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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'Superlubricious' coating radically drops friction between metal parts
July 16, 2024Using biowaste from cassava plants, scientists have created a coating that virtually eliminates friction in metal parts. The breakthrough has the potential to deliver better fuel economy and deliver enormous savings in myriad industries. -
New "glassy gel" materials are strangely strong, stretchy and sticky
July 01, 2024Gels and glasses are on opposite ends of the material spectrum, but engineers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have developed a new class called “glassy gels” that are both strong and flexible, as well as sticky and self-healing. -
'Weightless' battery stores energy directly in carbon fiber structures
June 18, 2024Deep-tech startup Sinonus is working to commercialize a groundbreaking new breed of multifunctional carbon fiber. In its vision, the wonder-composite will serve as a structural battery for everything from electric aircraft to windmills. -
Tough new pineapple leather is 60X stronger than other materials
June 17, 2024Your boots may soon have a tropical touch, with a breakthrough in using pineapple leaves to make a strong, 100% natural, sustainable leather. It comprehensively outperformed mushroom leather, and has serious potential for scalable, commercial use. -
Shell-inspired cement 19x more flexible thanks to ‘engineered defects’
June 12, 2024Inspired by the shiny lining of mollusk shells, researchers created a cement composite 19 times more flexible and 17 times more crack-resistant than regular cement. Its properties could be applied to brittle ceramic materials like porcelain and concrete. -
AI discovers new rare-earth-free magnet at 200 times the speed of man
June 12, 2024As some entities identify new sources to meet the demand for rare earth materials, others are looking to new tools. Materials Nexus has designed a new rare-earth-free permanent magnet help from its AI platform – at record pace. -
Essential rare earth elements pulled from water using eggshells
June 06, 2024Using humble waste eggshells to pull rare earth elements from water, researchers have developed a simple, low-cost and sustainable procedure to provide the essential materials needed for a transition to green energy technologies. -
More transparent than glass, new material cools rooms and self-cleans
May 27, 2024Lots of glass surfaces can brighten up a room, but it also lets in too much heat as well as neighbors’ prying eyes. A new metamaterial is not only more transparent to light, but adds privacy, cools the room inside, and automatically cleans itself. -
Super-strong coffee-reinforced concrete gets real-world test
May 26, 2024In a world first, the researchers who used waste coffee grounds to make concrete that’s 30% stronger are putting their innovative material to the test by laying sidewalks made of the stuff to see how it fares when it's subjected to foot traffic. -
Diamonds grown at normal pressure in just 15 minutes
May 24, 2024Diamonds are famously formed under high pressure and temperature, which is partly why they’re so valuable. But now, scientists have created diamonds in a lab under regular pressure in just 15 minutes. -
'Absolute miracle' breakthrough provides recipe for zero-carbon cement
May 23, 2024A new solution from Cambridge University could recycle both concrete and steel at the same time, by throwing old concrete into steel-recycling furnaces. If done using renewable energy, the process could make for completely carbon-zero cement. -
Game-changing nanostrings vibrate longer than any solid-state material
May 22, 2024"Imagine a swing that, once pushed, keeps swinging for almost 100 years because it loses almost no energy through the ropes." So says a Delft University of Technology researcher who has helped his team accomplish a parallel feat at the nanoscale. -
Spiky stainless steel and copper delivers one-two punch to bacteria
May 22, 2024To help combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers have been experimenting for years with drug-free methods to blast disease-causing bugs. A new type of stainless steel does exactly that, in a convenient and affordable way. -
Long-life low-carbon concrete switches 80% of its cement for coal ash
May 21, 2024RMIT researchers have developed a new type of "green concrete" that incorporates twice as much recycled coal ash as existing low-carbon concretes, halves the amount of cement required, and lasts even longer than regular Portland cement concrete. -
Transparent bamboo: A fireproof and waterproof alternative to glass
May 15, 2024Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke.
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