Materials news, July 2015

Cages offer new direction in sustainable catalyst design

Engineers have developed a new approach to structuring the catalysts used in essential reactions in the chemical and energy fields.

Ultra-thin hollow nanocages could reduce platinum use in fuel cell electrodes

The goal of this research was to reduce the cost of the cathodes in fuel cells designed to power automobiles and homes.

Plasmonics study hints at cheap, efficient metal-based solar cells

Researching the power of light-capturing nanomaterials to boost the efficiency and reduce the costs of photovoltaic solar cells.

Superconducting materials: Special issue

“Superconducting Materials: Conventional, Unconventional and Undetermined” now available.

Major revision to ISO 9001

New Impact Factors and metrics

Take a look at the latest Materials Today impact factors.

JEC Asia Conferences program revealed

JEC Group has revealed the program of its five sessions at JEC Asia.

How copying coral could help remove toxins from the ocean

Biomimetics helps researchers solve environmental problems and build environment-sensing robots.

Powder metallurgy market to reach US$8.7 billion in 2020

The global powder metallurgy market is likely to reach US$8.7 billion by the end of 2020, up from US$6.06 billion in 2013, according to a new report.

SECO/Warwick Group to supply furnaces to titanium recycling plant

SECO/warwick Europe and Retech Systems (USA) will deliver melt shop equipment package to a new European facility for recycling of aviation-grade titanium.

JEC Forums to discuss aeronautic and automotive efficiency

Huntsman acquires polyurethane elastomer manufacturer

Huntsman Corporation has completed its acquisition of Tecnoelastomeri.

A faster method for graphene production

Researchers have developed a new process to develop few-layer graphene for use in energy storage.

Scalable arrays of ‘building blocks’ for ultrathin electronics

Researchers have combined a novel synthesis process with commercial electron-beam lithography techniques.

Perovskite solar technology shows quick energy returns

Perovskite modules are better than any solar technology that is commercially available today.

RTI to supply titanium structural parts for Airbus A350-1000

RTI International Metals has been selected to provide finished titanium structural parts by Airbus for its new A350-1000 aircraft program.

Almonty Industries transformed into tungsten giant

Almonty Industries Inc is to acquire tungsten producer Woulfe Mining Corp, making it one of the world’s largest producers of tungsten.

New prepreg achieves rapid curing

Toho Tenax Co Ltd has developed a new carbon fiber sheet prepreg.

Nominations for Enlighten Award

Altair has announced the 17 nominations for the 2015 Enlighten Award, which recognizes achievements in automotive weight reduction.

Introducing the Journal of the Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society

The first articles of Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio are now available on ScienceDirect.

Announcing the 2015 MSEA Journal Prize

Are fuel cells environmentally friendly?

Fuel cells are regarded as the technology of the future for both cars and household heating systems.

Nanoparticles to prevent inflammatory acne

New research has identified that the nanoparticles were effective at killing Proprionobacterium acnes.

Renishaw opens Innovation Centre

AM specialist Renishaw’s new Innovation Centre has been formally opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

New sales rep for Gasbarre company

J L Becker has appointed Keith Lloyd as sales representative for the Southern United States.

Owens Corning partners with Solventure to improve sales and operations

Glass fiber specialist Owens Corning Composites has partnered with Solventure to improve its sales and operations planning.

US$1.35 million to make aircraft composites more durable

A University of Texas at Arlington professor has received a US$1.35 million grant to design more durable materials for composite aircraft.

America Makes releases AM capabilities directory

America Makes is releasing to its membership its America Makes Capabilities Database.

ASTM coatings committee honors finishing specialist

Retired chemicals expert Donald Snyder has received the Frederick A. Lowenheim Memorial Award.

US$2 million grant awarded to composites recycling center

The Port of Port Angeles has received a US$2 million grant to retrofit the Composite Recycling Technology Center.

£550,000 funding boost for Engineering Composites

UK-based Engineering Composites has secured a £550,000 funding facility to grow the company, reports Insider Media.

America Makes announces AM project winners

America Makes has announced the name of the nine projects it plans to fund as part of its call for AM applied research and development projects.

Piece of composite space history to fly to Pluto

A three-inch piece of SpaceShipOne has been selected to accompany eight other mementos on the New Horizons spacecraft's journey to Pluto.

