Materials Sciences

As a boy growing up in Brazil 40 years ago, Marc A. Meyers marveled at the lightweight toughness of toucan beaks that he occasionally found on the forest floor. Now a materials scientist and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering, Meyers said makers of airplanes and automobiles may benefit from the first ever detailed engineering analysis of toucan beaks conducted in his lab.

“Our computer modeling shows that the beak is optimized to

Biomolecule and microwave assisted solvothermal syntheses of nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are increasingly gaining the attention of not only the scientific community, but also the public due to their unique properties which endear them to new and exciting applications. These special properties can vary markedly from those of the analogous bulk materials. The physical and chemical properties of the nanomaterials tend to be exceptionally closely dependent on their size and shape or mo

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