Military

concrete boat—The Boat

Video: 97-year-old concrete ship has colorful history

By Faye Oney / March 28, 2018

Concrete ships have been around since the 1800s. But there is one boat with a concrete hull that is still afloat in a Florida sound. Watch the video to learn more about the colorful history of “The Boat”—which seems to have more lives than a cat!

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Markets of magnitude: International profile of the ceramic industry in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, plus more inside October/November ACerS Bulletin

By April Gocha / September 21, 2017

The October/November 2017 issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring an international ceramic industry report on Southeast Asia, the truth about silicon carbide for modern ceramic armor, and a midpoint update on the activities of an active Brazilian glass research center—is now available online.

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U.S. Navy 3-D printed submersible hull

Video: Go big or go home—Navy creates first submarine hull on giant 3-D printer

By Faye Oney / August 16, 2017

The U.S. Navy created a submersible hull prototype on a giant 3-D printing machine in less than one week—saving the Navy 90% in production costs. This is the first step in building a fleet of submersibles that can withstand harsh ocean conditions.

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Aluminum powder and water produce spontaneous hydrolysis to power fuel cell for soldiers in the field

By Faye Oney / August 15, 2017

Researchers have discovered a way to produce hydrogen to power a fuel cell, using hydrolysis without a catalyst. This “spontaneous hydrolysis” could provide soldiers with battery power in the field.

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Boron carbide for lightweight ceramic armor, and more inside August ACerS Bulletin

By April Gocha / July 20, 2017

The August 2017 issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring articles about boron carbide for lightweight ceramic armor, an update on German ceramic R&D activities, and where big data meets materials science—is now available online.

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Could this structure allow 3-D printed polymers to replace ceramic materials in body armor?

By April Gocha / June 20, 2017

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have taken inspiration from conch shells to develop a 3-D printing technique that can build composite materials with incredible toughness.

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Video: New breathable-yet-protective material protects soldiers from biological and chemical hazards

By Stephanie Liverani / August 10, 2016

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California are developing a material for protective military uniforms that is highly breathable yet protects from biological and chemical threats.

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Video: Improving armor—developing better materials to better protect

By April Gocha / June 8, 2016

When it comes to ceramic materials, body armor is a familiar and favorite topic. But better materials for protecting the lives of those in the line of duty extend beyond ceramics, too.

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Video: Such great heights—Stratobus drone–satellite hybrid project is getting off the ground

By April Gocha / May 25, 2016

Thales Alenia Space—a French–Italian venture specializing in space communications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration, and orbital infrastructures—is developing a unique solar powered autonomous stratospheric airship.

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Video: Could composite metal foams give ceramic materials a run for their money?

By April Gocha / April 13, 2016

Researchers from North Carolina State University have spent several years studying composite metal foams to better understand their properties and incredible potential.

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