DIAB ramps up foam core production

DIAB reports that it is increasing production for its Divinycell F composite foam core product to meet forecast demand.

Avcorp to acquire SGL division

Avcorp Industries Inc has agreed to acquire the US-based composite aerostructures division of a subsidiary of SGL Carbon.

UAV makes use of DIAB foam core

Asteria Aerospace has made use of DIAB’s Divinycell H foam core as the sandwich core of the craft’s composite body.

Proto Labs expands AM footprint

Proto Labs Inc has acquired a new facility to expand its 3D printing service into a larger and more efficient additive manufacturing (AM) space.

ARC Group expands metal 3D printing production

ARC Group Worldwide’s additive manufacturing (AM) division, 3D Material Technologies, has purchased additional metal 3D printing machines.

Puddle muddle defuddled

Liquid properties and fluid flow, the question of puddles.

Plutonium's missing magnetism found

Neutron experiments sight fluctuating magnetic properties of plutonium.

3D boron nitride structures could excel at thermal management

Three-dimensional structures of boron nitride might be the right stuff to keep small electronics cool.

Embedding colloidal quantum dots for high efficiency lighting

Researchers have combined two promising solar cell materials together for the first time, creating a new platform for LED technology.

€1 million grant to improve carbon fiber

SGL Group has received government funds of just under €1 million to develop an improved carbon fiber for thermoplastic applications.

EOS to focus on molds and dies

EOS has entered into a strategic cooperation with GF Machining Solutions to develop products combining both companies’ technologies.

IOM3 awards ceremony

PM post-sintering seminar returns

The MPIF is running its PM post-sintering seminar in September, for the first time in ten years.

Arcam reports 136% increase in sales

Arcam says that its net sales increased by 136 % to SEK262 million between January and June 2015, up from SEK111 million.

Big data plugs battery material gap

High-performance computing and sophisticated chemical modeling software can calculate the properties of potential electrolytes for batteries.

CompIC call for papers

NetComposites is now accepting abstracts for CompIC ME, an international conference taking place 9–10 February 2016 in Dubai, UAE.

UK fiber specialist to exhibit at Composites Engineering show

Attwater will be exhibiting its range of epoxy glass, polyimide glass, phenolic fabric and carbon fiber products at the Composites Engineering show.

ISO 9001:2008 certification for pultrusion specialist

Creative Pultrusions has earned ISO 9001:2008 certification.

Euro PM to cover PM structural parts

The EPMA reports that PM Structural Parts will once again feature in the Euro PM technical program.

ASTM gives leadership award to PM specialist

Jane LaGoy, technical services manager at Bodycote, has been given the 2015 ASTM International President’s Leadership Award.

Good race results for composite boat

SCIGRIP says that its lightweight, carbon fiber composite powerboat put in an outstanding performance in the Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup in July.

Reconfiguring graphene to improve biosensors

Using graphene to produce sensitive molecule sensor.

Human eye capable of distinguishing to the nanoscale

Color vision of the human eye has ability to see differences in light passing through thin films down to the nanoscale.

The Materials Science and Engineering Data Challenge

The Air Force Research Lab has announced the Materials Science and Engineering Data Challenge.

Composites Europe to sponsor composites in construction event

NetComposites reports that Composites Europe is a formal sponsor of its seventh biennial Advanced Composites in Construction conference.

Reinforced plastic composite ideal for paraglider harness

Lanxess’s Tepex dynalite material is being used to make a paraglider harness.

Sinterite installs humpback brazing furnace

Sinterite has recently installed a 12-zone Continuous Belt Humpback Brazing Furnace.

SKF half-year report 2015

SKF has reported net sales of SEK39 415 million for the year to date, up from SEK34 689 million for the same period in 2014.

New reaction pathway discovered

new chemical reaction pathway on titanium dioxide shown

Canadian mine set to produce PM-standard graphite

A new technical report on a graphite mine in Canada, suggests that the mine could produce graphite powder pure enough to be used in PM products.

‘Carbon free’ catamaran hulls make use of glass fiber

Australian multihull specialist, Windrush Yachts, makes hulls for the Tornado catamaran using a GRP sandwich laminate design.

