Materials

As one of the strongest materials known to science, spider silk regularly finds itself at the center of exciting engineering breakthroughs, but a new study involving a quick chemical bath could see silkworm silk outperform it.

In a bid to reduce the environmental burden associated with both the manufacturing and disposal of plastics, scientists have demonstrated a new upcycling technique that turns one common form of it into another.

Last year, engineers at Purdue University used their expertise in materials science to produce the world’s whitest paint, and have now made some tweaks to the recipe and produced a version that is thinner and lighter.

Engineers have developed a new 3D-printed titanium alloy with a unique microstructure that makes it ultra-strong. Not only is it stronger than other forms of titanium, but it has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any 3D-printed metal ever made.

Australian scientists have discovered strangely folded diamonds in rare meteorite samples. In investigating how they came to form, the team found evidence that they were forged in a cataclysm on an ancient dwarf planet.

Engineers at the University of Houston have put forward a new solution to keep planes ice-free, developing an ice-shedding surface coating they say is 100 times stronger than other state-of-the-art materials.

Sending materials into space is expensive, so the more astronauts can make on-site, the better. Engineers have now demonstrated how crushed Martian rock could be mixed with a titanium alloy to make 3D-printable building materials.

Even slight adjustments to how we make cement and concrete can have a big impact on their environmental footprint, and as research continues to show, scientists working in this space are not short of ideas.

Although polylactic acid bioplastic is known for its biodegradability, it can take a long time to degrade if the conditions aren't right. Washington State University scientists have therefore devised a way of upcycling it into a 3D-printing resin.

After the summer so many of us have just sweltered through, we need better ways to cool buildings. Researchers have now spruced up the humble window with hydrogel-glass, which can selectively block heat from the Sun without blocking its light.

Although there are coatings that kill harmful microbes on frequently touched surfaces, most of those substances either have to be frequently reapplied, or they take a long time to work. A new coating, however, is claimed to address both shortcomings.

RMIT scientists are looking to help tackle the mounting waste generated by the ongoing pandemic, by demonstrating a form of concrete that incorporates shredded personal protective equipment (PPE) for improved performance.

Polystyrene is a problematic material when it comes to recycling, but a team of Virginia Tech researchers is hoping to change this with a novel method that turns it into a product of relatively high value.

A lot of work goes into creating wooden objects like furniture, but some scientists are rethinking the process. They've created a wood-based ink that can be 3D printed into flat shapes, which then morph into more complex 3D forms as they dry out.

Gases used as refrigerants in cooling systems can leak into the atmosphere and become major contributors to climate change. Now engineers at Harvard have demonstrated a new prototype cooling device that uses a solid-state material as a refrigerant.