Environment

DLC coatings reduce plowshare friction in soil

By Eileen De Guire / July 6, 2011

DLC coated plowshare (right). Left images show difference between initial test (top) and test of DLC coated tool. Credit: Felizitas Gemetz; Fraunhofer IWM/Martin Höerner; Fraunhofer IWM. The humble plowshare may…

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Earthday: NASA releases stunning images of that explore the whole Earth

By / April 25, 2011

NASA’s image of the Morenci open-pit copper mine in southeast Arizona, North America’s leading producer of copper. Phelps Dodge employs over 200 people in the mining and refining operations. This…

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Materials stories that may also be of interest

By / April 22, 2011

Check ’em out: Toyota Announces finalists in ‘Ideas For Good’ challenge ‘Solar group buy’ program launched in California Novel bulk metallic glass nanowires boost fuel cell efficiency NC State researchers…

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Bioactive cement plaster: Bioengineering in action

By Martin Grolms / March 29, 2011

Electron micrographs of the cross-section of magnesium phosphate cement-cylinders. (a) MPC-cylinder without bacteria. (b) Macroporous structure within the inner section of freshly prepared MPC with embedded R. ruber bacteria. (c)…

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Novacem’s ‘carbon negative cement’

By / March 9, 2011

  Blocks made with Novacem cement. Credit: Novacem A “green” material that has received growing press attention (at least online) in recent months is a product from Novacem that the…

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DOE gives loan guarantee to southwestern transmission project

By / February 16, 2011

Map of southwestern grid transmission project, Southwest Intertie Project. Credit: DOI. The DOE announced it is using Recovery Act monies to provide a loan guarantee for $343 million to assist a consortium…

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Cure for the winter blues: SEM images of snowflakes

By / February 8, 2011

We’ve reported in the past on the incredible magnification powers of scanning electron microscopes. An SEM is a type of electron microscope that images the sample surface by scanning it…

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Tesla: We are close to ‘closed loop’ battery recycling with reusable alloys, slag

By / February 3, 2011

To make sure their car parts are disposed off in the most eco-friendly manner possible, Tesla has launched a new recycling strategy for its batteries, which are designed to last…

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Ceradyne opens solar materials manufacturing facility in China

By / February 1, 2011

Ceradyne announced the opening of a new factory in Tianjin, China. Ceradyne Tianjin Advanced Materials will produce high-purity ceramic crucibles for the forming of large polysilicon ingots for use in…

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Video of the Week: ‘Green concrete’ composed of 70% fly ash

By / January 31, 2011

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology believe that increasing the amount of fly ash in concrete up to 70 percent can result in excellent concrete in terms of…

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