Lifeboat Foundation

Building cracks and deterioration are common points of concern for asset owners and managers alike, but a new technology may soon alleviate these industry issues.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge are using micro-encapsulation technologies developed by Dolomite Microfluidics to develop self-healing construction materials.

The university’s Department of Engineering’s Geotechnical and Environmental Research Group said last month that it is developing microcapsules containing ‘healing’ agents such as minerals, epoxy, or polyurethane which can be added to building materials to allow the self-repair of small cracks that develop over time.

Continue reading “Is self-healing concrete technology the future of construction?” »

Illinois researchers have introduced a new cutting-edge reusable adhesive that activates in seconds, works underwater, and is strong enough to deadlift 11 pounds: shape memory polymers (SMPs).

The team—associate professor in mechanical science and engineering Seok Kim, graduate student Jun Kyu Park, and former graduate student Jeffrey D. Eisenhaure (Ph. D. ME ‘17, now with Northrop Grumman)—has proved that SMPs can retain dry adhesion properties while submerged. Their study, “Reversible underwater dry adhesion of a shape memory polymer,” was recently published by the scientific journal Advanced Materials Interfaces.

Continue reading “Groundbreaking new reusable adhesive works underwater” »

Researchers have developed new bioinspired material that interacts with surrounding tissues to promote healing.

I have heard the term Sh… Bricks, but never thought I would live the day to hear it literally. Waste is an issue, and a growing global population will create more waste, and it needs to be addressed. The supply of waste is endless. People who find innovatiive ways to use it as a raw material will prosper Once sewage is drained of water, treated, and dried – what the heck do you do with it? Well, some of it ends up as fertiliser, but a massive 30 percent of our poop leftovers is sent to landfill to rot, or just sits in storage. What a waste.

Especially when, according to researchers from Australia’s RMIT University, using these ‘biosolids’ in bricks could be a surprisingly effective way of repurposing all that former sludge.

A concrete or steel wall along the southern border of the U.S. is not impenetrable; daily news programs show how concrete walls are burrowed under or driven over with car carriers and hydraulic ramps, while steel walls are breached with grappling hooks and inexpensive metal saws. And while a fiber-optic fence is also vulnerable to a physical cut, it can be discretely buried or placed along existing infrastructure, and (unlike concrete or steel) can fundamentally detect the location of a cut with high accuracy so that border patrol agents can be dispatched to understand the breach and apprehend the humans (easily distinguished from animals) crossing over the fence.

Let’s put our money and photonics technology to more effective use.

Saint Jean Carbon has announced that it is developing a new form of graphene battery technology and will start building the first prototype of its graphene gel salt water batteries. Batteries based on this technology should charge faster, run longer and theoretically may last indefinitely. The project’s long term goal is to have a series of three full production batteries ready for launch in spring 2020.

Saint Jean Carbon stated that salt water battery technology has been in research for about 5 years. Continued advancement slowed due to limited voltage capacity in comparison with Lithium batteries. Now with the use of graphene in a highly concentrated salt water gel, graphene can now be used without worrying about the graphene re-stacking, which would reduce the intercalation rate. Salt water batteries are much safer, won’t burn and have significantly less raw material cost.

The Company plans on building a “flex” production line that will allow a number of companies to share in the facility on a fee for use basis. The Company’s first production will concentrate on three specific battery types:

Plans for a European base on the moon have taken a major step forward.

The European Space Agency revealed it has signed up rocket maker ArianeGroup to develop plans for a moon base that could be used to mine material from the lunar surface.

Continue reading “Europe wants to mine the moon by 2025: Plan could spark new space race” »

A Northwestern University team is reshaping the world of graphene—literally.

While it might not be quite as big a concern, the environmental impact of death care is also something Americans are paying attention to. Around four in ten (41%) Americans are somewhat or very concerned about the environmental impact of traditional burial methods.

On a similar note, 45% agreed with the statement, “People need to rethink the way we currently deal with ‘death care’ in regard to the environment.” And 11% said that they would like to have a green burial with shrouds and biodegradable material after they die.

Some of the possible environmental impacts of a traditional burial include embalming fluid leaking into the soil, large amounts of water being used for cemetery maintenance, and wood and metal caskets leaving behind toxic residue.

Continue reading “One in five Americans wants to live forever” »