Materials

Materials properties

Stories

117
1521
0
570
30
Briefs: Materials
To comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, pure tin is replacing lead-tin alloys in commercial electronic devices. Unfortunately, tin can grow whiskers...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA's Langley Research Center has developed a method for producing multifunctional, structural, thermally stable...
Feature Image
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The huge demand for switching components exceeding silicon's (Si) current density limitation of 200 A/cm2 has pushed the enhancement of alternative semiconductor materials such as...
Feature Image
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Carbon fiber (CF) and carbon fiber composites have gained widespread use in recent years due to their unique combination of high strength and stiffness-to-weight...
Feature Image
Application Briefs: Motion Control
In the metal stamping business, precision, repeatability, and uptime are key. But stamping accuracy suffers when improper tension on the coil feeders incorrectly supplies metal to the...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed and produced ultra-lightweight polymer cross-linked aerogels (X-Aerogels). These mechanically robust, highly porous, low-density...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
Nanotubular Toughening Inclusions
NASA's Langley Research Center has developed an extensive technology portfolio on novel methods for effective dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polymers. The technology portfolio extends from making stable dispersions of CNTs in polymer resins to processes for making composite CNT/polymer films and articles....
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
NASA's Langley Research Center has developed a Floating Ultrasonic System for improved nondestructive testing. Most ultrasonic scanners require an...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a novel shape memory polymer (SMP) made from composite materials for use in morphing structures. In response to an external stimulus such as...
Feature Image
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
This innovation builds off of NASA Langley Research Center’s SansEC sensing system. SansEC is an open-circuit, resonant sensor that needs no electrical connections (thus the name SansEC or...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA's Glenn Research Center has developed high-temperature solid lubricant materials suitable for foil gas bearings that enable the...
Feature Image
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
NASA Langley Research Center has developed a wireless, connection-free, open-circuit technology that can be used for developing electrical devices such as...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA's Langley Research Center has created a new class of materials based on depositing nanometer-sized metal particles onto carbon allotropes. The method is scalable and relatively...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
In Situ Mechanical Property Measurements of Amorphous Carbon-Boron Nitride Nanotube Nanostructures
Utilizing the full mechanical capabilities of individual nanotubes is a primary research goal in nanotube reinforced nanocomposite materials. Practical use of these nanomaterials requires creating stable and strong linkages between nanotubes without...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) imaging techniques are already a popular solution for imaging through dust and fog. While mm-wave offers excellent penetration to dust when compared with infrared or optical sensing,...
Feature Image
Articles: Imaging
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is quite literally one of the most innovative technologies revolutionizing manufacturing today, in terms of both industry “buzz”...
Feature Image
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Fluid-pumped radiators are used to reject heat from structures to space. A fluid travels inside the structure to collect heat, and then travels...
Feature Image
Articles: Electronics & Computers
Low-Cost Printable Electronics Fabrication The need for low-cost and environmentally friendly processes for fabricating printable electronics and biosensor chips is rapidly growing. NASA has...
Feature Image
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Wireless Sensing System Using Open-Circuit, Electrically Conductive Spiral-TraceSensor
NASA Langley Research Center researchers have developed a wireless, low-profile sensor that uses a magnetic field response measurement acquisition system to provide power to the sensor and to acquire physical property measurements from it. Unique to...
Briefs: Materials
Enhanced Composite Damping Through Engineered Interfaces
Material damping is important in the design of structures as it limits vibration amplitudes, increases fatigue life, and affects impact resistance. This is particularly true for composite materials, which are currently used extensively in applications that experience frequent dynamic loading....
Briefs: Materials
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) seeks to license its Polyimide Wire Insulation Repair System technology to industry. The Polyimide Wire Insulation Repair System is a kit consisting of thin film...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed a method for fabricating low-density, flexible aerogel composites for use as thermal insulation for myriad...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has developed a new method for producing a shock- and corrosion-proof, superelastic, intermetallic material, NiTiNOL 60 (60NiTi), for...
Feature Image
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Minimally Intrusive Thin-Film Electrical Insulation on Conductive Surfaces
The use of thin-film sensors has several advantages over wire or foil sensors. For example, thin-film sensors do not require special machining of the components on which they are mounted, and, with thicknesses less than 10 μm, they are considerably thinner than wires or...
Articles: Aerospace
NASA Technology When the White House calls, NASA answers.
Feature Image
Articles: Test & Measurement
Virtually every type of public infrastructure — including bridges, pipelines, tunnels, foundations, roadways, dams, etc. — is subject to factors that can degrade it or lead to...
Feature Image
Briefs: Materials
Aerofoam is a unique foam composite insulation with improved thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The novelty of this invention comes from combining a polymer foam with a unique inorganic filler in a way that maximizes thermal...
Feature Image
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A magnetically retained pressure-relief valve enables quick-open on/off operation when overpressure is reached. Inventors at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center have developed a magnetically retained, fast-response pressure...
Feature Image
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has developed nanoionic-based radio frequency (RF) switches for use in devices that rely on low-power RF transmissions, such as automotive systems, RFID...
Feature Image

Videos