Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists are developing an electrode with lots of surface area to efficiently purify water. This image, taken at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, shows what is called polypyrrole conductive polymer-coated carbon nanotubes grown on a carbon fiber. They say that these coated nanotubes could be used as an electrochemically switched ion-exchange electrode for water purification. Conductive polypyrrole is also being investigated for use in fuel cells, sensors and electronics. Larger image available here.
May 21st, 2013
62
62 notes
http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/50996809281/sIdZ2tna
photo
Stressing Gorilla Glass Makes It Stronger
Alterations to the usual glass production process, such as putting the material under stress, can introduce effects that linger even after the material hardens. While manufacturers have long exploited this phenomenon to strengthen glass, a new theory aims to get closer to understanding why it happens.
Glass is not as well understood as most materials, because it straddles the line between liquid and solid. In typical crystalline materials, molecules assemble into a set structure over the span of the entire material as the substance solidifies from a disordered liquid form. Glass, on the other hand, retains a liquid-like disorder even after it hardens.
Without a set architecture, these disordered molecules are particularly vulnerable to outside forces. If you push or pull on a substance, you create internal forces, or stress, in the material itself. Once you remove that force, you’d expect the molecules to return to equilibrium, removing the stresses. But glassy materials “remember” the long-gone force.
May 20th, 2013
127
127 notes
http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/50901878114/2cfls6R9
text
Nanotech Coating Prevents Stains and Contamination
University of Michigan researchers have created a nanotech coating that repels liquids—even caustic acids and solvents. The material can shield textiles to create stain- and chemical-resistant garments, and can reduce drag on ships.
When applied, the coating creates a webbed surface that is up to 99 percent air. It is a mixture of rubbery plastic polydimethylsiloxane particles and liquid-resisting nanoscale cubes developed by the Air Force that contain carbon, fluorine, silicon and oxygen.
“Virtually any liquid you throw on it bounces right off without wetting it,” said Anish Tuteja, a materials science and engineering assistant professor who led the development of the product. His team’s work was published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Top Image: The new coating here repels coffee. Image courtesy Joseph Xu/University of Michigan.
May 17th, 2013
82
82 notes
http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/50647195723/xLxREV1P
text
![by Txchnologist Staff
Jet engines need cutting-edge materials that are strong, light and can withstand extreme heat. GE is developing a material that can handle high temperatures like ceramics can and is also as tough as metal. Here, a projectile fired at a sample of advanced ceramic composite tests the material’s ability to endure the strike.
[[MORE]]
Ceramics are well known for their tendency to fail in a brittle, catastrophic fashion (think window glass or china dinnerware). GE scientists are working to develop ceramic matrix composite materials that combine high temperature resistance with mechanical toughness.
For next-generation jet engines, adding these advanced lightweight ceramics could have a significant impact on an engine’s energy efficiency through reduced fuel costs and lower emissions. The trick is to take a brittle material and make it virtually unbreakable. As you can see, researchers are on their way.
See this and other groundbreaking research videos at the GE Global Research Youtube page.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/119fbae0c30a06eda01a8617aa11d297/tumblr_mmsipuBwwH1rwn6y8o1_250.gif)
Jet engines need cutting-edge materials that are strong, light and can withstand extreme heat. GE is developing a material that can handle high temperatures like ceramics can and is also as tough as metal. Here, a projectile fired at a sample of advanced ceramic composite tests the material’s ability to endure the strike.
May 14th, 2013
18911
18,911 notes
http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/50419028002/f7AR7j7b
photo
