For thousands of years, the development of new metal alloys has mostly been trial-and-error. Typically, one metal component has been dominant; with other metals comprising a small percentage of the recipe.
By Brett Smith
20 Jun 2016
There is a range of materials being used in batteries for electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are utilized in the majority of all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, nickel-metal-hydride batteries are common in hybrid cars, and newer materials are being introduced, such as lithium polymer and lithium iron phosphate, with more on the horizon.
By Kimberly Lawson
15 Jun 2016
Crystallography, or the science of examining crystals, allows researchers to better understand materials as well as synthetic chemistry and biological processes.
By Kimberly Lawson
14 Jun 2016
Thermal analysis is an important part of understanding and shaping a variety of plastics for a range of applications, including transportation or packaging.
By Kimberly Lawson
13 Jun 2016
Public and private companies are trying to discover what happens to materials in space, in an attempt to gain an insight into both.
By Kimberly Lawson
8 Jun 2016
Solar electric devices, commonly referred to as photovoltaics, are able to generate electricity directly from sunlight. Within the semiconductor material present on solar panels, photons released from the sun cause outer electrons to break free of their atomic bonds.
By Benedette Cuffari
6 Jun 2016
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is the process of testing and evaluating materials without destroying them, and the field is evolving.
By Kimberly Lawson
3 Jun 2016
Machines running on human energy? Yes, it can happen, according to Dan Nicolau, Jr. from the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California.
By Kimberly Lawson
2 Jun 2016
Mystery surrounds Mars but progress is being made to understand its environment. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sent a series of rovers to inspect land samples on the planet, which is half the size of earth and known to have seasons and structures like mountains.
By Kimberly Lawson
1 Jun 2016
Radiation is commonly understood but its effects are not. Scientists have been working for years to change that in many ways including by testing radiation’s effects on materials so as to better understand their properties and uses.
By Kimberly Lawson
31 May 2016