Posts by Lisa McDonald
Maximize production of electricity and crops—tinted semitransparent solar panels for agrivoltaics
Agrivoltaics, the practice of co-locating photovoltaic infrastructure and agriculture, can lead to reduced crop yield if the solar panels block too much light. Researchers in the United Kingdom and Italy investigated using tinted semitransparent solar panels that selectively absorb certain wavelengths and found a substantial overall financial gain compared with classical agriculture.
Read MoreCeramic and glass business news of the week for August 17, 2020
Mexican utility confirms first investment in solar, BASF acquires glass-fiber 3D-printing business form Owens Corning, and more ceramic and glass business news of the week for August 17, 2020.
Read MoreA real power brick—polymer-coated bricks store energy
Construction and refractory applications are main uses of bricks, but unusual applications show up in academic journals as well. In a recent paper, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis explain how they made ordinary bricks capable of storing energy like a battery.
Read MoreVideo: The hidden history of Vietnamese ceramics
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the village of Chu Dau in Hải Dương Province, Vietnam, produced unique ceramic pieces that were shipped throughout the world before war put an end to the practice. This history was only recently uncovered in the 1980s, and a recent documentary details the story.
Read MoreOther materials stories that may be of interest
Bring agrivoltaics to the next level, make nonmagnetic materials magnetic, and other materials stories that may be of interest for August 12, 2020.
Read MoreVirtual Glass Summit 2020—ACerS first virtual conference welcomes high attendance and variety of glass topics
ACerS held its first virtual conference, the Virtual Glass Summit, on Aug. 3–5, 2020. The conference welcomed 230 attendees from 13 countries and featured a wide variety of glass topics.
Read MoreWill it spall? Phase diagrams, thermal expansion, and barrier coating degradation
Thermal and environmental barrier coatings are often used to protect turbine blades made from ceramic matrix composites—but these coatings are prone to damage caused by environmental silicate contamination. In three papers published in JACerS, researchers provide extensive insights into the many aspects of damage.
Read MoreCeramic and glass business news of the week for August 10, 2020
Consol Glass cancels manufacturing plant, SINTX and O2TODAY enter agreement to create face mask, and more ceramic and glass business news of the week for August 10, 2020.
Read MoreGearing up for back to school: ACerS journal news and tips for August 2020
As we enter the eighth month of this year, find out the latest ACerS journals news and tips for August 2020!
Read MoreWeak concrete, heavy trucks—understanding reasons for sewer line failure
Numerous factors contribute to failure of concrete sewer pipes. Researchers at The Ohio State University used a surrogate model to identify which factors play the largest role in these failures, isolating critical areas for improvement.
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