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[Images above] Credit: NIST

 

NANOMATERIALS

Nano-sandwiching improves heat transfer, prevents overheating in electronics

Sandwiching two-dimensional materials used in nanoelectronic devices between their three-dimensional silicon bases and an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide can significantly reduce the risk of component failure due to overheating, according to a new study.

Using green lasers to process copper nanoparticle ink for printed electronics

Researchers have found that they can sinter copper nanoparticle inks with a green laser light to reach the optimal conductivity, allowing them to make a cheaper ink than the silver or gold-based inks predominately used to make printed electronics such as thin-film circuits.

 

ENERGY

New high-capacity sodium-ion could replace lithium in rechargeable batteries

University of Birmingham scientists are paving the way to swap the lithium in lithium-ion batteries with sodium, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

How lower costs and technology are powering demand for renewables

A new report by Deloitte on global renewable energy trends released on September 14 notes that three key enablers—parity and performance parity, grid integration, and technology—are helping solar and wind become equivalent to conventional sources of energy.

World’s first hydrogen-powered train enters into service

European railway manufacturer Alstom has launched what it says is the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell train. The French business said that the Coradia iLint used fuel cells that turn hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. The new train can travel up to 140 kilometers per hour.

Graphene helps protect photocathodes for physics experiments

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne, Brookhaven, and Los Alamos national laboratories have developed a way to wrap photocathodes up in a protective coat of atomically thin graphene, extending their lifetimes.

 

MANUFACTURING

SCRIM: An innovative method of 3-D concrete printing

Researchers have developed a new hybrid construction concept, “Sparse Concrete Reinforcement In Meshworks.” Their method addresses existing limitations in 3-D concrete printing related to printing of non-extruded geometries and targets the manufacturing of lightweight components.

 

OTHER STORIES

Scientists find new ways to 3-D print graphene objects

A team of scientists at Virginia Tech and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has developed a new 3-D printing process to create complex objects out of graphene, one of the strongest materials ever tested on Earth.

Magnetic materials self-actuate in response to light

Researchers have developed magnetic elastomeric composites that move in different ways when exposed to light. The magnetic aspect of the materials is based on the principle of the Curie temperature—the temperature above which certain materials will change their magnetic properties.

Scaling up single-crystal graphene

Researchers produced large, single-crystal-like graphene films more than a foot long using a new method they developed. This method, which produces a single layer of graphene, relies on harnessing a “survival of the fittest” competition among graphene crystals.

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