Basic science

Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Jim Destefani / August 27, 2013

3D graphene to replace platinum in dye-sensitized solar apps? Dye-sensitized solar cells are thin, flexible, easy to make, and efficient. However, they use platinum, and, at $1,500 an ounce, the…

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Jim Destefani / August 20, 2013

‘Poisoning’ increases magnesium corrosion resistance Scientists have found a way to dramatically increase the corrosion resistance of magnesium: adding arsenic. The lightest structural metal, magnesium has many potential industrial applications…

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Novel ceramic could conduct heat better than diamond

By Jim Destefani / August 16, 2013

Local temperature increases occurring as a result of current flow in active regions of electronic devices can lead to decreased performance. Materials with high thermal conductivity are used to conduct…

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Jim Destefani / August 12, 2013

Ultra-thin carbon-based wafer saws save silicon You can’t saw without producing sawdust, and that can be expensive if, for example, you’re sawing silicon wafers for photovoltaic and semiconductor applications. But…

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Slick chemistry uses isothermal water splitting to generate hydrogen

By Eileen De Guire / August 9, 2013

Water splitting by a two-step temperature-swing reaction (left) and by isothermal reaction. (Credit: Roeb, Sattler; Science.) What fascinates me about alternative energy is the diversity of the research portfolio. Some…

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Webinars seek input on Materials Genome Initiative strategic plan

By Eileen De Guire / August 6, 2013

The Materials Genome Initiative. Credit: MGI, OSTP, White House. The Materials Genome Initiative continues to gain momentum, driven in part by workshops sponsored by federal agencies with a lot of…

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Eileen De Guire / August 6, 2013

Light that moves and molds gels Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated a biomimetic response in hydrogels—a material that constitutes most contact lenses and microfluidic or fluid-controlled technologies.…

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New way to determine thermal shock behavior of ceramics

By Martin Grolms / July 29, 2013

Comparison of  experimental results with simulated results to determine the thermal shock behavior of ceramic materials shows excellent agreement. Credit: Wiley Materials Views. (Editor’s note: This article was originally published in…

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Reform of DOE National Lab structure proposed

By Jim Destefani / July 15, 2013

The Department of Energy’s network of 17 national laboratories and five related facilities has been responsible for a multitude of materials science and other innovations since World War II. Now…

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Eileen De Guire / July 15, 2013

  What is glass? Keck Foundation award supports University of Akron research Three University of Akron researchers hoping to uncover the mysteries of glass formation have received a $1 million…

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