Materials & Innovations

Weekend warriors: DIY piezo speed belt with LED display makes runners safer, shinier

By Jessica McMathis / April 11, 2014

A light-up speed belt with a built-in piezo vibration sensor detects your pace and keeps you safe during your dawn-to-dusk runs.

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Hard knock life: Marine mollusks inspire stronger ceramics

By April Gocha / April 7, 2014

New research uses inspiration from the ocean to improve ceramics, making them stronger by controlling their microstructure and mimicking that of marine mollusks.

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Trash to treasure: Glass devitrite crystals as novel optical diffusers

By April Gocha / April 4, 2014

Researchers in the United Kingdom are breathing new life into devitrite, generally unwanted crystals that form in glass devritification, particularly for use as a novel and low-cost optical diffuser.

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Eileen De Guire / April 1, 2014

Other materials stories that may be of interest

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MS&T’14 abstract deadline is Monday, March 31!

By Jessica McMathis / March 26, 2014

Next Monday, March 31, is the deadline for submitting abstracts to the Materials Science and Technology 2014 conference.

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Light-bending silicon chip may make former Apple iPhone rumors true

By April Gocha / March 25, 2014

Caltech researchers report a new integrated optical phased array silicon chip that can bend light with no mechanical parts, opening up possibilities for simple projectors that can be incorporated into devices such as smartphones.

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Other materials stories that may be of interest

By Eileen De Guire / March 24, 2014

Other materials stories that may be of interest

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New ceramic thermal barrier coating is long, strong, and down to get the friction on

By April Gocha / March 23, 2014

Swedish scientists have improved yttria stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings with a columnar microstructure to allow jet engines to run hotter, longer, and more efficiently.

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Decaf drinking water made possible by nano titania, magnetite, and graphene oxide modules

By Eileen De Guire / March 21, 2014

Photocatalytic titania nanoparticles and composite magnetic nanoparticles loaded onto graphene oxide create photocatalytic “modules” for wastewater treatment.

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Graphene is topic of PBS talk show ‘White House Chronicle’ interview with Brown U’s Nitin Padture

By Eileen De Guire / March 20, 2014

Nitin Padture, ACerS Fellow, demystifies graphene on PBS’ White House Chronicle. Credit: Brown University, YouTube. Televised talk show interviews are popular and well-established ways for audiences to learn about a…

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