Materials

Researchers in Australia have developed a titanium alloy that's 30% cheaper to produce than standard titanium, and is stronger and more ductile than other titanium alloys.

Using a new technique called nanoscale fletching, scientist have created a high-performing nonstick coating that repels water and oil – without the PFAS profile. It's a big step toward the elusive "holy grail" of a safer, greener Teflon.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK have developed a way to use powdered discarded glass in building blocks for construction, which could make this versatile material a lot more sustainable.

Using intricate geometry found in nature and refined through aerospace and biomedical design, scientists have now 3D-printed these forms into concrete to boost strength and capture carbon – creating a scalable material that benefits people and planet.

Here's a rather novel way to keep trash out of landfills: engineering biologists have developed a way to turn common plastic bottles into the popular painkiller paracetamol. All it takes is a bit of bacteria and time to ferment the treated waste.

A new kind of paint might be the key to cooling homes in humid climes like Singapore. Researchers based in the island country found their custom white paint, specially developed to 'sweat,' significantly reduced the need for air conditioning.

Using more sludge and less slag in their recipe, researchers were able to create a material that's stronger than even today's enhanced cements and highly resistant to corrosion by acid. It could solve a serious problem facing sewer pipes worldwide.

A Maryland-based startup is set to begin mass producing Superwood, which is made from regular timber using a densification process, and exhibits strength greater than that of steel.

Researchers in Switzerland have developed a new film-like material that incorporates living cells from fungi, so it's biodegradable and can help break down waste too. Oh, and you can eat it, if you're curious like that.

Researchers at Australia's RMIT University have devised a simple and clever contraption that could make drinking water available in disaster-stricken areas, by pulling it out of thin air.

Although lumber does show promise as a renewable alternative to structural materials such as steel, it still tends to be weaker than those substances. Scientists have now set about addressing that shortcoming, by strengthening wood with added iron.

Engineers from Montana State University have developed a building material using the root-like mycelium network of a fungus. It's the first time fungal mycelium has been tested as a scaffold for living materials.

The heat from within your laptop disperses slowly, like ripples in a pond. What if we could turn that heat into channeled waves that travel away from the source up to a hundred times faster? Researchers are giving it a go – with crystals.

We're going to be on the Moon more often soon, and we'll need places to rest and work there. Building habitats and maintaining them will be tough, but bacteria could come to the rescue by helping repair cracked bricks made from lunar soil.

Oyster mushrooms and bits of bamboo sound more at home on a Chinese menu than stuck to the wall, but scientists have used this mix to make aesthetically pleasing tiles with bumps and textures that help regulate temperature much like elephant skin does.