Materials & Coatings

Turning Plastic Waste into a Valuable Soil Additive

Researchers have moved a step closer to finding a use for the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste produced every year that often winds up clogging streams and rivers and polluting our oceans.

Copper Catalyst Converts Carbon Dioxide into Liquid Fuels

A research team has gained new insight by capturing real-time movies of copper nanoparticles as they convert CO2 and water into renewable fuels and chemicals: ethylene, ethanol, and propanol, among others.

3D Printing Creates High-Performance Metal Alloy

Scientists used a 3D printer to create a high-performance metal alloy with an unusual composition that makes it stronger and lighter than state-of-the-art materials currently used in gas turbine machinery.

Robust Synthesis of Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Researchers are scaling up the production of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes that could revolutionize diverse commercial products ranging from rechargeable batteries, automotive parts and sporting goods to boat hulls and water filters.

Cryogenic Selective Surfaces

A new thermal control coating material, developed for use as a coating or rigid tiles, reflects essentially all solar radiation in the space environment.

3D-Printable Nanocomposite Polymeric Ink Could Replace Epoxies

Researchers have created a way to make a 3D-printable nanocomposite polymeric ink that uses carbon nanotubes — known for their high tensile strength and lightness. This revolutionary ink could replace epoxies.

Crack Image Quality Indicator

Engineers have developed a modeling and manufacturing technique that generates unique verification tools which simulate cracks in metals within X-ray setup part-testing geometries.

Peeling Back the Layers: Adhesives Testing for Wearables

Trends in wearable technology follow those of the broader biomedical and electronics industries — devices are getting smaller, smarter, and easier to use. Specifically, wearables in...

Artificial Skin Provides Haptic Feedback

The skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality by instantaneously adapting to a wearer's movements.

The Transformative Power of Innovations in Additive Materials

According to research, polymer AM technologies are forecasted to move into a multitude of industries over the next decade, with print production growing to nearly $26 billion annually by 2030.

Behold: The Oxygen-Ion Battery

The oxygen-ion battery can be extremely durable, does not require rare elements, and thwarts fire hazards.

Fully Recyclable Printed Electronics Use Water, Avoid Toxic Chemicals

By avoiding hazardous chemicals, the work points down a path industry could follow to reduce its environmental footprint.

Plastic Transistor Amplifies Biochemical Sensing Signal

The molecules in our bodies are in constant communication. Some of these molecules provide a biochemical fingerprint that could indicate how a wound is healing, whether a cancer...

Inflatable, Shape-Changing Spinal Implants Could Help Treat Severe Pain

The device uses soft robotics, ultra-thin electronics, and microfluidics.

Material Derived from Trees Could Replace Liquid Electrolytes

The material could pave the way for better, safer solid-state batteries.

Developing More Durable Solar Cells

An international research collaboration led by UCLA has developed a way to use perovskite in solar cells while protecting it from the conditions that cause it to deteriorate.

New Anode Materials for Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

The commercially relevant approach opens a potential pathway to improve charging speeds for electric vehicles.

Nanoscale 3D Structure to Control Light

3D nanometer-scale metamaterial structures hold promise for advanced optical isolators.

Microscopic Color Converters May Yield Small Laser-Based Devices

New research suggests that laser-based devices are poised to become a lot smaller.

Screen-Printing Method Could Reduce Cost of Wearables

New research shows the glittering, serpentine structures that power wearable electronics can be created with the same technology used to print concert t-shirts.

Terminator-Style Shape-Shifting Robot

A Terminator-style shape-shifting robot able to LIQUEFY and reform has been developed by engineers inspired by sea cucumbers.

The Rise of Electric Vehicles

Did you know that electric vehicles have been around for over a century? Test your knowledge about the history of EVs in this quiz.

New Compound Withstands Extreme Heat and Electricity for Next-Generation Energy Storage

Flexible polymers made with a new generation of the Nobel-winning “click chemistry” reaction find use in capacitors and other applications.

Metal 3D Printing Provides Design Freedom in Geothermal Energy Application

Houston-based startup Downhole Emerging Technologies used direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) as the additive solution to 3D print durable materials necessary for geothermal energy applications.

Testing the Thermal Limits of BNNTs

The first study on how purified boron nitride nanotubes remain stable in extreme temperatures in inert environments.