Granta announces improvements to materials information software

Granta Design has reportedly made improvements to its GRANTA MI Version 8.1 system for materials information management.

Krishna Rajan appointed Erich Bloch Endowed Chair at the University at Buffalo

Harvesting the carbon from fizzy drinks

The much-maligned fizzy drink may have a saving grace after all - it turns out that they are a great source of porous carbon.

Breathalyzer gets the nanotech treatment

Tomorrow’s alcohol breath tests may be self-powered and nano-enhanced.

AIMPLAS focuses on forest-based biocomposites

AIMPLAS has reported its involvement in OSIRYS, an EC-funded project.

SGL Group at world carbon conference

SGL Group is heavily involved in this year's Carbon 2015 world conference on carbon, currently being held in Dresden, Germany.

The JMBBM Early Career Researcher Award winner announced

This is the first award of the journal of this sort with the purpose of identifying young outstanding researchers in the research fields.

Biotribology, first issue now available online

We are delighted to announce the release of the first issue of Biotribology.

Could dissolvable microneedles replace injected vaccines?

New research published in Biomaterials shows flu vaccines delivered using microneedles that dissolves in the skin.

New business will offer full set of services for 3D printing

Sigma Labs Inc has formed a joint venture with Cincinnati-based Arete Innovative Solutions LLC.

Linear expands 3d printing capabilities

Linear Mold & Engineering has added new 3D printing machinery to help match the company’s rapid growth.

Sandvik secures major mining order in South Africa

Sandvik Mining has been awarded a major materials handling contract in South Africa.

Submit your software to SoftwareX

SoftwareX is now open for submissions.

Bindatex on course to achieve record turnover in 2015

Bindatex, a specialist in the precision cutting of composite materials, says that it expects to increase turnover by 53% this year.

Graco flow metering system suitable for adhesives

Graco has developed a precision continuous flow (PCF) metering dispense system for applications of single component sealant and adhesive materials.

Pultrex adds new pultrusion machine

UK-based has added a new pultrusion machine at its facility in Manningtree, Essex.

Vision Systems opens composite production plant

Vision Systems is setting up a new production unit that will specifically produce composite parts.

Cost-saving, ultrasound aluminium processing

A team of scientists working within a European consortium has now taken the breakthrough in ultrasound degassing of molten aluminium alloys.

A new way of probing electrolyte/electrode interfaces

Researchers have developed a new technique that enables sensitive and specific detection of molecules at the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Sandvik focuses on sustainability

Sandvik Coromant plans to develop its business with a special focus on sustainability.

First time black arsenic phosphorus field effect transistor

Chemists have developed a semiconducting material in which individual phosphorus atoms are replaced by arsenic.

Nanofilm takes gentle approach to cell capture

A gentle approach to capturing individual cancer cells from patients’ blood could aid diagnosis and treatment.

Tunable, highly sensitive graphene-based infrared sensor

Researchers present a new device in which they have harnessed graphene’s unique optical and electronic properties.

Adhesive specialist’s 20 year anniversary

Dymax Corporation’s European subsidiary, Dymax Europe GmbH, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

CRP Group celebrates 45 years

The CRP Group has celebrated its 45th anniversary, including 20 years of additive manufacturing.

Certech appoints new UK manager

The Certech business of Morgan Advanced Materials has appointed Steve Tiley to the new role of sales and marketing manager, based at Corby in the UK.

Major expansion of Atomising Systems

UK-based Atomising Systems Limited (ASL) has expanded its workforce to cope with a major influx of orders for metal powder.

Webinar covers mechanical testing of long fiber reinforced composites

Zwick USA will host a free webinar to discuss some of the key considerations engineers should evaluate when testing long fiber reinforced composites.

Charles Ross redesigns mixer

Charles Ross Co says that it has redesigned Its Inline Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold (SLIM) Mixer.

Graphene coating to boost the effect of chemotherapy

Researchers are now studying what happens when different drugs come in contact with this silver coating.

Ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy to reveal the secrets of GMR

German physicists have successfully employed ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy to determine the basic properties of spintronics components.

Ultrahigh-resolution 3D microscopy technique for electric fields

Using a single molecule as a sensor, scientists have successfully imaged electric potential fields with unrivaled precision.

