Materials

Engineers at Michigan State University have crafted a new type of liquid foam lining they say can help football helmets better sustain repeated impacts, improving their longevity and the safety of those wearing them.

Often made from plants, recycled material and various forms of organic matter, bioplastics promise a number of advantages over conventional plastics produced through fossil fuels, but a new study suggests that safety may not be one of them.

Although we've been hearing about tech that allows for the production of stronger concrete, existing structures made of regular concrete could also use some help. That's where new strengthening panels combined with a new mortar are made to come in.

Scientists at Australia’s RMIT have developed a tiny sponge with big potential, and say the micron-sized material can be used to convert discarded cooking oil into biodiesel in a very cost-effective manner. And this catalyst is no one-trick pony.

Scientists in Japan have produced a plastic with the highest heat resistance ever reported, and done so by using natural materials as the building blocks, paving the way toward greener production for the omnipresent material.

Ironclad beetles can survive being run over by a car and scientists have now unlocked some of the secrets behind this incredible toughness, which they say paves the way for a new breed of materials that bear similar characteristics.

Researchers have developed a new white paint that can reflect over 95 percent of sunlight, which can cool the surface even lower than the ambient temperature. Painted on a building, the new paint could help cut cooling costs and energy use.

In summer months sunlight comes with an unwanted side order of heat. Now, researchers have developed windows that can change color automatically when heated by sunlight, to keep buildings cool – and to top it off, they’re solar panels as well.

Aluminum can develop weak points through repeated, alternating stress, and scientists in Australia may have come up with a solution to this shortcoming by modifying the microstructure of aluminum alloys so that they can heal these themselves.

Scientists at University of California, Berkeley have leveraged 3D printing to produce a polymer lattice structure that can act as the backbone for low-carbon concrete that also boasts great strength and durability.

Superconductivity has come to play a powerful role in many modern day technologies, and scientists are now claiming a big breakthrough in this area, creating what they say is the first material capable of superconductivity at room temperature.

Making every micrometer count is a key consideration for designers and engineers working on modern smartphones, and a new nanometer-thick form of graphite that helps keep electronic devices cool could free up some valuable space.