Materials

A research team from the US Army and the University of Rochester is throwing a new water purification solution into the mix, showing off a “superwicking” aluminum panel that uses solar power to purify water with great efficiency.

Radiation is famously damaging to materials, but now engineers at MIT have been surprised to discover that radiation may actually help certain alloys to self-heal, extending their useful lifetime. This could help inform future power plant designs.

A team of material scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles is reporting a major advance in the area of reflective coatings for buildings, producing a new kind of super white paint that reflects almost all incoming radiation from Sun.

By turning to the paper-based art form of kirigami for inspiration, a team of Harvard researchers has developed a system for programmable balloons that can take of all kinds of “crazy” shapes when inflated.

Researchers at LANL have hit upon a microstructure with impressive shock absorption. The team 3D-printed cubes with fractal void patterns inside them, which could be a useful structure for new materials in helmets, armor and other protective items.

Scientists have long hoped to give plastic conductive properties by adding extra materials, and one team of researchers has now put forward a promising possibility its hoped could find uses in large touchscreens or window-mounted solar cells.

Scientists at EMPA have developed a new aerogel-based material that blocks a wide range of electromagnetic radiation frequencies, forming what they describe as by far the lightest electromagnetic shielding material in the world.

Kevlar and Twaron are tough materials, but there’s a bit of a trade-off to be made between strength, heat resistance and weight. Now, researchers have created a new nanofiber material that’s just as strong, but much more insulating against heat.

Making true Damascus steel is a lost art and even the modern version, made using two different grades of steel alloy, involves more art than science. Now researchers are bringing Damascus steel into the 21st century using 3D printers and lasers.

In an effort to tackle to growing problem of plastic pollution, NEC Corp has today made commercially available a bioplastic made with plant ingredients that breaks down in the environment in around four years.

Cartilage plays a crucial role in your knees, but unfortunately once it’s damaged or worn out it’s hard to repair. Now, researchers at Duke University have created a new hydrogel that’s strong enough to withstand forces as well as natural cartilage.

Scientists are claiming a breakthrough in the development of graphene nanoribbons, devising a method that has enabled them to efficiently produce the ultra-thin strips directly on the surface of semiconductors for the first time.