Twisted material conducts and insulates heat at the same time

Managing heat is a major challenge in electronics and engineering, and it’s controlled using materials that either conduct or insulate heat. A new material blurs that line by blocking heat in one direction but conducting it in another.Continue ReadingC… Continue reading Twisted material conducts and insulates heat at the same time

Graphene foam “thermal switch” keeps batteries warm or cool on demand

Electronics, and batteries in particular, are vulnerable to very high or very low temperatures, but a new thermal switch could help deal with both. It’s made from (what else) graphene foam that can dynamically trap heat when it’s cold out, or allow hea… Continue reading Graphene foam “thermal switch” keeps batteries warm or cool on demand

Graphene foam “thermal switch” keeps batteries warm or cool on demand

Electronics, and batteries in particular, are vulnerable to very high or very low temperatures, but a new thermal switch could help deal with both. It’s made from (what else) graphene foam that can dynamically trap heat when it’s cold out, or allow hea… Continue reading Graphene foam “thermal switch” keeps batteries warm or cool on demand

Ultrasound guides supercharged immune cells to only attack cancer

CAR T cell therapy is a promising new potential treatment for cancer, but it can trigger dangerous side effects in healthy tissue. Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego have found a way to focus the treatment more precisely, by eng… Continue reading Ultrasound guides supercharged immune cells to only attack cancer

3D-printable phase-change materials insulate buildings better at scale

Heating and cooling systems are some of the biggest energy guzzlers in use, so passive temperature control could be a good way to reduce emissions. Phase-change materials (PCMs) show promise for this, and now engineers at Texas A&M have developed a new… Continue reading 3D-printable phase-change materials insulate buildings better at scale

Study suggests seabirds’ black wings allow them to fly longer

If you were a bird, chances are that you’d want to minimize the number of times you had to land and rest on the potentially treacherous ocean. A new study now suggests that multiple seabird species have thus evolved dark-colored wings, in order to stay… Continue reading Study suggests seabirds’ black wings allow them to fly longer

Extraordinary new material shows zero heat expansion from 4 to 1,400 K

Australian researchers have created what may be one of the most thermally stable materials ever discovered. This new zero thermal expansion (ZTE) material made of scandium, aluminum, tungsten and oxygen did not change in volume at temperatures ranging … Continue reading Extraordinary new material shows zero heat expansion from 4 to 1,400 K

Reversible fabric heats on one side, cools on the other

It can be frustrating, when the jacket that you initially put on to keep you warm starts making you too hot. Jackets made from an experimental new reversible fabric, however, could both heat and cool their wearer.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, Sc… Continue reading Reversible fabric heats on one side, cools on the other

Magnesium alloys claimed to lighten heat removal systems by one third

Both cars and electronic appliances require heat removal systems, which are typically made of iron, steel or aluminum. That may soon change, though, as scientists have created two magnesium alloys which they claim can reduce the weight of such systems … Continue reading Magnesium alloys claimed to lighten heat removal systems by one third

Dash of nanocarbon black makes conductive, heat-generating concrete

Concrete is pretty useful, which is why it’s the most widely used construction material in the world. But it could be argued that it doesn’t really do anything. Now, engineers have made concrete that can conduct electricity and produce heat, by mixing … Continue reading Dash of nanocarbon black makes conductive, heat-generating concrete