Thermal management

The who, what and how of staying ahead of an economic downturn

By Eileen De Guire / August 22, 2012

A packed plenary session from last year’s MS&T. This year’s conference focuses on the latest materials science and engineering—all part of gaining and keeping the competitive edge in tough economic…

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Other materials science stories that may be of interest

By / August 21, 2012

Check ’em out: September California workshop to explore plans for National Network for Manufacturing Innovation The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, in partnership with state and national organizations, is inviting…

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New flexible and stronger aerogel expected to open new applications for super-insulator

By / August 19, 2012

Newly developed flexible aerogels are 500 times stronger than earlier versions and can be used in everything from clothing insulation to building insulation. Credit: NASA. A NASA scientist has just…

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Video: Pulsed laser method removes paint, grease and crud from surfaces

By Eileen De Guire / August 16, 2012

A closed-loop, real-time sensor ensures that only the paint is stripped off the workpiece by a pulsed laser. Credit: GLC; You Tube. Lasers were invented in the 1960s (by whom…

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Ceramics and glass business news of the week

By / July 13, 2012

Here is what we are hearing: Surmet’s transparent, tiled, three-panel ALON armor window. Credit: Surmet. Advances in making large ALON transparent armor windows Surmet continues its advances in fabricating cost…

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Video: NASA engineers test inflatable reentry heat shield prior to flight test

By Eileen De Guire / July 10, 2012

NASA flight engineers put an inflatable heat shield through extensive ground testing in advance of a flight demonstration of the Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment. Credit: NASA Langley Research Center. NASA…

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Zeolites’ porosity, surface area and catalytic abilities leveraged for diverse applications

By / July 6, 2012

Zeolite pellets like these are being used by Fraunhofer researchers in a new high-efficiency thermal energy storage system. Credit: Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. This is totally an…

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How to knit silicon carbide fibers

By Martin Grolms / July 3, 2012

Woven silicon carbide fibers. Credit: Christian Heiss et al.; MaterialsViews/Wiley. Textile structures made from silicon carbide fibers are very interesting for manufacturing of fiber reinforced high temperature resistant ceramic matrix composites…

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Heat transfer—two new studies look at effects of interface bonding, surface roughness

By Eileen De Guire / June 26, 2012

Through atomic-scale manipulation, researchers have demonstrated that a single layer of atoms can disrupt or enhance heat flow across an interface. Credit: Mark Losego; UIUC. Heat. A lot of engineering…

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New book on ceramic porcelain high-voltage insulators for power transmission

By Eileen De Guire / June 19, 2012

High-voltage insulators in a 550 kV circuit breaker testing jig. The porcelain columns are five meters tall. Credit: Liebermann; Schulze KG, Germany. We post plenty of stories about electrical power,…

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