Tag

Materials Science

All articles tagged with #materials science

science4 days ago•5 min saved

ISS 2025 Highlights: Robotic Surgery, Bioprinted Bones, and Space-Ready Batteries

NASA's 2025 ISS Highlights show 750+ investigations advancing life in space, Earth benefits, and future Moon/Mars exploration, including a microgravity robotic surgery demo, magnetic-levitation bioprinted bone grafts, melanin-enhanced shielding materials, long-duration space battery tests with minimal degradation, and studies of post-flight piloting performance, reflecting global collaboration and thousands of publications.

via NASA (.gov)|

#batteries #bioprinting #materials-science

physics-and-chemistry5 days ago•17 min saved

Gold’s Surface Hexagon: The Atomic Trick Behind Its Lasting Shine

Researchers used computer simulations to show gold’s surface atoms rearrange into hexagonal patterns that dramatically suppress oxidation (by about a billion to a trillion), explaining its long-lasting shine and suggesting new ways to optimize gold-catalyzed reactions.

via Gizmodo|

#catalysis #gold #materials-science

science7 days ago•4 min saved

Ice-Templated Nacre-Inspired Ceramic Is 10× Tougher

French researchers have created a nacre-inspired ceramic that is ten times tougher than conventional ceramics by aligning alumina platelets with controlled ice growth (ice templating) using water and alumina powder; the resulting layered microstructure diverts cracks, boosting fracture resistance while maintaining performance up to at least 600°C, with potential uses in aerospace, energy systems, and ballistic protection.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#alumina #fracture-toughness #ice-templating

technology7 days ago•7 min saved

Bacteria-Directed Material Could Replace Plastics in Industry

Scientists developed a scalable rotational bioreactor process that aligns cellulose-producing bacteria to produce ultra-strong, multifunctional bacterial cellulose; tensile strength reaches 436 MPa (553 MPa with boron nitride additives) and heat dissipation improves threefold, enabling potential replacement of plastics in packaging, electronics and more.

via SciTechDaily|

#bacterial-cellulose #bioreactor #materials-science

science7 days ago•6 min saved

Trinity Sand Reveals Two Rare Crystals From the First Nuclear Blast

Researchers studying a Trinity test fragment of trinitite found two rare crystal structures formed by the explosion: a copper-rich red phase containing a quasicrystal and a silicon-based clathrate. Using nano-CT, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and modeling, they show both structures coalesced in the detonation, offering new insights into how extreme events produce unusual crystals.

via Indian Defence Review|

#clathrate #materials-science #nuclear-explosion

science9 days ago•5 min saved

Trinity Test Unleashed a Brand-New Material: Calcium–Copper–Silicon Clathrate

Researchers analyzing remnants from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test identified a novel calcium–copper–silicon clathrate formed spontaneously under extreme heat and pressure, a material not seen in nature or in labs, alongside a silicon-rich quasicrystal; the finding shows that catastrophic events can create new materials with potential for future technologies.

via WIRED|

#calcium-copper-silicon #clathrate #materials-science

science10 days ago•1 min saved

Researchers Discover Unprecedented Clathrate Inside Trinity Test Crystal

A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used CT and X-ray scans to analyze a rare red crystal from the Trinity test’s trinitite and found a previously unseen clathrate that traps atoms in its lattice—a material never observed in nature or in nuclear debris—highlighting the extreme chemistry produced by nuclear weapons, with the reminder that collecting such material is illegal.

via Futurism|

#clathrate #ct-scans #materials-science

science11 days ago•35 min saved

1945 Trinity blast yields a crystal unlike any before

Scientists studying debris from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test report an extreme crystal with an unprecedented atomic arrangement, challenging existing theories of crystal growth under extreme conditions.

via Yahoo|

#crystal #materials-science #nuclear-test

science12 days ago•6 min saved

Ancient Glass Trick Enables Easier Manufacturing of MOF Glasses

Researchers revived a centuries-old glassmaking idea to tune metal–organic framework (MOF) glasses by adding small alkali-containing compounds (sodium or lithium). These additives loosen the glass network, lower the softening temperature, and improve flow, making MOF glasses easier to melt and reform. The team used high-temperature solid-state NMR and AI-driven modeling to show how sodium integrates into the glass, potentially expanding MOF glasses’ use in gas separation, storage, catalysis, and coatings, moving them closer to real-world manufacturing.

