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: Materials

Acoustic Interactions Change Materials at the Atomic Level

Interaction of sound and light reveals new information of a crystal's quantum properties.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Environmentally Friendly Process for Battery Recycling

A solvent leaches cobalt and lithium for reuse from spent batteries.

Briefs: Materials

Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramic Matrix Composites

These barrier coatings protect high-performance components in extreme environments.

Briefs: Materials

Thin Heat Shield for Superfast Aircraft

A carbon nanotube heat shield can better protect extremely fast aircraft.

Briefs: Communications

Wirelessly Controlled Ingestible Capsule

This electronic pill can relay diagnostic information or release drugs in response to smartphone commands.

Q&A: Semiconductors & ICs

Q&A: A Shape-Morphing, Self-Healing Soft Composite

Have you heard of "Thubber?"

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Chromium Removal from PVC Filters

The process does not cause any structural changes to the PVC filter membrane.

Briefs: Software

The Planetary Tides Simulation Facility for Simulation Tidal Strain in Planetary Ice Analogs

Applications include modeling of tidal stress response of icy satellites as well as fatigue of terrestrial ice shelves.

Application Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Additive Manufacturing of Precision Optics at Micro and Nanoscale

AM is an especially good fit for products that require a high level of customization.

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Blue Lasers: Leveraging Fundamental Physics for High Performance

Increased laser capacity has enabled, and will continue to enable, new manufacturing possibilities.

Briefs: Imaging

Sandia’s Nanoantennas Help Detectors See More Heat, Less Noise

A nanoantenna-enabled detector boosts the usable signal of a thermal infrared camera by up to three times.

Question of the Week: Materials

Can Gels Stop Wildfires?

A preventive treatment developed by Stanford researchers could greatly reduce the incidence and severity of wildfires. The cellulose-based, gel-like fluid protects against fires and stays on target vegetation through rain, wind, and other environmental exposure. Watch the demo on Tech Briefs TV.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

Countdown: The Top Stories of 2019

Tech Briefs in 2019 celebrated historic NASA anniversaries, new ways to power electronics, and innovative hacks of our “smartest” technologies.

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Big Plans to Save the Planet Depend on Nanoscopic Materials Improving Energy Storage

The challenge of building an energy future that preserves and improves the planet is a massive undertaking. Scientists and politicians have recognized the...

INSIDER: Power

A New Concept for More Sustainable Batteries

A new concept for an aluminum battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The...

Blog: Materials

Answering Your Questions: How is a Parylene Conformal Coating Used?

Parylene coatings are being used in the medical industry and even space. Our expert explains why.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

In High Temperatures, A New Class of Ceramics Controls Heat Radiation

New ceramics expand on ways to more efficiently use heat radiation.

INSIDER: Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D-Printed Plastics with High Performance Electrical Circuits

Rutgers engineers have embedded high performance electrical circuits inside 3D-printed plastics, which could lead to smaller and versatile drones and better-performing small...

INSIDER: Semiconductors & ICs

New Transistor Nanocrystals Are Smaller, Higher Quality, and More Efficient

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new method for producing atomically thin semiconducting crystals that could one day enable more powerful and...