Materials
Whether it's the latest wonder material, such as graphene, or uncovering the secrets to the longevity of ancient Roman concrete, material science is the reason so much of our technology is more than the sum of its parts.
Latest News
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Laser-based morphing could lead to self-optimizing airplane wings
January 17, 2024A plane wing that changes shape in flight to better handle the airflow crossing it could be on the horizon thanks to a materials science advance from researchers in Stockholm. The trick involves the melting and hole-punching power of lasers. -
Gold nanorod films clear surfaces of ice – just add sunlight
January 16, 2024Preventing or clearing ice build-up on surfaces is a major winter problem, as some areas are currently experiencing. Scientists at KAIST have now developed a new thin film coating made of gold nanorods that can passively melt ice using just sunlight. -
Climate alchemy: Team turns carbon dioxide into super-strong fibers
January 12, 2024In an effort to mitigate human-caused climate warming, scientists are focused on ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One of the more novel ways to do this has just been announced by scientists employing a smart dual-method process. -
Blue-ringed octopus inspires self-healing camouflage & signaling tech
January 07, 2024Inspired by the blue-ringed octopus, researchers have created a technology that rapidly changes color and appearance under various kinds of light, enabling camouflaging and signaling. The tech could be used in the military, medicine, and robotics. -
Induction welding joins metal foams without cramping their style
December 15, 2023Composite metal foams (CMFs) offer big advantages over traditional solid metal. And while the welding of CMFs usually poses some challenges, it has now been been discovered that the use of an alternative type of welding works like a charm. -
Unbreakable material nearly as hard as diamond, with high energy density
December 13, 2023It’s taken more than three decades, but scientists have cracked the code and created a material that’s near-impossible to break and rivals diamond as the hardest substance on the planet. The applications for this long-sought-after substance are vast. -
Smart textile fiber places conductivity and flexibility side-by-side
December 11, 2023Electrically conductive "smart fabrics" have many potential applications, but their specialized fibers typically aren't as soft and flexible as those made of regular materials. An experimental new fiber, however, is both flexible and conductive. -
Graphene oxide used to strengthen and electrify 3D-printed concrete
December 05, 20233D-printed concrete structures are claimed to be faster and cheaper to build than their traditional counterparts, but they're not always as strong. That problem may soon be solved by adding a pinch of graphene oxide, which could also be used to detect cracks. -
Feather-inspired material could be used in batteries & water filters
December 03, 2023The microscopic structure of the feathers of the eastern bluebird, a type of North American thrush, has inspired the creation of a simple-to-produce, scalable and robust novel synthetic material that could be used in batteries and water filters. -
Deepmind AI tool catapults materials science 800 years into the future
November 29, 2023Prepare for a radical acceleration in technological development. A Google Deepmind AI has achieved "an order-of-magnitude expansion in stable materials known to humanity," finding about 800 years' worth of new materials with revolutionary potential. -
Antimicrobial textile coating makes superbug-squashing hospital curtains
November 29, 2023Hospitals are meant to heal people, but patients often pick up superbugs during their stay. Scientists have now developed long-lasting antimicrobial coatings for textiles that could allow hospital curtains to quickly kill viruses and bacteria. -
Self-healing concrete patches up cracks with dormant bacteria
November 20, 2023Concrete may seem strong, but it can be surprisingly vulnerable to the elements. Now researchers at Drexel University have demonstrated a type of self-healing concrete embedded with “BioFibers” that use bacteria to patch up cracks as they form. -
Selective warming film protects crops and infrastructure from cold nights
November 19, 2023It’s a basic fact that temperatures drop at night, damaging crops, equipment and infrastructure. Scientists have created a new film that selectively absorbs and reflects different wavelengths of infrared light to efficiently keep objects warm. -
Ultra-white ceramic cools buildings with record-high 99.6% reflectivity
November 12, 2023Scientists have demonstrated a new ultra-white ceramic material that drastically cools buildings, with record-high sunlight and heat reflectivity. The beetle-inspired material gets its ability from its nanostructure and should be easy to mass produce. -
Lasers allow fine-tuning of 3D-printed metals without "heating & beating"
November 06, 2023A team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge has developed a new technique that uses high-energy lasers to fine tune the properties of 3D-printed metal without compromising the complex shapes it forms.
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