Plastics

Insulation Material Enables More Efficient Electricity Distribution

High-voltage direct current cables can more efficiently transport electricity over long distances.

Technology Converts Waste Plastics to Jet Fuel

The reaction converts 90% of plastic to jet fuel and other valuable hydrocarbon products within an hour at moderate temperatures.

Fiber-Metal Laminate Manufacturing Technique

Synthesis of fiber-metal laminates is performed using RF plasma spray deposition.

Origami Solves Challenge of Storing and Moving Rocket Fuel

A folded plastic bladder could store and pump the fuel.

New on the Market: September 2021

Power distribution units, pressure sensors, connector straps, and more.

Method Turns Discarded Plastic into Surfactants

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

Solvent-Based Recycling Process

By reclaiming polymers in plastics, the process could cut down on millions of tons of plastic waste.

Using Wood Byproducts to Produce Sustainable Bioplastics

The high-quality bioplastics can be molded into a film that can be used in plastic bags and packaging.

5 Ws of Compostable Plastic

A new enzyme-activated compostable material could diminish microplastics pollution.

Large Integrated Circuits Produced in a Printing Press

Complete integrated circuits with more than 1,000 organic electrochemical transistors can be screen-printed.

New Process Breaks Down Polystyrene

Due to the chemical stability and durability of industrial polymers, plastic waste does not easily degrade in landfills and is often burned, which produces carbon dioxide and other hazardous gases. In...

What Role Will Plastics Play in Battery Electric Vehicles?

Tech Briefs readers ask a series of questions about the future of plastics in battery electric vehicles.

New on the Market: April 2021

Displacement sensors, metal 3D printers, shielding materials, and more.

Odor-Eliminating Shoe Inserts Rely on NASA-Tested Activated Carbon Cloth

The inserts use a material that NASA has considered for spacecraft filters.

Luminescent Windows Generate Energy From Inside and Out

Rice University engineers have suggested a colorful solution to next-generation energy collection: Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) in your windows. The team designed and...

Cost-Effective Day & Night Marking Using Lasers

The marking provides easy-to-see legends on plastic buttons under widely varying illumination conditions.

Material Moves Wind Turbine Blades Toward Recyclability

The material can be recycled, making renewable energy more sustainable while lowering costs in the process.

Process Turns Plastic Bags into Adhesives

A chemical process converts polyethylene plastic into a strong, valuable adhesive.

Technology Remedies 3D Printing’s “Weak Spot”

The technology welds adjacent 3D-printed layers more effectively, thereby increasing the reliability of the final part.

Manufacturing Ultra-Thin Camera Lenses

Ultra-thin and flexible metalenses could replace traditional camera lenses.

Innovation on a Larger Scale: Robotic Fiber Placement and 3D Printing

“The disruption promised by Industry 4.0 has already begun,” says Jason Melcher from the aerospace manufacturing company Ingersoll.

Miniscule Robots of Metal and Plastic

A technique enables manufacturing of minuscule robots by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way.

Products of Tomorrow: February 2021

Next-generation solar panels, 3D-printed composites from NASA, and a new way to sterilize medical devices.

A Recycling Breakthrough: Researchers Discover a Molecule That 'Zips Up'

The "polymer of squares” could one day enable the use of plastic products many times over.

Side-Mounted Solar Modules Enhance Energy Sustainability

Research demonstrates the potential of a solar unit that can hang on the outside of a structure.

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing/Robotics/Automation Category Winner — RadiBond

RadiBond technology, based on nanometer-thin coatings, provides ultra-strong and ultra-tight bonding between metals and plastics.

Products of Tomorrow: December 2020

Robotic exoskeletons, a breath-test for cancer, and plastic-eating enzymes are Products of Tomorrow.

Flexible, Sturdy Robot “Grows” Like a Plant

The robot’s extendable appendage can wind through tight spaces and then lift heavy loads.