Characterization

Pottery probe shows continuity of southeastern Hispaniola cultures

By Guest Contributor / August 30, 2022

Mona Passage, a strait which separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, is believed to have served as a reception area for migration groups during the early Common Era. A recent open-access study contends that despite there being a broader regional network of interaction, the stable manufacturing tradition suggests a cultural continuity in the communities that lived there.

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M7C3: Unveiling the structure of a misunderstood carbide

By Lisa McDonald / August 26, 2022

The use of data-driven methods to tailor the growth characteristics, stability, and mechanical properties of M7C3-type carbides is hindered by ambiguity surrounding the carbide’s structure. To overcome this uncertainty, researchers from the United States and Israel used a variety of imaging techniques to reveal the atomistic structure of M7C3 carbides.

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Introduction to “Glass relaxation” for Glass: Then and Now

By Jonathon Foreman / August 5, 2022

As part of the IYoG celebrations, ACerS’ “Glass: Then and Now” series is highlighting ACerS journal articles each month that support advancement in glass science and technology. The focus this month is glass relaxation.

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Accelerated aging test suggests decades-long performance is possible for new perovskite solar cell

By Guest Contributor / July 26, 2022

As the lifetime of perovskite solar cells improves, accelerated aging tests are needed to determine their long-term stability. Researchers at Princeton University and Linköping University proposed a new method for performing accelerated aging tests on perovskites—and demonstrated their newly developed perovskite cell may last up to 30 years in operation.

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New model clarifies rheological properties of bentonite muds mixed with other clays during drilling operations

By Lisa McDonald / July 8, 2022

During borehole drilling operations, bentonite-based drilling mud mixes with excavated soil materials, which may drastically affect the mud’s rheological properties. Researchers in France developed a phenomenological model to quantify the yield stress of bentonite muds mixed with other clays.

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Harmonized testing procedure more accurately determines ionic conductivity of ceramic electrolytes

By Lisa McDonald / July 5, 2022

Deviations in the reported ionic conductivity of nominally identical ceramic electrolytes can be attributed in part to differences in the measurement and analysis methods used. Researchers in Germany developed a harmonized testing procedure that facilitates reliable assessment of errors that are due to inherent sample properties rather than analysis-related choices.

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Introduction to “Viscosity and fictive temperature” for Glass: Then and Now

By Jonathon Foreman / July 1, 2022

As part of the IYoG celebrations, ACerS’ “Glass: Then and Now” series is highlighting ACerS journal articles each month that support advancement in glass science and technology. The focus this month is viscosity and fictive temperature.

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The microscopist’s dilemma: How to take advantage of an abundance of data

By Eileen De Guire / June 28, 2022

Storing data generated by sophisticated microscopy instruments is quite easy, but accessing, interpreting, and acting on the terabytes of data is challenging. Two recent papers offer interesting approaches to interacting with electron microscopes and the data they produce.

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New test method for aluminosilicate refractories offers better insight into real-world alkali attack mechanisms

By Lisa McDonald / June 3, 2022

The common way to test alkali resistance of aluminosilicate refractories is based solely on visual observation after exposure to alkali vapor. Allied Mineral Products researchers explored a new procedure that would subject refractories to both visual analysis and formal analytical testing after exposure to alkali slag and vapor.

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Toward next-gen environmental barrier coatings—effect of thermal ageing on microstructure and elastic properties of ytterbium silicates

By Lisa McDonald / May 10, 2022

Ytterbium-based silicates are a current generation of environmental barrier coating materials that demonstrate much promise for protecting ceramic matrix composite components in jet engines. Researchers from the University of Manchester examined the effect of thermal ageing on microstructural characteristics and elastic properties of these silicates.

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