MIT researchers have devised a new method for shrinking the size of crystals to make safer metal alloys. The new materials could replace metal coatings such as chromium, which is dangerous for factory workers to produce.

The method, developed by Associate Professor Christopher Schuh and graduate student Andrew Detor, both of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, involves making the crystals within an alloy (a combination of two or more metals) smaller and thus hard

The L-9202 locomotive, baptised as the Virgen del Buen Camino, has successfully finalised its track trials. This is the first variable-gauge locomotive arising from the TRAV-CA project. It has been designed and developed by TALGO and the Grupo Ingeteam company (TEAM).

TEAM developed the electrics and traction equipment while TALGO was charged with designing and building the structure. The company Indar, belonging to Grupo Ingeteam, took part in the project as well, supplying four as

One of the most advanced university cleanrooms in the world, the Nanofabrication Laboratory, at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, MC2, at Chalmers University of Technology, in Göteborg, Sweden, is now offering European Universities and SME:s access, free of charge, to advanced micro- and nanotechnology fabrication resources.

MC2 is the leading Swedish research facility in nanoelectronics and photonics. MC2 has secured a contract with the European Commission to open up the

Tiny fuel cells may provide power to many consumer goods

Carnegie Mellon University’s Prashant Kumta will discuss his novel methanol-powered fuel cell research from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Feb. 18, during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Mo.

Kumta, a professor of materials science and biomedical engineering, is developing microscale fuel cells that use methanol instead of expensiv

Fort Bragg could be the model for the nation when it comes to protecting the public through a network that integrates a 911 dispatch system with sensors, alarms and video surveillance.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s SensorNet, a collection of systems for the detection, identification and assessment of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, has been installed as part of a project with the Fort Bragg Directorate of Emergency Services. The military base, locat

Researchers at MIT have developed a new type of lithium battery that could become a cheaper alternative to the batteries that now power hybrid electric cars.

Until now, lithium batteries have not had the rapid charging capability or safety level needed for use in cars. Hybrid cars now run on nickel metal hydride batteries, which power an electric motor and can rapidly recharge while the car is decelerating or standing still.

But lithium nickel manganese oxide, descri

A unique solar collector was developed by specialists of the Moscow “ALTEN” company under the guidance of Boris Kazandzhan, Professor, Doctor of Science (Engineering), Moscow Power Engineering Institute. Originality of the novelty lies in its extremely high efficiency. The collector not only manages to entrap the heat of solar beams falling on its surface, but also to utilize it to a great extent for direct purpose – for water heating.

Evidently, the idea of water heating in sunlight is

A University of Florida engineer is the latest researcher to design a tiny, easy-to-manufacture motion sensor, a development that could help popularize the sensors as standard equipment in personal electronics, medical devices and other applications.

The sensor, which measures about 3 square millimeters or one-tenth of an inch, is not the smallest motion sensor ever invented. But it is extremely sensitive, draws only a tiny amount of electrical power and — most important – is one of a

The effect of corrosion has an impact on about 3% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. From a positive point of view, however, chemical attack of metal surfaces may result into surface nano-structures with very interesting technological applications such as catalysts and sensors. Therefore, a better understanding of corrosion processes is required to both prevent it and make the most of it. Scientists from Germany and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) have highlighted a self-

A solar cell, made of titania nanotubes and natural dye, may be the answer to making solar electricity production cost-effective, according to a Penn State researcher.

“Solar cell technology has not changed very much over time and is still predominantly silicon solar cells,” says Dr. Craig Grimes, professor of electrical engineering and materials science and engineering. “It takes a great deal of energy, 5 gigajoules per square meter, to make silicon solar cells. It can be ar

New composites could remove buzz from speakers, sting from golf clubs

A new study suggests that integrating nanotubes into traditional materials dramatically improves their ability to reduce vibration, especially at high temperatures. The findings could pave the way for a new class of materials with a multitude of applications, from high-performance parts for spacecraft and automobile engines, to golf clubs that don’t sting and stereo speakers that don’t buzz.

The mate

Just about everything that runs on batteries – flashlights, cell phones, electric cars, missile-guidance systems – would be improved with a better energy supply. But traditional batteries haven’t progressed far beyond the basic design developed by Alessandro Volta in the 19th century.

Until now.

Work at MIT’s Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems (LEES) holds out the promise of the first technologically significant and economically viable alternative to co

Cleaning bathrooms may become a thing of the past with new coatings that will do the job for you.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales are developing new coatings they hope will be used for self-cleaning surfaces in hospitals and the home.

Led by Professor Rose Amal and Professor Michael Brungs of the ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, a research team is studying tiny particles of titanium dioxide currently used on outdoor surfaces such as self-cleaning w

ACS Production of France, a specialist in textile architecture, will launch ALOE – a structure for providing shade in the garden or beside a swimming pool – in May 2006. The composite structure is made of metal (the foot can also be dressed with wood) and textiles. ALOE was used during televised interviews on the beach of the Hotel Majestic in Cannes for the 2005 Film Festival.

ALOE’s textile structures are inspired by the natural shape of foliage. They are formed on a metal

Rotavirus vaccine will protect children against a major killer worldwide

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the licensing of a new vaccine against a disease responsible for tens of thousands of hospitalizations in the United States and hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world each year. The vaccine, developed by Merck & Co., Inc., will be sold as ROTATEQ® and will protect infants against rotavirus infection. Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that i

Could engineers have known ahead of time exactly how much pressure the levees protecting New Orleans could withstand before giving way? Is it possible to predict when and under what conditions material wear and tear will become critical, causing planes to crash or bridges to collapse? A study by Weizmann Institute scientists takes a new and original approach to the study of how materials fracture and split apart.

When force is applied to a material (say, a rock hitting a pane of glass