Characterization

New issue of Nature Materials features Nitin Padture on advanced ceramics for aerospace propulsion

By April Gocha / August 9, 2016

ACerS member and Fellow Nitin Padture penned one of three commentaries for a new aerospace-centered issue of Nature Materials. Padture’s article, “Advanced structural ceramics in aerospace propulsion,” details the vital role of advanced structural ceramics in ever-advancing vehicle propulsion systems.

Read More

Into the void: Random gaps and particles work together to play key role in concrete’s strength

By Stephanie Liverani / August 9, 2016

Rice University researchers (Houston, Texas) want to know what makes concrete stronger and tougher. And after analyzing more than 600 computer models of concrete’s inner matrix, they determined that both voids and particles are key players in giving the material its remarkable qualities.

Read More

Layered perovskites surprise scientists with disappearing polarity under strain

By April Gocha / July 28, 2016

A team of scientists at Northwestern University has discovered that some ferroelectric materials are hiding a surprise. Layered perovskites don’t conform to conventional wisdom—instead, these materials completely turn off polarization if enough strain is applied to them.

Read More

Ceramic-based laser cuts into tissues, composites

By April Gocha / July 26, 2016

Scientists at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the company IRE-Polus have developed a ceramic-based laser that can has just the right wavelength to cut its way into key industries.

Read More

Terahertz measurement technique resolves individual layer thickness within multilayer coatings

By April Gocha / July 15, 2016

Scientists at University of Kaiserslautern and Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques in Kaiserslautern, Germany, have developed a technique that uses time of flight measurements from terahertz pulses to resolve individual layers within multilayered surfaces—now all the way down to 4 micrometers.

Read More

Supercomputer-powered materials database unleashes data deluge

By April Gocha / June 27, 2016

The Materials Project—a public database of materials property data launched in 2011—just released another massive chunk of data, complete with user-friendly tools to explore and analyze that data.

Read More

Glass genome opens up new opportunities for functional glasses with tailored properties

By April Gocha / June 23, 2016

Scientists at Corning Inc. (Corning, N.Y.) and Aalborg University (Aalborg, Denmark) have turned to computer modeling to help develop a glass-specific genome that will allow exploration and tailoring of specific properties of functional glasses.

Read More

Video: Multilayered materials offer new potential for improved strength, heat tolerance, and performance

By April Gocha / June 22, 2016

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, are using the power of data to help develop new materials for extreme environments.

Read More

Quantum materials help design longer lasting solid oxide fuel cells

By April Gocha / June 9, 2016

Researchers at Harvard University have devised a different way to generate longer lasting fuel cells, this time using quantum materials.

Read More

Scientists work towards oxidation-resistant, ultrahigh melting point nanolaminated borides

By April Gocha / June 6, 2016

Researchers from Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.), Linkoping University in Sweden, and Imperial College London think that they can make borides better—by giving the material a protective layer of aluminum, the scientists have developed the world’s first corrosion-resistant boride.

Read More