Education

New frontiers in space travel: A review of ultrahigh-temperature ceramic properties and processes

By Lisa McDonald / December 19, 2023

Ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a promising class of materials for next-generation aerospace technologies. Several ACerS members just published a review paper on UHTCs, describing their properties and overviewing traditional and novel manufacturing methods to synthesis these emerging materials.

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Slip risk on ceramic floors: The need for a unified measurement standard

By Lisa McDonald / December 15, 2023

Currently there is no unified standard for classifying flooring materials based on their slip resistance. Researchers in Spain revealed the discrepancies between different slip tests and proposed several ways to standardize these methods to achieve more meaningful results.

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Video: Glass ornaments sparkle for the holidays

By Guest Contributor / December 6, 2023

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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Ensuring future food supply: A review of silver-based nanoparticles to combat plant diseases

By Lisa McDonald / December 1, 2023

Agriculture and livestock management has relied largely on antimicrobial drugs to combat plant diseases, but this overreliance contributes to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Silver-based nanoparticles could serve as an alternative method to protect plants from pathogens, as discussed in a recent review paper.

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Video: Empty Bowls project—fighting food insecurity through ceramics

By Lisa McDonald / November 22, 2023

Food insecurity remains at an elevated level due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Empty Bowls project provides a unique way to raise money for food banks by engaging the local arts community.

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Video: Build your literacy on energy topics with Stanford’s new learning hub

By Lisa McDonald / November 15, 2023

Many people do not feel they can contribute knowledgeably to energy discussions due to the complex nature of this topic. Stanford University’s new Understand Energy Learning Hub aims to help the public build their energy literacy at their own pace.

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Video: Chocolate pots—serving luxury in the 17th and 18th centuries

By Lisa McDonald / October 25, 2023

As chocolate became a fashionable beverage throughout Europe in the 17th century, it became big business to design and sell cookware specifically designed for preparing chocolate. Learn about the European chocolatière, or chocolate pot, in today’s CTT.

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Video: Beckon in a fall of good fortune with Japanese maneki-neko

By Lisa McDonald / October 4, 2023

Many cultures have symbols or rituals that are widely viewed as lucky within that society. The maneki-neko, or Japanese “beckoning cat,” is one cultural symbol that has grown to be recognized almost universally as a figure of good luck. Learn about the history of maneki-neko and how to make one for yourself.

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Video: Silica, a common food additive, may be chemically reactive

By Lisa McDonald / September 27, 2023

The increasing use of nanoparticles across all sectors has led to some concerns within the food industry, as nanoparticles do not necessarily behave the same way as their larger counterparts. A new study by Stanford University researchers showed that mesoporous silica, a common food additive, can react with key biomolecules, which could lead to increased oxidative stress in the body.

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Ceramics and ceramists on the Manhattan Project: A narrative of activities at MIT

By Lisa McDonald / September 5, 2023

There are many hidden stories of the people who worked on the Manhattan Project, which resulted in the world’s first atomic bombs. In 1990, the late ACerS Fellows Osgood J. Whittemore and Louis R. McCreight published an article uncovering some of this history by describing research conducted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop refractory crucibles for nuclear metals processing.

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