Raw materials

Video: 3-D printing key to conserving rare-earth materials for high-power magnet production

By Stephanie Liverani / November 9, 2016

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory say they’ve 3-D-printed permanent magnets that can outperform bonded magnets made using traditional techniques while conserving critical rare materials in the process.

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Zero waste: European project revamps ceramic tile manufacturing to completely eliminate waste

By April Gocha / July 11, 2016

A European project called LIFECERAM—coordinated by the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica of the Universitat Jaime I of Castellón in Spain and including Spanish Association of Ceramic Tile and Paving Manufacturers and several commercial partners—has reached an important milestone towards its goal of achieving absolutely zero waste in ceramic tile manufacturing.

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Aluminum–cerium alloy has potential to jump-start rare-earth production in the US

By April Gocha / June 13, 2016

A team of scientists from Oak Ridge National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and Eck Industries has developed a new super-strong aluminum alloy that incorporates cerium—and it just may be able to restart mining of rare-earth elements in the United States.

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Video: 1,600-year-old kilns discovered in Israel shed new light on ancient glass industry

By Stephanie Liverani / April 20, 2016

Remains of 1,600-year-old kilns were discovered in Israel, where archaeologists believe commercial quantities of raw glass were produced—a discovery that proves Israel was one of the largest glass manufacturers in the ancient world, the Israel Antiquities Authority reports.

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Paper power: Glassy ceramic material makes paperlike electrodes for better lithium-ion batteries

By April Gocha / April 3, 2016

Researchers at Kansas State University are exploring new glassy ceramic material combinations and electrode designs that will afford lithium-ion batteries with high capacity, efficiency, and stability as well as high mass loading.

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Watch for splinters—Will transparent wood replace glass in solar cells and windows?

By Stephanie Liverani / April 1, 2016

When it comes to developing the latest solar energy solutions, a few materials seem to get most of the press—logical materials like perovskites, silicon, and glass. But what if the next superstar solar cell material defies traditional logic?

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Down with silica (exposure limits): Occupational exposure guidelines reduced for first time in over 40 years

By April Gocha / March 25, 2016

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) yesterday issued a ruling that lowers worksite exposure limits of respirable silica by half or more of current limits.

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Flush what you knew about clean energy: Researchers discover new way to use wastewater for power

By Stephanie Liverani / February 23, 2016

Step aside wind and solar power. Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered a way to maximize the amount of electricity that can be generated from the wastewater we flush down the toilet.

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How did it all begin? Glass mimicking space stuff could provide answers

By April Gocha / January 18, 2016

Scientists at Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, collaborating with scientists at Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster and the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany, are experimenting with glass to help answer the very question of how it all began.

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Closer look at spider ‘signal threads’ could lead to advances in remote sensing technology

By Stephanie Liverani / January 15, 2016

Scientists at the University of Oxford in England are studying the composition of spider web “signal threads” for inspiration when it comes to developing new advances in remote sensing technology.

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