Ceramics

Scientists around the world have been one-upping each other in a bid to create the smallest QR code that can be reliably read. Now, researchers have set the bar real high with a QR code so tiny, you'll need an electron microscope to see it.

Scientists 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.

Most 3D-printed architecture projects are quite simple in appearance but Studio RAP reminds us that this doesn't need to be the case with its New Delft Blue, which involved 3D printing a clay based mixture to create an intricate passageway.

In what they hail as a “new frontier in materials,” engineers at Northeastern University have developed a new type of ceramic that can be fashioned into thin and complex shapes, opening up expansive new applications in electronics.

Ceramic materials are strong and can stand up to heat very well, but they’re notoriously fragile. Now, researchers at Texas A&M have uncovered a previously unknown self-healing mechanism in a certain type of ceramic, which works at room temperature.

Researchers claim they've come up with the world's first manufactured non-cuttable material, just 15 percent the density of steel and impervious to drills or angle grinders. They say it could make for indestructible bike locks and lightweight armor.

The colorful glaze on that ceramic mug of yours may look nice, but there's a chance that it could contain toxic substances. US scientists have thus created a safer type of glaze, that incorporates tiny particles of silver and gold.

Ceramic aerogels are incredibly light and can withstand intense heat. The problem is they can be pretty brittle. Now, a team has developed a new ceramic aerogel that’s far hardier and more flexible, even after repeated exposure to wild temperature swings.

If java consumers want to reduce waste, they can bring their own reusable cup to the coffee shop. Australian startup Huskee is taking things a step further, however. Its reusable cups are actually made from unwanted coffee bean husks.​

A team of scientists from Britain and China have developed a new type of ceramic carbide that can withstand the high temperatures of flying at over five times the speed of sound without the degradation experienced by similar materials.

​Although ceramics are known for being able to withstand high temperatures, they also have a reputation for being brittle. That's not the case, however, with a spongey new material made from ceramic nanofibers. It could find use in high-temperature insulation or water filtration.

​Ordinarily, when ceramic items are manufactured, the raw material has to be fired in a kiln at temperatures exceeding 1,000 ºC (1,832 ºF). Now, however, scientists have succeeded in doing away with the kiln, replacing it with a much more energy-efficient room-temperature technique.