via SciTechDaily|

#alkali-ions #gas-storage #glass-engineering

science12 days ago•24 min saved

Picometer-precision atom steering yields mesoscopic defect crystal in CrSBr

Researchers demonstrate deterministic atomic engineering inside CrSBr by steering Cr atoms with sub-20-pm accuracy to create a mesoscopic 3D defect crystal (~40,000 defects) within a 150×100×13 nm volume. The engineered lattice is stable at room temperature and opens routes for deterministic colour-centre placement, quantum simulations of many-body systems, and scalable atomic-scale manufacturing outside the microscope.

via Nature|

#defect-engineering #electron-microscopy #materials-science

science29 days ago•6 min saved

Lab Breakthrough Grows Dolomite, Solving a 200-Year Mineral Mystery

Scientists finally managed to grow dolomite in the lab after 32 straight failed attempts spanning two centuries. The breakthrough came from a hybrid approach that combined computational modeling of atomic arrangements with an in-situ technique that uses a pulsed electron beam to remove defects under fluctuating supersaturation. This enabled the controlled growth of about 300 dolomite layers (roughly 100 nanometers), solving the long-standing “dolomite problem” and potentially enabling dolomite-based advances in cement, batteries, semiconductors, and solar panels.

via Indian Defence Review|

#crystallography #dolomite #electron-microscopy

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Doped nanotube fibers push toward copper-like wiring performance.

Researchers doped bulk double-walled carbon nanotube fibers with tetrachloroaluminate (AlCl4−), boosting mean conductivity about 10x on average (up to 15x in the best fibers) and reaching roughly 70% of aluminum’s conductivity; when normalized by density, the doped fibers can outperform copper, suggesting potential for lightweight, high-capacity wiring. However, the dopant is air-sensitive and short-lived (weeks) unless the fibers are polymer-coated, posing stability and scalability challenges even as the approach identifies a promising dopant strategy.

via Ars Technica|

#carbon-nanotubes #conductivity #copper

technology1 month ago•5 min saved

Virus-Rupturing Nano-Pillar Film Gives Surfaces a Chemical-Free Defense

A flexible acrylic film coated with thousands of ultra-fine nanopillars mimics cicada wing textures to mechanically rupture virus particles on contact, offering a scalable, chemical-free way to reduce surface transmission. Lab tests against human parainfluenza virus type 3 showed up to 94% of viruses damaged within an hour, with the closest pillar spacing (~60 nanometres) proving most effective. Potential applications include phones, public transport, hospital equipment, and office desks, though real-world durability and long-term performance require further study.

via ScienceAlert|

#antiviral-surfaces #biomimicry #materials-science

physics-and-chemistry1 month ago•16 min saved

Tiny nanodiamonds bend, not break, due to a hidden elastic layer

A custom electron microscope shows nanodiamonds deform elastically under pressure because a relatively weak bond between their surface layer and core, amplified by a large surface-to-core ratio, concentrates strain in an interfacial zone that absorbs the shock. Smaller diamonds (around 4 nm) are about 30% more stretchy than larger ones (around 13 nm), illustrating size-dependent elasticity and offering practical knobs for nanoscale devices like nanomechanical resonators and quantum sensors.

via Gizmodo|

#elasticity #interfacial-bonds #materials-science

science-tech1 month ago•10 min saved

Flexible nanopillar film ruptures viruses on contact

Researchers at RMIT developed a lightweight, flexible acrylic film with thousands of nanoscale pillars that mechanically rupture viral envelopes on contact, inspired by insect wing textures. Lab tests with human parainfluenza virus type 3 showed up to 94% of virus particles were destroyed within an hour. Pillar spacing (around 60 nanometers) mattered more than pillar height, and the scalable molding process could enable antiviral coatings for phones, hospital equipment, and public transit—providing a chemical-free alternative to disinfectants, though real-world durability remains to be tested.

via The Conversation|

#antiviral-surfaces #infection-control #materials-science