Testimony: Mastery of rare earth elements vital to U.S. security

Mar 17 | News

Karl A. Gschneidner Jr., a senior metallurgist at Ames Lab, spoke before a House Subcommittee this week, cautioning them that rare-earth R&D in America is “virtually zero”. He went on to say that expertise in rare-earth alloying is crucial to economic performance and that the U.S. has given up much ground to other countries in this area.

Metallic glass yields secrets under pressure

Mar 16 | News

Metallic glasses are emerging as potentially useful materials at the frontier of materials science research. They combine the advantages and avoid many of the problems of normal metals and glasses, two classes of materials with a very wide range of applications.

Battery breakthrough: silicon-based Li-ion anode stands up under stress

Mar 15 | News

Lithium-ion battery anodes are made from graphite. Silicon anodes would offer a ten-fold improvement, but ion travel quickly destroys the material. A new experimental silicon-carbon nanocomposite, built through self-assembly, solves the degradation problem.

Cotton threads: As good as a metal wire to conduct electricity?

Mar 10 | News

A Cornell Univ. team has developed cotton threads that can conduct electric current as well as a metal wire can, yet remain light and comfortable enough to give a whole new meaning to multi-use garments.

Magnetic solders are a leap towards green alternatives

Mar 2 | News

Yale Univ. scientists have developed a magnetic solder that can be manipulated in three dimensions and selectively heated, and offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to today’s lead-based solders.

Producing multifunction nanodevices

Mar 1 | News

A team led by Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has developed a new approach for creating powerful nanodevices, and their discoveries could pave the way for other researchers to begin more widespread development of these devices.

Toxicity of antimicrobial silver in products can be reduced

Feb 24 | News

Chemists in Finland have made new polymer-stabilized silver nanoparticles that they say significantly reduce the exposure to silver encountered by those who use silver’s ability to neutralize microbial contaminants, for example in colloidal silver water filters. Though silver’s health benefits are well known, the long-term exposure effects of small amounts of the toxin are not entirely understood.

Material mimics bone to create better biomedical implants

Feb 17 | News

Researchers at North Carolina Univ. have developed a “metal foam” that has a similar elasticity to bone, which could mean a new generation of  biomedical implants that would avoid bone rejection that often results from more rigid implant materials, such as titanium.  

Caltech researchers develop nanoscale structures with superior mechanical properties

Feb 10 | News

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a way to make some notoriously brittle materials ductile—yet stronger than ever—simply by reducing their size.

Mismatched alloys are a good match for future development of thermoelectrics

Jan 28 | News

Employing some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have shown that mismatched alloys are a good match for the future development of high performance thermoelectric devices. Thermoelectrics hold enormous potential for green energy production because of their ability to convert heat into electricity.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.