 1976 and Waterbury Brass Company Mill. A form for submitting sites for consideration is available on the ASM Hartford website (http://www.asm-hartford.org/hlm_nom_form.htm). Sites must be nominated by December 15, 2001.

Next Meeting                                     November 13, 2001

Materials Challenges for Affordable PEM
(Proton Exchange Membrane) Fuel Cells

Chris Vargas
International Fuel Cells

Southern CT Meeting - October 18, 2001

The Many uses of Zinc

Build on our Strengths

Leverage our Diversity

Network to Succeed

 

The first stop information source for the materials industry in northern Connecticut.

Chairperson  Arnie Grot (860) 633-5849

Vice Chairperson Stu Weiss (860) 285-4232

Secretary  Amanda Sousa (860) 626-3312                   

Treasurer  Grant Gatzen (860) 667-4403

Public Relations   John Rugh (860) 741-9350

Yearbook   Joe Kubinski (860) 745-5977

Education Steve Crosby (860) 827-5014

Scholarship  Marc Froning (860) 623-9901 ext 154

Memberrship  Jack Piela (860) 872-9359

University Affairs John Morral (860) 486-2592

Student Affairs Nitin Padture (860) 486-4206

At large member 

Rebecca Gatzen (860) 667-4403

Outgoing Chair Harley Graime (860) 522-3123

Consider becoming a sustaining member.
For information request information or contact your Chapter Chairperson.

Bodycote Hooven Inc.

Bodycote Lindberg Corp.

Carvel Inc.

Engelhard Corporation

Flame Treating & Engineering Co.

Gillette Duracell

Grot Enterprises

Industronics Service Co.

Jacobs Vehicle Systems

J.M. Ney Co.

Lutz Associates

Mott Corporation

M&S Inc.

NERAC

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft/United Technologies

Specialty Steel Treating, Inc.

Stanadyne Automotive PEP-C

Stanley P. Rockwell Co.

The Torrington Co.

United Services Co.

University of Connecticut

Vitta Corp.

Chapters in New England

Southern CT 
http://www.asm-soct.org

Rhode Island Chapter
http://www.metallography.com/asmri.htm

Worcester Chapter
http://www.asm-ma.org

Boston Chapter
http://www.asmboston.org

Northern New England Chapter
http://www.asm-nne.org