Materials & Coatings

Metals

Learn what’s trending in the engineering metals used in 3D printing, military, medical devices, automotive, and manufacturing. Find the latest applications that design engineers are using to meet their design challenges.

INSIDER: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Highly Conductive Aluminum Can Equal Copper
Articles: Electronics & Computers
Niobium: Magic Metal for Battery Anodes?
Briefs: Design
A Biodegradable Filtration System for Waste Metal Recovery
Briefs: Lighting
Upside-Down Design Expands Wide-Spectrum Super-Camera Abilities
Briefs: Materials
Material Inspired by Chain Mail Transforms from Flexible to Rigid on Command
subscribe to magazine
Get the latest breakthroughs from NASA & other technology sources.

Top Stories

Q&A: Design

A New, Low-Cost Aluminum-Sulfur Battery

Articles: Materials

Plastic-Eating Enzymes Chomp into the Future

INSIDER: Information Technology

Thin Device Triggers One of Quantum Mechanics’ Strangest Phenomena

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Highly Conductive Aluminum Can Equal Copper

Application Briefs: Energy

New Screening System May Point the Way to Clean, Renewable Hydrogen Power

5 Ws: Power

5 Ws of the Artificial Leaf

Latest Briefs & News

Issue Archive: Imaging
Magazine Archives
2022 September August July June May April March February January 2021 December November October ...
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Method Pinpoints Microscale Damage in Metal
The process predicts when and where microscopic cracks will occur before they become catastrophic.
On-Demand Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Using Zinc Die Casting Concepts and Technology to Achieve Precision, Performance, and Pricing Design Targets

The range of properties available across the family of Zinc Die Casting Alloys, combined with the multiple options for...

Special Reports: Medical
Advanced Materials & Coatings - May 2022

Breakthroughs in plastics, composites, metals, and other materials technologies are enabling exciting new applications in industries ranging from aerospace to automotive to medical. Read more in this...

Briefs: Materials
Tin Electrode Amplifies Supercapacitors
The material improves connectivity while maintaining recyclability and low cost.
Briefs: Materials
Metal-Plastic Hybrid 3D Printing
This method prints 3D structures made of metal and plastic, paving the way for 3D electronics.
Articles: Photonics/Optics
500°C-Rated Optical Fiber for High Temperature Applications
A metal-coated fiber capable of withstands high temperatures.
Briefs: Materials
Three-Layer Method Makes Plastic More Transparent and Adds Electrical Conductivity
This process could improve large touchscreens, LED light panels, and window-mounted infrared solar cells.
Briefs: Packaging & Sterilization
Liquid Metal Coating Creates Effective Antiviral, Antimicrobial Fabric
The coatings eradicated human influenza and coronavirus in five minutes.
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Turning Thermal Energy into Electricity
Applications include power and energy, communications, and sensors.
Briefs: Nanotechnology
Nanoprecipitates Toughen Structural Alloys
Mechanical properties, such as strength and ductility, can be improved for car, plane, and building components.
Briefs: Materials
New Class of Nickel-Based Superalloys Withstands Extreme Heat
Parts remain crack-free and defect-resistant, making them conducive for use in metal-based 3D-printing applications.
Briefs: Energy
Polymer-Based Battery Enables Fast Charging and Low Operating Temperatures
The battery charges faster than a lithium-ion battery and is fire-safe and eco-friendly.
Briefs: Materials
Eliminating Corrosion Extends Life of Lightweight Batteries
A new design could extend the shelf-life of single-use metal-air batteries for electric vehicles, off-grid storage, and other applications.
Blog: Energy
A Battery Breakthrough, Made from Rubber

An everyday material that we all know well may lead to safer, longer-lasting batteries for the electric vehicle.

Application Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
High-Speed Inspection and Reverse Engineering in 2D and 3D
The Opti-Scan inspection system can measure surfaces and edges in 3D.
Facility Focus: Energy
Facility Focus: North Carolina State University
Learn about the technologies being developed at NC State, including vehicle armor, a monitoring patch for plants, and origami-inspired materials.
Briefs: Materials
Anticorrosion Compound Protects Steel from the Elements
The flexible, self-healing coating protects buildings, bridges, and anything above or below the water made of steel.
Briefs: Materials
Graphene-Based Device for Ultrasensitive Biosensors
The device provides the first step toward ultrasensitive biosensors to detect diseases at the molecular level with near-perfect efficiency.
Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics
Far-Infrared Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (FIR MKID) Array
This technology improves the detection of low-power far-infrared (FIR) signals.
Briefs: Power
Preventing Short-Circuiting in Next-Generation Lithium Batteries
The approach could advance the potential of high-powered, solid-electrolyte lithium batteries.
Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A New Idea for Cleaning Up Space Debris: Magnets
Prof. Jake J. Abbott is leading a team that has discovered a way to manipulate orbiting debris with spinning magnets.
Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition
New Products: November 2021 Photonics & Imaging Technology
Infrared lens testers, fiber optic transceivers, spectral radiometers, and more.
Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Automotive/Transportation Category Winner — Afreecar E-kit
The e-kit promises to be a low-cost solution in the developing world.
Articles: Materials
2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Electronics/Sensors/IoT Category Winner — Freetouch
Freetouch turns a smartphone into a touchscreen remote control.
Articles: Materials
Products of Tomorrow: November 2021
Nanotube fibers that turn heat to power; a NASA antenna system; and an antimicrobial coating.
Briefs: Energy
Nanoscale Machines Convert Light into Work
The optically powered machines self-assemble and could be used for nanoscale manipulation of tiny cargo.
Blog: Energy
When to Go With Battery X-Ray Inspection
Tech Briefs readers ask two industry experts about the effectiveness of CT scans when you want a deeper look at a battery.
Special Reports: RF & Microwave Electronics
Space Technology - October 2021

A new era of space exploration is set to begin with Artemis 1, the first in a series of increasingly complex NASA missions that will take humans back to the moon and then on to Mars. Read all about it in this...

Webcasts

On-Demand Webinars: Research Lab

Efficient Thermal Runaway Modeling for Sensitivity, Parametric, and Variability...

Upcoming Webinars: Test & Measurement

Full-Field Optical Strain Measurement Systems for Materials and...

Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

Advances in Unmanned Aircraft: AI and Autonomy – Threats,...

Upcoming Webinars: Photonics/Optics

When Milliseconds Count: The Impact of Adaptive Lidar on...

Upcoming Webinars: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Sensors Rated for Cryogenic Measurements

Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Product Development Lifecycle Management: Optimizing Quality,...

Trending Stories

Q&A: Energy

A New, Low-Cost Aluminum-Sulfur Battery

INSIDER: Information Technology

Thin Device Triggers One of Quantum Mechanics’ Strangest Phenomena

Briefs: Materials

Modular Artificial-Gravity Orbital Refinery Spacecraft

Articles: Communications

The 6 Most Important Parts of a Temperature Monitoring System

NASA Spinoff: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Robust Bus Systems for CubeSats

Articles: Motion Control

Smart Actuators Deliver on the Promise of Industry 4.0

Videos