HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Thinking Thin for Semiconductors
A new technique for making integrated circuits on thin layers has implications for electronics performance advantages and reduced cost.
Surgical Tool Dissolves Inside the Body
An elastomer-based retractor is left behind in the abdominal cavity and dissolves within three hours of surgery.
Oil Spills Impact on "Food Webs"
While it is commonly understood that oil spills negatively impact species and habitats, recent research has been delving into how far reaching that impact truly is.
A Chemical Solution to Defrosting Winter Windshields
In search of a faster way to defrost his car windshield on a cold winter morning, Jonathan Boreyko, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, created a simple recipe for speeding up the process by 10 times.
How to Make a Nanoparticle
A new explanation of the formation of metal nanoparticles sheds some light on an obscure process.
Antibacterial Drops: Quantum Dots in Your Eye
The materials disrupt bacterial cells without damaging lab animal cells, indicating their potential as antibacterial agents.
A Bus Powered by Formic Acid
Formic acid is converted into electricity to propel an electric bus.
A Holistic Approach to Coating Services
While many companies offer coating services, they do not achieve the tolerances, precision, uniformity and consistency available from MIRWEC. The answer lies in MIRWEC’s holistic approach to coating.
Saudi Aramco Insists Oil and Gas Will Be Key To Future Energy Mixes
Despite a worldwide interest in renewable energy, Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser believes that oil and gas will continue to figure heavily in the world’s supply of energy.
Coal-Fired Plants Largest Contributors of Pollution in Europe
Researchers found that 14 plants in Britain alone were responsible for the largest releases of air and water pollution followed by Germany (with seven plants) and France and Poland (with five plants each).
Concrete: Both a Cause of and a Solution for Air Pollution?
Linked to roughly seven million premature deaths around the world, poor air quality is caused by a number of factors, with sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants being one of the most common causes of air pollution. Another large sulfur dioxide emission producer, oddly enough: cement kilns.
Composite Material Catches Spilled Oil
A novel oil sorbent was devised by impregnating cellulose pulp with a sugar-derived oleogelator.
Alternative Finishes for Waterproof Jackets
A common wardrobe staple, waterproof jackets usually contain fluorochemicals to repel rain from fabric. However, the researchers believe that the fluorochemicals may be unnecessarily exposing the wearer to chemicals that have been linked to health problems and that pose an environmental threat.
Repurposing Shells
Researchers from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences are investigating different uses for the 7 million tonnes of mollusk shell waste discarded by the seafood industry each year.
Photocatalytic Material Effectively Removes Dye Pollutants
The composite breaks dye down into smaller, harmless molecules using solar energy to promote photocatalytic degradation.
Video: Polymer Takes a Walk
Researchers have developed a new polymer material that propels itself forward when illuminated.
Researchers Developing Concrete Wood for Construction
Combining wood and concrete in the construction of buildings is nothing new. What is new, according to Swiss researchers, is the approach to combining wood and concrete to create a load-bearing concrete consisting of mostly wood.
Biocompatible Agents for Soft Tissue Adhesion
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles enhance the level of adhesion of synthetic hydrogels.
Advanced Elastomers Solve Old Sealing Problems, Prevent New Ones
While elastomers used for O-rings, seals and gaskets don’t seem like a major point of design concern, selection of their material is critical to reliable semiconductor processing due to issues of plasma-induced erosion, UV/ozone exposure and electrostatic discharge.
Male Fish Demonstrating Female Characteristics Thanks to Houshold Cleaners, Birth Control Pills
Professor Charles Tyler and colleagues from the University of Exeter in Britain have observed male fish laying eggs and, in some cases, found male fish becoming transgender. Tyler and his colleagues believe that the chemicals being flushed down toilets (many of them found in our urine) are causing the problem, particularly birth control pills.