Material Science

New Filtration Material Could Make Petroleum Refining Cheaper, More Efficient
05/23/2013 - 16:58

A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline. Measurements at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have clarified* why. The research team, which included scientists from NIST and several other universities, has published its findings in the journal Science.

 

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New Technique May Open Up an Era of Atomic-scale Semiconductor Devices
05/22/2013 - 09:58

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale – meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger.

 

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Non-wetting fabric drains sweat
05/20/2013 - 14:41

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers at the University of California, Davis.

 

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Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives
05/20/2013 - 14:34

Meeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets. One promising material for a potential new generation of recording media is an alloy of iron and platinum with an ordered crystal structure. Researchers led by Professor Kai Liu and graduate student Dustin Gilbert at the University of California, Davis, have now found a convenient way to make these alloys and tailor their properties.

 

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Squishy Hydrogels May Be the Ticket for Studying Biological Effects of Nanoparticles
05/15/2013 - 13:58

A class of water-loving, jelly-like materials with uses ranges ranging from the mundane, such as superabsorbent diaper liners, to the sophisticated, such as soft contact lenses, could be tapped for a new line of serious work: testing the biological effects of nanoparticles now being eyed for a large variety of uses.

 

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Using clay to grow bone
05/14/2013 - 12:32

In new research published online May 13, 2013 in Advanced Materials, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to report that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Synthetic silicates are made up of simple or complex salts of silicic acids, and have been used extensively for various commercial and industrial applications, such as food additives, glass and ceramic filler materials, and anti-caking agents.

 

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