Nanosteel receives investment to develop alloys

NanoSteel, has received a US$10 million venture loan facility to develop its advanced portfolio of patented steel alloys.

Top technology & research trends to watch

Join Elsevier for a live broadcast on key technology and research trends for industry.

FRP aircraft first to fly on Mars

NASA scientists have developed a prototype flying wing aircraft which could be used to fly in the Martian landscape.

Formaplex acquires AS9100C accreditation

Composite parts manufacturer Formaplex says that it has secured AS9100C accreditation.

New engineer at J. L. Becker

Patrick Weymer has been appointed sales & applications engineer at industrial furnace supplier J.L. Becker, part of Gasbarre.

Schlemmer Group expands global production

The Schlemmer Group, which owns metal powder provider Plansee, has opened two new plants in the Philippines and China.

China graphene could grow by almost 100%

China's graphene market could achieve a CAGR of 95% from 2014 to 2020, driven by composites and touch screen end users.

H.C. Starck’s tungsten rated conflict free

H.C. Starck has received confirmation that it processes conflict-free tungsten raw materials.

ORNL bids to improve composite processing with new press

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has awarded Beckwood Press Company a contract to manufacture a custom hydraulic press.

Composites UK focuses on construction

Composites UK is focussing on construction for its next sector showcase event.

New protein-based gel mimics elastic tissues

A team of bioengineers have developed a new protein-based gel that mimics many of the properties of skin and blood vessels.

Silver may hold key to electronics advances

Engineers have invented a way to fabricate silver, a highly conductive metal, for printed electronics that are produced at room temperature.

UK automotive turnover reaches historic high

The UK automotive sector reached its all time highest turnover of £69.5 billion in 2014.

Sandvik speaks out on sustainable development

The head of sustainable business at Sandvik has spoken at the international negotiations for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

AOC expands production in Mexico

AOC LLC has expanded manufacturing capabilities at its Mexico facility with the addition of a new emulsion mixer.

3A Composites closes acquisition of PNG Balsa

3A Composites Core Materials has closed its acquisition of PNG Balsa, a manufacturer of balsa wood with plantations in Papua New Guinea.

World’s first 3D printed office made using FRP

Dubai is planning to build the world’s first fully functional 3D printed building, according to the Gulf News.

Composites UK launches regional events

The UK-based composites trade body has announced a series of regional events.

Metaldyne receives Ford World Excellence Award

Metaldyne’s Indian, operation has been recognized by Ford Motor Company with a World Excellence Award for production in clutch modules.

Metalysis shows technology to summer school students

Aston Martin reveals carbon fiber powerboat

Quintessence Yachts and Aston Martin have revealed more details of the first Aston Martin powerboat.

3D printing filament four times tougher than PLA

UK bioplastics company Floreon has developed a new bioplastic 3D printing filament.

Solid State Ionics Best Paper Award 2013 and 2014

Elsevier editor receives prestigious Newton Medal

The Publishing Team of Elsevier Physics congratulates Dr. Yablonovitch to this great distinction!

Alcoa to close Brazil smelter

Lightweight metals specialist Alcoa says that it will permanently close its Poços de Caldas primary aluminum smelter in Brazil.

Plansee Group reports record levels of sales volumes

Plansee Group says that it increased its consolidated sales in the fiscal year 2014/15 to €1.26 billion.

Big news for post-docs: Free Access Program is now permanent

Postdoctoral scholars in between jobs can get free access to Elsevier's journals and books on ScienceDirect.

Diamonds are a neuron’s best friend

Researchers have confirmed diamond’s credentials as a bioimplant material and devised a protocol for culturing neurons from stem cells on its surface.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 van de Hulst award

Top 10 Materials News from June 2015

Want to know the gossip in the Materials Science world?

US restarts production on carbon fiber bomb

The US plans to export a bomb made of carbon fiber, reports Flightglobal.com.

JEC Asia to take place in October

The Asia composites industry event for will hold its 8th annual session at the SUNTEC Center, Singapore from 20-22 October 2015.

GKN Automotive opens new regional headquarters

GKN Automotive has officially opened its new regional headquarters for the Americas in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Nuclear specialist wins ASTM Award of Merit

ASTM International has presented its Award of Merit to Sherri Bingert, senior science advisor.

The first Materials in Society lectures