Materials & Manufacturing

Materials & Coatings

Access the technical resources for a range of materials and coatings. Design engineers can browse news, technical briefs, and applications for plastics, composites, rubbers, elastomers, and metals.

Stories

Briefs: Materials

Nanoparticle Gel Unites Oil and Water in Manufacturing-Friendly Approach

This novel gel-creation method could open applications in water filtration, batteries, and smart windows.

Briefs: Materials

Method Recovers Metals from Electronic Waste

The technology recovers pure and precious metals from alloys in cellphones and other electrical waste.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Hybrid Thermoelectric Compound

The material sets the stage for new forms of electric power in the future.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Solvent-Based Recycling Process

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

Briefs: Materials

New Spraying Method for Producing Ceramic Coatings

High-quality coated components can be integrated into complex systems in a sustainable way.

Briefs: Energy

High-Mobility Transport Layer Structures for Rhombohedral Si/Ge/SiGe Devices

This invention enables improved carrier mobility for solar cells and other electronic devices.

Briefs: Materials

Coatings Could Improve Traction on Slick Surfaces

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

Briefs: Nanotechnology

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: Transportation

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: Electronics & Computers

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: Energy

Heat-Resilient Silver Circuits for Extreme Electronics

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

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Method Turns Discarded Plastic into Surfactants

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

Briefs: Motion Control

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: Energy

“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: Materials

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...