Materials in the News

Solar-powered night-vision material

judithm — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:28:24 +0000

Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a material that releases long-lasting night-vision light after very short exposure to the sun. They indicate potential applications for the military, diagnostic medicine and future solar energy cells. For more information: Long-lasting all-weather night-vision material unveiled

Researchers claim world’s lightest material

judithm — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:16:12 +0000

Researchers in California claim they have created the world’s ‘lightest material’. The lattice of metallic tubes is very strong and lightweight due to its low density and structure. For more information: World\’s \’lightest material\’ unveiled by US engineers

Boeing Dreamliner makes first commercial flight

judithm — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:29:56 +0000

An All Nippon Airlines (ANA) Boeing 787 made the first commercial flight for the new plane from Boeing, Wednesday. The aircraft uses carbon fibre rather than aluminum along with new engines and aerodynamics to make it significantly more fuel efficient than previous models of a similar size in use today. More information: Boeing\’s Dreamliner completes first commercial flight

“Technology metals” on risk list

judithm — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:07:23 +0000

The British Geological Survey has detailed supply risks to some 52 of the world’s rarest elements in a new list, reports BBC News. The list includes rare earth metals used in digital devices and green technologies. BBC News on rarest metals list

Materials central to bendable, stretchable circuits

judithm — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:42:29 +0000

Imagine the possibilities of flexible electronic circuits that can bend and stretch – some researchers already have and are working on ways to make them a reality. Such circuits could change the devices we use everyday beyond recognition and offer dramatic new possibilities in medical applications in particular. The challenge is a materials one. Single-crystal silicon, [...]

Carbon fibre gaining traction in car industry

judithm — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:35:54 +0000

Rising oil prices and environmental concerns are getting car manufacturers focused on efficiency, whether for traditional gasoline or new lines of electric cars. The recent Canadian International AutoShow showcased some of the many approaches to the challenge of using less fuel including improving aerodynamics, the use of lighter weight materials, the potential of ultracapacitors and [...]

Gorilla glass in your iPhone

APSC Communications — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:12:23 +0000

Never heard of Gorilla glass? Estimated to be in approximately 20% of the world’s handsets, including the Apple iPhone, you may be looking at it right now. Thin, strong and scratch-resistant, this material, made by New York glass and ceramics manufacturer, Corning, is well-suited to today’s touch-screen devices. Development continues on this [...]

Glass gets tough

APSC Communications — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:38:12 +0000

Metallic glass has been around for a while – it was first discovered about 50 years ago. But though strong like glass, it has never been tough – like some metals are – until now. Glass resists deformation but without toughness it can still crack and break easily. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and [...]

Cerium oxide at heart of solar-energy reactor

APSC Communications — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:08:32 +0000

Researchers in Switzerland and the USA have reported a breakthrough in the novel application of cerium oxide in solar energy driven reactors which split water to generate hydrogen. A prototype device developed by the team uses heat from the sun, concentrated into a cavity lined by cerium oxide which removes oxygen from the water or carbon [...]

Invisibility cloak not just fantasy?

APSC Communications — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:38:46 +0000

Could Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak become a reality? The answer may lie with metamaterials. A valuable property of these materials is the ability to manipulate light to make an object invisible. The challenge is making a metamaterial that is both flexible and that affects the shorter light waves that we see. [...]