Guest Contributor

First-ever International Materials Slam welcomes more than 100 participants

By Guest Contributor / July 19, 2022

The International Materials Slam 2022, a three-day, virtual, student-led outreach event for young materials science enthusiasts, welcomed more than 100 participants from four continents.

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Oxysulfide glass electrolytes show promise for making all-solid-state sodium batteries a reality

By Guest Contributor / July 15, 2022

An all-solid-state sodium battery that operates at ambient temperatures (under 100°C) would allow for safer usage in a broader range of applications. Researchers led by University of Houston and Iowa State University propose a new homogeneous oxysulfide glass electrolyte could make such a battery possible.

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Boron nitride nanosheets show promise as antibacterial drugs

By Guest Contributor / June 24, 2022

Some materials being investigated for use as antimicrobial agents face the limitation that they cannot tell the difference between bacteria and mammalian cells. Researchers led by Soochow University found boron nitride nanosheets do not face this limitation.

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A sweet demonstration: Ceria helps make miniaturized implantable glucose fuel cells possible

By Guest Contributor / June 10, 2022

Glucose fuel cells allow for significant volumetric scale-down of implantable devices because they do not physically store energy like batteries. However, cells that use polymer-based electrolytes face some limitations. Researchers from MIT and the Technical University of Munich developed glucose fuel cells using a ceramic membrane that overcome these limitations.

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Titania photocatalysts: Saving the environment…or not?

By Guest Contributor / May 31, 2022

Titanium dioxide is widely used as a photocatalyst due to its high catalytic activity, excellent chemical stability, low material cost, and minimal toxicity to humans. However, some researchers raised concerns that using TiO2 photocatalytic paints as a remediation technology to improve air quality may do more harm than good.

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Waste not, want not: Reusing glass in concrete for 3D-printed buildings

By Guest Contributor / May 20, 2022

With sand in increasingly short supply, researchers are exploring alternative materials that can be used in the creation of concrete. Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore investigated the possibility of replacing sand and gravel with glass waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

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Mullite precursor method may be a game changer for fabricating ceramic matrix composites

By Guest Contributor / April 22, 2022

Oxide–oxide ceramic matrix composites have desirable properties for use in engine components, but conventional processing techniques usually require high temperatures and pressures, which damage the oxide fiber. Researchers in India developed a one-step process for synthesizing mullite precursors that could lower sintering temperature.

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Ceramics help keep time but usually at a hefty price

By Guest Contributor / April 12, 2022

Ceramics are one material class that is quite popular in the design of luxury watches. View a brief history of watchmakers’ use of ceramics and learn about recent advancements in the development of new materials and processes.

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