Collaborate Disseminate
While most metals feature some degree of elasticity, some respond better than others to being bent out of shape. Scientists experimenting with the makeup of these materials have developed a novel, copper-based alloy they say would be simple to produce … Continue reading Novel alloy boasts unparalleled elasticity at room temperature
Scientists working with an experimental class of materials have made a breakthrough that could shape a new generation of electronic devices. The researchers’ creation is likened to a conductive “Play-Doh” that can be easily shaped, combining two charac… Continue reading Novel rule-breaking material behaves like “conductive Play-Doh”
In what they hail as a “new frontier in materials,” engineers at Northeastern University have developed a new type of ceramic that can be fashioned into thin and complex shapes, opening up expansive new applications in electronics. Described as thermof… Continue reading New class of ceramics can be thermoformed into shape like sheet metal
Keeping airplane wings ice-free is critical to flight safety, but it’s not the easiest of problems to solve. De-icing solutions with heavy chemicals that are sprayed onto aircraft ahead of take-off can keep the wing surfaces clean and functional, but t… Continue reading High-strength coating controls crack formation to keep surfaces ice-free
With new manufacturing techniques comes the opportunity for brand new metal alloys with a huge range of possible properties. A team of researchers has now developed a new 3D-printable alloy with a specific nanostructure that makes it ultra strong and d… Continue reading 3D-printable 5-metal alloy proves ultra-strong but ductile
Engineers at the University of Vienna have developed a new composite material that makes an efficient filter for removing organic pollutants from water. The system uses super-porous “nano-sponges” embedded on a sheet of graphene.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading Nano-sponges on graphene make efficient filters of industrial wastewater
Plastics are tough and versatile materials, which is great when they’re in use but not so good when they end up in the environment. Scientists at EPFL have now developed a new PET-like plastic material derived from waste plant matter that can be chemic… Continue reading Plant-based plastic strong as PET, degrades into sugars in the environment
Water scarcity is a major problem for much of the world’s population, but with the right equipment drinking water can be wrung out of thin air. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have now demonstrated a low-cost gel film that can pull man… Continue reading Cheap gel film pulls buckets of drinking water per day from thin air
A huge chunk of energy usage goes towards heating and cooling homes and buildings, so it’s important to find new ways to regulate temperature passively. Engineers in China and Germany have developed a new wood-based foam that can drastically cool build… Continue reading Wood-based foam passively cools buildings to cut energy bills
Inspired by seashells, scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have engineered a versatile new material that’s incredibly inexpensive, strong, lightweight, and heat resistant. The material could find use in shielding for spacecraft or fusion facilit… Continue reading Seashell-inspired material makes for strong, light spacecraft shielding