Collaborate Disseminate
A new industrial-scale ‘sand battery’ has been announced for Finland, which packs 1 MW of power and a capacity of up to 100 MWh of thermal energy for use during those cold polar winters. The new battery will be about 10 times bigger than a pilot plant … Continue reading Giant ‘sand battery’ holds a week’s heat for a whole town
Sandblasters are great for removing paint and rust from surfaces but they’re generally not considered home-use tools, since they must be used with an air compressor. The BLSTRsander is different, however, in that it’s self-contained and compressor-free… Continue reading Compressor-free BLSTRsander is a sandblaster for everyday use
When you think of resources we’re running out of, sand might not be high on your list, but it’s up there thanks to our high demand for concrete. Scientists at Rice University have now shown that substituting graphene can not only save sand, but makes c… Continue reading Graphene replaces sand to make lighter, stronger concrete
The James Webb Space Telescope has made the first direct analysis of clouds on a nearby alien world. These aren’t just made of water vapor but also sand, which would move around the planet much like Earth’s water cycle.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, … Continue reading Sand forms clouds and rain on nearby alien planet, says Webb
When it comes to high-end, high-performance bicycles, most people look to materials like carbon fiber and titanium. Thanks to a technique utilized in the building of the Hypocrite gravel bike, however, aluminum can also fit the bill quite nicely.Contin… Continue reading Hypocrite gravel bike features a sand-casted pressure-formed aluminum frame
When baby sea turtles hatch from their buried eggs, they use their powerful flippers to make their way up through the sand. A new “sand-swimming” robot, inspired by those hatchlings, could one day save lives or even explore other planets.Continue Readi… Continue reading Sand-swimming robot inspired by freshly hatched baby sea turtles
There are few things as fun as throwing rooster tails and sliding turns in the sand. In Southern California not far from the Arizona and Mexico borders lies the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, near Glamis. Miles of sand dunes that are open to the … Continue reading Camp RZR serves up unmatched fun in SoCal’s sand dunes
Concrete is a very popular building material, enough so that one of its key ingredients – sand – is in increasingly short supply. Scientists are thus now exploring the possibility of replacing that sand with glass waste that would otherwise end up in l… Continue reading Discarded glass used to replace sand in 3D-printable concrete
Farmers will often place sheets of plastic on the ground along their crop rows, in order to help hold moisture in the soil. According to a new study, however, the use of wax-coated sand may be a cheaper and greener way to go.Continue ReadingCategory: S… Continue reading Could wax-coated sand replace plastic mulch in farmers’ fields?
Research activity into 3D printing never seems to end, with an almost constant stream of new techniques and improvements upon old ones hitting the news practically daily. This time, the …read more Continue reading Polymer Discovery Gives 3D-printed Sand Super Strength