Blau was presented with the award in recognition of his outstanding leadership as the task group chairman in the development of the reciprocating wear test. His method can evaluate the wear behavior of ceramics, metals and other materials of interest.
The award is given for outstanding and effective work in developing a new ASTM standard, as exemplified by Brautigam's work on developing new ASTM standards. Blau is the third recipient of the award, which is given every two years and is the committee's only permanent award. ASTM is a voluntary standards producing organization with 132 technical committees and 36,000 members.
Blau joined ORNL's Metals and Ceramics Division in 1987, serving as task leader for tribology. He has managed not only friction and wear research at ORNL, but has served as project leader for a national program in machining of ceramics. He currently is on a one-year off-site assignment at Ford Motor Company's Scientific Research Laboratory in Dearborn, Mich.
Blau received bachelor's and master's degrees in metallurgy and materials science from Lehigh University. He holds a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from Ohio State University.
He is a fellow of the American Society for Metals International (ASMI) and is an officer in ASTM Committee G-2 on Wear and Erosion. Blau served as an officer on active duty at the U.S. Air Force Materials Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio.
When not on assignment, he lives in Oak Ridge with his wife, Evelyn.
ORNL, one of DOE's multiprogram national research and development facilities, is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation.