HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Fast materials screening reveals MOFs with high hydrogen storage capacities
A databank of nearly 500,000 candidate materials was computationally screened for those having promising hydrogen storage capacities.
Transparent polymer is as strong as aluminum
A lightweight, transparent plastic material with the mechanical strength of aluminum could be an ideal replacement for traditional and polymeric glass in many applications.
Bridges may be vulnerable to this common road de-icer
The damage also is unlikely to be detected using standard visual inspections, the typical method of assessing bridge health.
Startup turning lobster shells into plastic alternative
The startup, called Shellworks, has developed a technique for extracting chitin, a bio-polymer, from lobster shells for the purpose of turning it into bioplastic material.
Video: Transparent wood designed for thermal energy storage in buildings
The transparent, heat-storing wood can bear heavy loads and is easily biodegraded at the end of its service life.
Magnet modification method eschews rare earths
The method identifies high-performance magnets with reduced rare earth content and rare earth-free magnets that exceed the performance of existing non-rare earth magnets.
Space missions could host bacterial factories for fiber fabrication
Spider silk and other proteins produced by engineered bacteria could be useful during space missions.
New polymers provide protection from fuel explosions and fires
The polymeric materials could dissipate the fuel misting-linked impact energy of accidents and other events.
Upcycling vs. downcycling vs. asset recovery: What are they and why are they important?
Recycling is a broad word for a complicated process.
Thermal fatigue led to gas plant fire and explosion, CSB says
More than 500 gas processing facilities operate across the U.S. and the use of heat exchangers like the one that failed is common.
Composite materials may boost hydropower turbine output
Turbine blades made of lightweight composites may be able to generate more energy than turbines with traditional stainless steel blades.
Watch how smart pajamas can benefit sleep patterns
Sleepwear inconspicuously integrates sensing elements and portable power sources to track heartbeat, breathing and other parameters as the user slumbers.
Medical sterilization of fluoropolymer films
When medical devices coated with these films have to be sterilized repeatedly, manufacturers have to evaluate the long-term performance of the film. This varies depending on the kind of fluoropolymer and the sterilization method used, and adds an additional point of complexity in the design and manufacturing equation.
April brings showers – and pothole repairs
What are science and engineering doing to alleviate the suffering that potholes inflict on motorists and highway departments?
Ultra-soft and extremely affordable thermal gap filler
When sandwiched between components of varying shapes and sizes and a nearby heat sink or spreader, this compliant 2.5 watts per meter-Kelvin (W/m° K) thermal interface material exhibits a thermal resistance as low as 0.42° C in2/W at 14 pounds per square inch (PSI).
Common breakfast beverage bolsters direct solar absorption
It's not just for breakfast: a coffee-containing colloid can pave the way for efficient direct absorption of solar energy.
New fluid dispensing guides for machine builders
These guides are designed to make it easier for custom automation providers to understand and select the right fluid dispensing systems for end-users.
Smart materials and integral sensors enabling intelligent transportation
Smart materials and integral sensors have the capacity to improve transportation infrastructure, make roadways safer and bring self-driving vehicles closer to reality.
Video: Scientists inch closer to creating the T-1000 Terminator with moveable liquid metal
The development could one day be used for soft robotics.
New technology developed to clean and purify water used in oil refinement
The process uses activated charcoal foam and subjects it to solar light to produce heat and purify the water.