The inherent brittleness of bioceramics makes them difficult to shape using traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Electrospinning has emerged as an alternative to additive manufacturing to produce nanoscale, composite bioceramic parts.
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To date, efforts to develop retinal prostheses have achieved limited success. But the turn toward flexible rather than rigid platforms for these devices is leading to significant advances in the research community.
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David Drake, commonly known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved potter who is now one of the most famous names in Edgefield pottery. This CTT overviews Drake’s life and his legacy.
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Electrocaloric materials have potential to replace liquid refrigerant in cooling systems, thus avoiding the emission of harmful greenhouse gases. But currently, electrocaloric devices can only operate within a small temperature span. A recent study reported a new electrocaloric prototype with greatly improved temperature span and cooling power.
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Knives are one of the earliest tools used by humanity, but the materials used to create these sharp-edged tools have undergone some significant advancements since the early days. Learn about the benefits and limitations that come with using ceramic knives in your kitchen.
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Radiative coatings can passively cool buildings without the use of mechanical refrigeration equipment. Two recent papers describe the development of ceramic and glass radiative coatings that demonstrate resistance to environmental stimuli and potential for mass production.
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Glass ornaments have played a central role in holiday decorations for almost two centuries. Learn about this history and where to find glass ornaments for this year’s winter celebrations.
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Photonic crystals are manufactured structures used in many advanced optical devices to control the flow of light. Researchers in Italy and the U.S. discovered that an ancient Roman glass fragment naturally formed a photonic crystal structure on its surface through environmental weathering.
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More environmentally friendly recycling methods are needed to make the lithium-ion battery market into a sustainable and circular economy. Two recent studies demonstrate some ways to accomplish this goal.
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Two-dimensional thin films are often fabricated using bottom-up solution-based techniques, such as electrochemical deposition and atomic layer deposition. Now researchers have reported a top-down, solid-state method based on the age-old Egyptian craft of goldbeating that they say is generalizable to various metallic, polymeric, or ceramic nanoparticles.
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