NIST NANOTHERMITE CONNECTIONS FROM ARTICLE...........
Here are the top 10 reasons why nanothermite, should have come to mind quickly for the NIST WTC investigators.
Connection 1
NIST was working with LLNL to test and characterize these sol-gel nanothermites, at least as early as 1999.
Connection 2
Forman Williams, the lead engineer on NISTâs advisory committee, and the most prominent engineering expert for Popular Mechanics, is an expert on the deflagration of energetic materials and the âignition of porous energetic materialsâ. Nanothermites are porous energetic materials. Additionally, Williamsâ research partner, Stephen Margolis, has presented at conferences where nano-energetics are the focus. Some of Williamsâ other colleagues at the University of California San Diego, like David J. Benson, are also experts on nanothermite materials.
Connection 3
Science Applications International (SAIC) is the DOD and Homeland Security contractor that supplied the largest contingent of non-governmental investigators to the NIST WTC investigation. SAIC has extensive links to nano-thermites, developing and judging nanothermite research proposals for the military and other military contractors, and developing and formulating nanothermites directly. SAICâs subsidiary Applied Ordnance Technology has done research on the ignition of nanothermites with lasers.
In an interesting coincidence, SAIC was the firm that investigated the 1993 WTC bombing, boasting that â âAfter the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, our blast analyses produced tangible results that helped identify those responsible (SAIC 2004).â And the coincidences with this company donât stop there, as SAIC was responsible for evaluating the WTC for terrorism risks in 1986 as well. SAIC is also linked to the late 1990s security upgrades at the WTC, the Rudy Giuliani administration, and the anthrax incidents after 9/11, through former employees Jerome Hauer and Steven Hatfill.
Connection 4
Arden Bement, the metallurgist and expert on fuels and materials who was nominated as director of NIST by President George W. Bush in October 2001, was former deputy secretary of defense, former director of DARPAâs office of materials science, and former executive at TRW.
Of course, DOD and DARPA are both leaders in the production and use of nanothermites. And military and aerospace contractor TRW has had a long collaboration with NASA laboratories in the development of energetic materials that are components of advanced propellants, like nano-gelled explosive materials (NASA 2001). TRW Aeronautics also made fireproof composites and high performance elastomer formulations, and worked with NASA to make energetic aerogels.
Additionally, Bement was a professor at Purdue and MIT. Purdue has a thriving program for nanothermite. And interestingly, at MITâs Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, we find Martin Z. Bazant, son of notable âconspiracy debunkerâ Zdenek P. Bazant, who does research on granular flows, and the electrochemical interactions of silicon. Zdenek P. Bazant is interested in nanocomposites as well, and how they relate to naval warfare. MIT was represented at nano-energetics conferences as early as 1998.
Bement was also a director at both Battelle and the Lord Corporation. Battelle (where the anthrax was made) is an organization of âexperts in fundamental technologies from the five National Laboratories we manage or co-manage for the US DOE.â Battelle advertises their specialization in nanocomposite coatings. The Lord Corporation also makes high-tech coatings for military applications. In 1999, Lord Corp was working with the Army and NASA on âadvanced polymer composites, advanced metals, and multifunctional materialsâ.
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