Materials & Coatings

Materials

Learn the latest developments and technical resources for next-generation materials technologies. Learn more about the applications in aerospace, medical, military, and 3D printing.

Stories

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Coatings Could Improve Traction on Slick Surfaces

Material for shoe bottoms could help prevent falls in icy or slippery conditions.

Briefs: Materials

Carbon Fiber/Carbon Nanotube Yarn Hybrid Reinforcement

Applications include aerospace and automotive components, prosthetics, sporting goods, and other uses where strength-to-weight ratio is important.

Briefs: Automotive

System Identifies Battery Materials for Recycling

The Battery Identity Global Passport could be accessible as a scannable QR code or a computer chip.

Briefs: Materials

High-Pressure Soft Lithography for Microtopographical Patterning of Molded Polymers and Composites

Applications include anti-fouling and anti-contamination, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag reduction, and adhesive joining of composite parts.

Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New on the Market: August 2021

Epoxies, reverse-engineering software, temperature loggers, and more.

Briefs: Transportation

Shape Memory Alloy Tubular Structure

Applications include vehicle and aircraft tires, sports helmets, military equipment, and seals and couplings.

Briefs: Materials

Heat-Resilient Silver Circuits for Extreme Electronics

The tough circuits could withstand the grueling demands of energy production, space exploration, and more.

Briefs: Materials

Method Turns Discarded Plastic into Surfactants

The chemical process turns plastic into biodegradable chemicals for surfactants and detergents.

Briefs: Aerospace

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)-Enabled Actuators

SMA tube elements drive rotary and ring gear motion in compact, powerful actuators.

Briefs: Materials

Coiled Linear Actuators for Soft Robotics

This artificial muscle technology enables more human-like motion.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

“Flexoelectricity” in Soft Elastomers Could Improve Robot Movement

A connection between electricity and mechanical motion in soft, rubber-like materials could improve robot range.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

A Soft Robot Replaces Electronics With 'Air Power'

While soft robots hold promise in applications ranging from search-and-rescue efforts to wearable exoskeletons, the technologies are often held back by the electronics, says William Grover, a...

INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

Infrared Imaging by Ultrathin Nanocrystal Layers

The demand for detecting infrared (IR) light, invisible to human eyes, is constantly growing, due to a wide variety of applications ranging from food quality control and remote sensing to...

Question of the Week: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Should Cities be More Strategic with Reflective Surfaces?

Cities around the world are adjusting – and in some cases overhauling – their infrastructure in an effort to cool temperatures in their areas. Los Angeles and New York City, for example, have adopted “grey infrastructure” efforts, like applying coatings to roofs and roads so that...

Facility Focus: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Facility Focus: Duke University Pratt School of Engineering

Duke Engineering supports clinical ultrasound imaging, restoration of hearing by cochlear implant, megapixel photography, and metamaterials.

Briefs: Materials

System for In-Situ Defect Detection in Composites During Cure

This system enhances processing via real-time, non-destructive defect tracking.

Articles: Materials

Products of Tomorrow

Battery recycling, NASA's water treatment, and a wireless wearable transmitter.

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

New on the Market: July 2021

Temperature transmitters, robotic tool changers, epoxy adhesives, and more.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Electrolyte Boost Improves Performance of Aqueous Dual-Ion Batteries

New cell chemistry utilizes less costly and more abundant materials than lithium-ion batteries.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Eco-Friendly Technique Upcycles Metal Waste into Multipurpose Aerogels

Potential applications include lightweight building materials and growing cells for biomedical purposes.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Pyroelectric Sandwich Thermal Energy Harvester

The technology harvests electrical energy from waste heat sources.

NASA Spinoff: Electronics & Computers

Taking Out the Trash, NASA-Style

A NASA-developed technology for testing heat shields transforms garbage into reusable chemicals.

Articles: Materials

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Getting Specific About Where 3D Printing Hits the Mark

Learn how to reuse more material without recycling.

Briefs: Aerospace

Copolyimide Surface-Modifying Coating

The coating repels insects on aircraft wing surfaces and motor vehicles and reduces surface imperfections on other low-friction or non-stick surfaces.