The AZoM.com "Materials Thought Leaders" series is a selection of articles that cover the key technology areas where materials are making an impact and where they will make an increasing impact. All the articles are written by experts who have been invited as recognised leaders in their fields to provide a "state of the art" contribution.
Recent advancements in the field of nano-technology focused attention on developing materials with new and useful characteristics.
By Professor Emily M. Hunt
23 Nov 2010
DSM have recently introduced a new grade of Dyneema Purity ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) film for cardiovascular applications. AZoM conducted this interview with DSM to find out more about this new material and its applications.
By Dr. Cameron Chai
7 Jun 2010
Mechanical metallurgy can be defined as the interface between an alloy's mechanical behavior, the processing used to produce the alloy, and the underlying structure ranging from the atomic to macroscopic level.
By Professor Kip Findley
18 Apr 2010
Shape memory materials (SMMs) are featured by the ability to recover their original shape from a significant and seemingly plastic deformation upon a particular stimulus is applied. This is known as the shape memory effect (SME).
By Professor Wei Min Huang
23 Mar 2010
Atomistic modeling techniques use modern computing power to explicitly include every atom in modeling of a material.
By Prof. Dane Morgan
15 Mar 2010
Material selection involves seeking the best match between the property-profiles of the materials and that required by the design.
By Professor Mike F. Ashby
4 Mar 2010
Conceptual design for the X43-A, a reusable hypersonic aerospace vehicle that would utilize UHTC leading edges and control surfaces.
By Professor Michel Barsoum
4 Mar 2010
Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a class of materials that can be used in environments that exhibit extremes in temperature, chemical reactivity, erosive attack, etc.
Magnetoelectric (ME) materials are those in which an external magnetic field affects the polarization, and an electric field influences the magnetization of the material. A well-known example of the ME material is Cr2O3.
Currently, surgeons use two primary types of materials inside the body to replace damaged body parts: either common industrial materials or harvested natural materials. In order to replace these biochemical functions, harvested natural materials are generally the gold standard.