Researchers have created a high-performance ceramic composite that is strong, durable, and resistant to heat and radiation. The findings could be useful in industries that require highly functional and durable ceramic materials—such as nuclear power plants, aerospace, and oil and gas industries.
Read More
Using a fungus called Trichoderma reesei, researchers at Binghamton University in New York are developing a self-healing concrete formulation that incorporates fungal spores that remain dormant until a crack forms.
Read More
Researchers at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have developed better insulating building materials called “Aerobricks”—bricks with internal cavities filled with aerogel granules.
Read More
Researchers have discovered that a layer of fullerenes can enable electrons to travel farther in organic solar cells. Their findings are a major breakthrough in organic solar research, and could lead to less expensive solar power in the future.
Read More
Tesla recently wowed the world with another innovation introduced at the end of 2017—the Tesla Semi. Engineer Brian McManus wanted to know how much energy a battery will need to power the Tesla Semi, and how much the battery would weigh. Watch the video to see his conclusions.
Read More
President Trump recently signed an executive order to explore new sources of 23 critical minerals in the U.S. The directive could spur domestic production of critical minerals, including rare-earth elements, and lessen U.S. dependence on imported minerals.
Read More
Solidia Technologies is founded on the concept of using eco-friendly processing techniques to drastically lower the carbon footprint of concrete—watch this video to see how the company makes its carbon-dioxide-absorbing concrete blocks.
Read More
A collaboration between University of Exeter scientists and a local business has resulted in a glass block product that harnesses the power of the sun. Solar Squared glass blocks can generate electricity while providing thermal insulation to a building.
Read More
Humans aren’t the only species who like to decorate. Camposcia retusa, a species of Majoid crabs, decorates itself to hide from predators. Researchers are observing their behavior to learn what physical and environmental factors drive their decorating behavior.
Read More
The January/February 2018 issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring articles about new facets for defects in ceramics, innovative new concretes, the NSF CAREER Class of 2017, and much more—is now available online.
Read More