A collaboration between Battelle and Rare Earth Salts is one of several DOE projects to revive rare earth production in the U.S. Researchers are working to extract rare-earth elements from coal fly ash—which could also provide a boost to the coal industry.
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An 11-year-old recently earned the distinction of America’s Top Young Scientist along with a $25,000 prize when she created a device that detects lead in water. The device incorporates carbon nanotubes and pairs with a mobile app to immediately provide water quality data.
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New research shows that sea sponges use an internal protein filament to catalyze silica deposition, ultimately determining the shape of their uniquely structured glass spicules.
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Researchers built the first ceramic pump that can transfer liquid metals up to 1,673 Kelvin (2,552ºF). The pump could be used for renewable energy storage, producing hydrogen from methane without releasing CO2, and to develop new types of batteries.
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According to a new analysis by researchers at MIT, University of California Berkeley, and Rochester Institute of Technology, adequate supply of critical lithium-ion battery materials lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and nickel should not disrupt battery production, at least in the short term.
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ETH Zurich researchers have used computational modeling to design an ultrathin concrete roof for that optimizes strength while eliminating extra material and weight.
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The automotive industry is speeding toward an electric car future. Beyond the drivers influencing these changes, there are some important factors that are actually enabling this shift to take place—and at their heart is materials science and engineering.
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Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology, in collaboration with BAM Infra, recently completed construction of the world’s first 3-D printed reinforced concrete bridge. The steel cables, added during printing, help prestress the concrete to support loads beyond its weight.
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Forty-two solar-powered vehicles are currently competing with one another in the World Solar Challenge, a long-distance solar vehicle race across the Australian continent.
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A new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory claims the U.S. will need 8,000 fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations to accommodate the increasing number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the coming decades.
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