Dr. Daniel Sordelet,FASM, earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science from Iowa State University (ISU). During the first ~20 years of his career he worked as a Senior Scientist and Group Leader at the Ames National Laboratory on the campus of Iowa State University. During this time, he also served on the faculty in ISU’s Materials Science & Engineering Department. Dan formed the Ames Lab Plasma Spray Facility around 1990 with the emphasis of developing refractory coatings to contain molten reactive alloys during high-pressure gas atomization in the Powder Synthesis Facility located next door; many instances of making powder in the morning and spraying coatings that same afternoon occurred using these inhouse tandem capabilities! In later years, Dan added HVOF capabilities to broaden his group’s research topics into wear-resistant and corrosion-protective layers. During his tenure at Ames National Laboratory and ISU, Dan published over 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals, was the recipient two R&D 100 awards, and received over 20 US and international patents, several of which were licensed by companies including Praxair Surface Technologies and Rolls Royce North America.

In 2009 Dan joined Caterpillar Inc. in the Advanced Materials Technology team at the Caterpillar Technical Center near Peoria, IL. His early work focused on developing new materials and processes to support the CAT Reman business using thermal spray and laser cladding technologies that provided dimensional restoration and improved functional performance. Over the last ten years he expanded applications of thermal spraying and laser cladding throughout the Caterpillar global organization and network of dealers. In his current role as an Engineering Fellow, Dan has responsibility for the development and implementation of surface engineering technologies across the Caterpillar enterprise. He has successfully expanded the capabilities within the Advanced Materials Technology’s Surface Engineering Laboratory to include new forms of thermal spraying and laser cladding which, collectively, have enlarged the portfolio of components that may now be remanufactured and replaced longstanding production processes to deliver cost savings and performance improvements for new and aftermarket components. During his 15 years with Caterpillar, Dan has been granted 10 US patents involving new thermal spray feedstock materials and advanced processing methods. He was named an ASM Fellow in 2017.

Sordelet was recognized for “For sustained, innovative development of surface engineering materials and processes and successfully transferring them from laboratory-scale ideas to full production industrial practices.”