This material can expand, change shape, move, and respond to electromagnetic commands like a remotely controlled robot, even though it has no motor or internal gears. In a study that echoes scenes from the Transformers movie franchise, engineers at Princeton University have developed a material c
Category: materials – Page 11
Superconductors: Amazingly orderly disorder in murunskite
A surprising effect was discovered through a collaborative study by researchers from TU Wien and institutions in Croatia, France, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, and the US during the investigation of a special material: the atoms are arranged in a completely disordered manner but produce magnetic order.
The study is published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Superconductivity is one of the central topics in modern materials science: certain materials can conduct electrical current without any resistance—at least below a certain temperature. However, how to produce materials that still exhibit this property at higher temperatures remains an unsolved problem.
Scalable, low-maintenance design recycles heat for a steady supply of drinking water off-grid
Fresh drinking water is a vital yet limited resource that will only grow scarcer over the next few years, according to the World Resources Institute. Desalination, the process of removing salt from water, is an established method used to increase the fresh water supply, especially in coastal regions. However, current desalination systems are dependent on large-scale centralized infrastructure and filtration membranes prone to fouling and degradation.
A team of Rice University engineers has developed a system that could transform desalination practices, making the process more adaptable, resilient and cheaper.
The new system, described in a study published in Nature Water, is designed to be powered by sunlight and uses a creative approach to heat recovery for extended water production—with and without sunshine. In contrast to conventional systems, the setup is made from nondegradable materials and can handle high-salinity brines.
Atmospheric water harvesting: Optimization of a hygroscopic hydrogel device improves efficiency
A small team of engineers from the U.S., Chile and Ireland has found a way to extract more water from drier air, allowing for water production in arid places like the Atacama Desert. Their paper is published in Device.
Instead of looking for ways to improve sorbent materials, the team sought to optimize the way hydrogel-based water-capture systems work.
Scientists believe there will be a global water crisis in the coming years. As the demand for fresh water increases and existing sources become depleted, new sources are required. One popular area of study involves extracting water from the air.
3D printed smart fabrics maintain flexibility and sensing ability after repeated washes
Imagine a T-shirt that could monitor your heart rate or blood pressure. Or a pair of socks that could provide feedback on your running stride. It may be closer than you think, with new research from Washington State University demonstrating a particular 3D ink printing method for so-called smart fabrics that continue to perform well after repeated washings and abrasion tests. The research, published in the journal ACS Omega, represents a breakthrough in smart fabric comfort and durability, as well as using a process that is more environmentally friendly.
Hang Liu, a textile researcher at WSU and the corresponding author of the paper, said that the bulk of research in the field so far has focused on building technological functions into fabrics, without attention to the way fabrics might feel, fit, and endure through regular use and maintenance, such as washing.
“The materials used, or the technology used, generally produce very rigid or stiff fabrics,” said Liu, an associate professor in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles. “If you are wearing a T-shirt with 3D printed material, for example, for sensing purposes, you want this shirt to fit snugly on your body, and be flexible and soft. If it is stiff, it will not be comfortable and the sensing performance will be compromised.”
Tiny device processes hand movement in real time, storing visual memories with brain-like efficiency
Engineers at RMIT University have invented a small “neuromorphic” device that detects hand movement, stores memories and processes information like a human brain, without the need for an external computer.
The findings are published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies.
Team leader Professor Sumeet Walia said the innovation marked a step toward enabling instant visual processing in autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics and other next-generation applications for improved human interaction.
Disk discovery changes views on star and planet formation
A study led by Paolo Padoan, ICREA research professor at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), is challenging the understanding of planetary disk formation around young stars.
The paper, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that the environment plays a crucial role in determining the size and lifetime of these planetary disks, which are the sites of planet formation.
When a star forms, it is surrounded by a spinning disk of gas and dust. Over time, this material eventually forms the planets. Traditionally, scientists believed that once a disk forms, it simply loses too much over time as it feeds the star and the growing planets.