Materials Sciences

At the heart of the promises of nanotechnology – the emerging science of making molecular machines – are carbon nanotubes. These are tiny cylinders with remarkable properties that could improve products ranging from house paint to microchips.

Now, engineers at the University of Florida and two other universities have added another possibility: Foams used in everything from construction to cushions to packaging.

An article about the engineers’ discovery appears Friday

Latex film formation through evaporation deposition: Monte Carlo Study

In the formation of high performance coatings, it is known that the process whereby a film forms from a colloidal dispersion is a key step. Conversely, how the solvent evaporation process affects the structure of the film during this stage is not well understood. The irreversible nature of the evaporation process necessitates the use of non-standard theoretical methods and even simple models can be important too

The Max Planck Society and the Technical University in Munich inaugurate a unique neutron spectrometer at the research neutron source (FRM-II)

N-REX+ (Neutron Reflectometry & X-Rays) is one of two neutron spectrometers that are unique worldwide; the other one is TRISP (Triple Axis Resonance Spin echo Spectrometer), already in service at the research neutron source. Both were designed and built at the high flux neutron source by Max Planck researchers over the past five years. The

When ESA experts wanted to see what the ion engine designed for the SMART-1 mission to the Moon would finally look like, they contacted a French start-up company: News’UProduction. The new technique they came up with is now being further developed in ESA’s European Space Incubator.

Jean-Luc Atteleyn, photographer and CEO of News’UProduction says: “We managed to produce high quality and realistic images and animations of the engine based upon classical 3D design drawings. This was

The NANOEFFECT “Nanocomposites with High Colouration Efficiency for Electrochromic Smart Plastic Devices” project, led by the Fraunhofer-Institut Silicatforschung (ISC), is designing new electrochromic devices that are totally plastic and flexible, capable of changing colour on the simple application of an electric current. The main result of the project will be a new nanohybrid material with great electrochromic efficiency, to be integrated into plastic electrochromic devices with excellent char

Using building blocks that make up ordinary plastics, but putting them together in a whole new way, University of Michigan researchers have created a class of lightweight, rigid polymers they predict will be useful for storing hydrogen fuel. The work is described in today’s (Nov. 17) issue of the journal Science.

The trick to making the new materials, called covalent organic frameworks (COFs), was coaxing them to assume predictable crystal structures—something that never had b