Metals and alloys news, December 2020

Weak force has strong impact on metal nanosheets

Researchers have discovered that 'weak' Van der Waals interactions are still sufficient to form bumps in rigid silver nanosheets.

Scientists probe mysterious state of 2D superconductors

Scientists have discovered why an anomalous metallic state appears at the superconductor-insulator transition in 2D superconductors.

Glass forming by metallic mixtures becomes clearer

Researchers used computer simulations to model the effects of elemental composition on the glass-forming ability of metallic mixtures.

New metal alloy algorithm breaks through boundaries

Researchers have found a new way to predict the properties of metal alloys based on reactions at the boundaries between their crystalline grains.

New study helps prevent nickel-rich, single crystal cathodes gliding to a halt

Researchers have discovered that a process known as crystal gliding is responsible for damage to single-crystal, nickel-rich cathodes in batteries.

Don't forget cool use of thermoelectric materials

A team of researchers says it's time to step up efforts to find thermoelectric materials for cooling applications as well as power generation.

Flexible battery shows the power of printing

A new flexible, rechargeable, printable silver oxide-zinc battery can provide five to 10 times more power than current lithium-ion batteries.

New nanomaterial device can blow hot or cold

By switching between two different nanomaterial sheets, engineers have produced a dual-mode heating and cooling device for buildings.

Inorganic material goes soft when cool as a cucumber

Researchers have used nanosheets to create an inorganic material that can be converted from a hard gel to soft matter by changing the temperature.

New cathode and electrolyte power-up magnesium batteries

A magnesium battery with a new cathode and electrolyte can deliver a power density comparable to that of lithium-ion batteries.

Study communicates benefits of antennas made from 2D material

Researchers have shown that flexible, ultrathin antennas made by spraying the 2D material MXene perform almost as well as copper antennas.

Electrons follow serpentine path to new properties

Researchers have imbued electrons with novel properties by forcing them to travel along a serpentine path in a metal oxide nanowire.

New study finds key to avoiding defects in additive manufacturing

Researchers have revealed how defects form and become trapped in solidifying metal in a form of additive manufacturing called laser powder bed fusion.

Openings for Editors - Acta Journals

New AI system uses closed loop to open up material discovery

A novel AI algorithm called CAMEO was able to discover a potentially useful new material without requiring additional training from scientists.