Posts by Lisa McDonald
First combined structural clay meeting brings 100+ attendees to Fort Worth
The first ACerS Structural Clay Products Division & Southwest Section Meeting in conjunction with the National Brick Research Center Meeting was held May 9–12 in Fort Worth, Texas. Highlights included technical sessions, brick plant tours, networking, and an awards banquet.
Read MoreBuilding a better world—June/July 2017 ACerS Bulletin is now available online
The June/July 2017 issue of the ACerS Bulletin is now available online. This special double issue is all about building a better world, from highlighting the activities of the next generation to the future of smartphones and antimicrobial surfaces.
Read MoreVideo: It’s Electrick—Conductive sensing technique turns any surface into an interactive touchpad
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have devised a technique called Electrick that uses electric field tomography to turn virtually any surface—including toys, guitars, entire walls, tables, steering wheels, and even Jello—into an interactive touchpad.
Read MoreOther materials stories that may be of interest
Thin-film ferroelectrics go extreme, fiber hybridization technology for next generation concrete, and other materials stories that may be of interest for May 17, 2017.
Read MoreBiodegradable electronics might become a reality in the future
Our electronic devices might become biodegradable in the future. Stanford researchers have created a biodegradable electronic device characteristic of human skin—flexible, self-healing, and degradable with the addition of a weak acid.
Read MoreArched design allows concrete floors to go thinner and lighter, offers green building solution
Researchers at ETH Zürich have developed a new modular and thin concrete flooring system that weighs 70% less than conventional concrete floors and could offer a greener building solution.
Read MoreElectroplating lithium-ion battery cathodes could yield higher-performing batteries
Electroplating may soon be the newest process to manufacture lithium-ion batteries. Researchers have devised a method to eliminate inactive materials in lithium cathodes, resulting in batteries that are 30% more powerful and less expensive.
Read MoreGlass goes ballistic: What happens when you shoot a bullet at Prince Rupert’s drops?
Prince Rupert’s drops are strong—but are they strong enough to survive being shot with a high-speed bullet at point-blank range? YouTube channel SmarterEveryDay recently posted a series of videos exploring the limits of strength of Prince Rupert’s drops in the face of some serious ammunition spewed from progressively bigger guns.
Read MoreVideo: 3-D printers could soon ‘print’ entire buildings
3-D printing is quickly becoming a ubiquitous technology in many industries. Now, a researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a 3-D printing system to construct a large building.
Read MoreOther materials stories that may be of interest
Stenciling with atoms in 2-D materials possible, sodium and magnesium to replace lithium in batteries, and other materials stories that may be of interest for May 10, 2017.
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