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

5 Ws: Green Design & Manufacturing

5 Ws of Compostable Plastic

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

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Designing Soft Materials that Mimic Biological Functions

The soft material demonstrates autonomous, heartbeat-like oscillating properties.

Briefs: Energy

Carbon Fiber Structural Battery for “Mass-Less” Energy Storage in Vehicles

The carbon fiber serves as the electrode, conductor, and load-bearing material.

Briefs: Materials

Generation of Polystyrene Latex Spheres with Incorporated Fluorescent Dyes

Microspheres are used in wind tunnel experiments to monitor airflow, to stain biological samples, and in time-delayed drug release.

Briefs: Packaging & Sterilization

Alkaline Hydrogel Advances Skin Wound Care

A novel method was developed to produce an alkaline hydrogel that could improve wound healing.

Briefs: Lighting

Ultra-Thin, Energy-Efficient Photodetector Integrated with Gorilla Glass

This could lead to the commercial development of smart glass, with applications ranging from imaging to advanced robotics.

Blog: Electronics & Computers

Ultrasound Improves Efforts to Recycle the Battery

Could a tool from the dentist's office lead to better recycling of lithium-ion batteries?

INSIDER: Materials

Material Motion is “Flexoelectric”

Researchers from the University of Houston have demonstrated “giant flexoelectricity” in soft elastomers that could improve robot movement range and make self-powered pacemakers a real possibility....

Blog: Materials

How to Make a 'Smarter' Cement

By introducing nanoparticles into ordinary cement, Northwestern University researchers have formed a smarter, more durable, and highly functional building material.

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

New Skin Patch Brings Us Closer to Wearable All-In-One Health Monitor

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and heart...

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

This Advance May Enable 2D Transistors for Tinier Microchip Components

Atomically thin materials are a promising alternative to silicon-based transistors; now researchers can connect them more efficiently to other chip elements.

INSIDER: Energy

Inexpensive Tin Packs a Big Punch for the Future of Supercapacitors

A sustainable, powerful micro-supercapacitor may be on the horizon. Until now, these high-capacity, fast-charging energy storage devices have been limited by the...

INSIDER: Materials

Compound Normally Found in Candles Lights the Way to Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, WA) have shown that low-cost organic compounds hold promise for...

INSIDER: Energy

Nanoscale Defects Could Boost Energy Storage Materials

A collaboration led by Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) used X-ray nanoimaging to gain an unprecedented view into solid-state electrolytes, revealing previously undetected crystal...

Blog: Electronics & Computers

'Self-Aware' Sensing Material Powers Itself

A "self-aware," self-powering material can be used in heart stents, bridges, and even space.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Fully Recyclable Printed Electronics

Nearly 100% of all-carbon-based transistors are reclaimed while retaining future functionality of the materials.

Articles: Green Design & Manufacturing

Products of Tomorrow

Head-up displays, health-monitoring sensors from NASA, and a pollen sponge.

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

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 order...