HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Liquid-Metal Particles for Heat-Free Soldering
Thuo’s research team thought that if tiny droplets of liquid metal could be covered with a thin, uniform coating, they could form stable particles of undercooled liquid metal.
Cactus-Inspired Skin Improves Fuel Cell Efficiency
The membrane features a water repellent skin that can improve the efficiency of fuel cells by a factor of four in hot conditions.
Wastewater Grease Traps May Damage Sewer Pipelines
Microorganisms within these grease traps could produce long-chain fatty acids that can form hardened FOG deposits in downstream sewer pipes.
Toyota to Use Biosynthetic Rubber in Engine, Drive System Hoses
According to Toyota, biohydrin rubber is similar to conventional petroleum-based hydrin rubber in terms of quality and mass producibility, enabling large-scale use in commercial vehicles.
Higher-Efficiency Perovskite-Silicon Solar Cell Developed
With their outstanding photovoltaic properties, perovskite solar cells have become the focus of vigorous research for their potential to provide sustainable power generation.
Preventing Silt Build-Up Behind Dams
The EPFL team developed a system using submerged water jets to create turbulence that keeps tiny sediment particles in suspension so they can be carried away through the dam’s water turbines.
High-Strength Steel Connectors Used to Absorb Seismic Shocks
Most steel frame construction welds together support beams cut from large plates. However, the resulting buildings are relatively rigid and vulnerable to damage and collapse in earthquakes.
Uranium in Groundwater Successfully Trapped and Neutralized
In experiments on water containing uranium, specific amounts of phosphate were added, forming calcium phosphate, which chemically neutralized and structurally incorporated the uranium.
Shell Unveils Ultra-Energy-Efficient City Car Concept
Built around Gordon Murray Design’s iStream platform, the Shell Concept Car incorporates lightweight materials—the car weighs just 550kg—with a low CO2 footprint and embodied energy.
Nanowire-Based Battery Can Be Recharged Over 200,000 Times
UCI doctoral candidate Mya Le Thai cycled the testing electrode up to 200,000 times over three months without detecting any loss of capacity or power and without fracturing any nanowires.
3D-Printed Clothes: Custom Garments, No Waste
This technology not only has the potential to reduce waste, labor costs and CO2 equivalent, but can modernize clothing production by encouraging localized manufacturing and production.
First Transistors Made Entirely of Nanocrystal "Inks" Developed
This is the first work showing that the metallic, insulating and semiconducting layers of the transistors, as well as the doping of the semiconductor, can be made from nanocrystals.
"White Graphene" Helps Rechargeable Batteries Withstand Extreme Heat
Oil and gas companies, in particular, require robust batteries to power sensors on drill bits that experience extreme temperatures in downhole environments.
Oxygen Could Be Key to Containing Coal Ash Contamination
In the wake of a 2014 coal ash spill, the question of what to do with other aging coal ash retention ponds has been hotly debated.
"Smart" Clothes One Step Closer to Reality
The “e-textiles” were created in part on a tabletop sewing machine. Thread was substituted with fine metal wires that feel the same as traditional thread.
Submersible ROV Could Remove Sludge from Cooling Ponds
Drawing on technologies used in the oil and gas sector, the 2m-long tracked "Stobot" can excavate sludge using both a backhoe and a front-mounted scoop.
Pill Attaches to Gastrointestinal Tract for Slow Release
Extended-release pills could be used to reduce the dosage frequency of some drugs.
New Mercedes-Benz Sports Fiber Sunroof Frame
FiberFrame comprises 70% renewable raw material content and provides up to 50% in weight savings compared to a conventional metal frame.
Camera Could Wrap Around Objects for New Point of View
A flexible lens array that adapts its optical properties when the sheet camera is bent enables the camera to produce high-quality images over a wide range of sheet deformations.
Printing Electronics with a Pen
Scientists in Germany have combined organic and inorganic electronic materials to develop a hybrid ink that allows them to write electronics on paper.