Materials news, December 2015

New adaptive material responds differently to light and heat

Scientist have modeled a new hybrid material that can reconfigure itself into different shapes when exposed to light and heat.

CVD for MOF fab

Metal organic framework materials using CVD.

No reflection on one direction

A tenable diode for photons

Magnetic domain wall creep

Understanding creep in semiconductors compared with metals

Counting on electrons to boost catalyst efficiency

Counting electrons to boost catalyst efficiency

Top 5 news of 2015

Top 5 news items of 2015 from Materials Today.

Cold finger points to new composite materials

Scientists have developed a freeze-casting technique that allows them to design and create strong, tough and lightweight materials.

How much are nanoparticles charged for support?

For the first time, researchers have investigated how much electrical charge nanoparticles transfer to their support.

Tougher reactor materials could lead to better, cheaper LEDs

In their search for materials that can withstand supercritical ammonia, scientists tested 35 metals, two metalloids and 17 ceramic materials.

Lotus-like nanomaterial produces green superhydrophobic coating

A novel hydrocarbon-based nanomaterial could be a ‘green’ replacement for superhydrophobic fluorocarbons.

Quintus installs HIP in China

Quintus Technologies has installed a hot isostatic press (HIP) in Anhui province, China.

UK CV production grows by a quarter

Commercial vehicle production in the UK saw a 24.6% uplift in November 2015.

ALMACO reelects president

The Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO) has reelected Gilmar Lima, general director of MVC Soluções em Plásticos, as president.

TPI Composites wins DoE contract for composite door

TPI Composites Inc has been awarded a US$3 million program by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a lightweight hybrid composite door.

Gold nanoparticles line up for nanolensing effect

By developing a way to line up three gold nanoparticles of increasing size, scientists have developed a nanolens for focusing light.

Moth-inspired nanopillars improve optoelectronic devices

A new anti-reflection coating made up of metal nanopillars lets light through without hampering the flow of electricity in optoelectronic devices.

Powder Coating Institute announces 2015 Hall of Fame inductees

The U.S. Powder Coating Institute (PCI) has nominated three individuals to join its Hall of Fame.

Automated inspection could revolutionize automated fiber placement

The DLA has awarded a contract to Flightware Inc to develop a real time, automated inspection system for composites.

Carbon shell produces durable fuel cell nanocatalyst

Scientists have have produced highly durable and active platinum-iron nanoparticles with a carbon shell for use as fuel cell catalysts.

Could metal particles be the clean fuel of the future?

Metal powders could provide a more viable long-term replacement for fossil fuels than hydrogen, biofuels or batteries.

3D printing simulation software wins R&D award

AlphaSTAR Corporation’s Genoa 3D printing simulation software has been selected as a winner of the 2015 R&D 100 Award.

Hi-Line appoints new distribution managers

UK air treatment specialist Hi-line Industries Ltd has appointed two regional distribution support managers.

First Solar CEO joins TPI board of directors

TPI Composites Inc reports that James A. Hughes has joined its board of directors.

Victrex invests up to £15 million in new composite facility

Victrex has announced that it will build a new PEEK composite facility for unidirectional (UD) tape at its U.K. headquarters.

Coating technology shows improved toughness

Hardide’s Hardide-T coating has shown improved fracture toughness and anti-galling properties.

Gasbarre ships new car bottom furnace

Gasbarre Furnace Group /J.L. Becker Company recently shipped a furnace to an aerospace company in the U.S. Midwest.

New semiconductor nanofilm is porous, robust and shimmering

A new germanium nanofilm not only shimmers like an opal but is hard as a crystal, exceptionally thin and highly porous.

A new approach to modelling nucleation

US scientists have developed a new phase field model to describe nucleation and growth in a material’s microstructure.

Important editorial changes to the Journal of Nuclear Materials

PolyOne acquires Magenta Master Fibers

PolyOne Corporation, a provider of specialized polymer materials, has acquired Magenta Master Fibers.

JEC now member of IACMI

JEC Group has become a consortium member of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) in the U.S.

Kennametal reduces 2016 expectations

Kennametal reports that it has reduced its previously announced financial expectations for 2016.

Morgan launches new range of high-temperature kiln furniture and crucible materials

Morgan Advanced Materials has developed a new range of high-temperature kiln furniture.

Minuscule pillars double the efficiency of solar cells

Adding minuscule silicon pillars to the surface of a solar cell can more than double the amount of energy it produces.

Smart wound dressing from stretchy hydrogel

A smart wound dressing made from a stretchy hydrogel can incorporate temperature sensors, LED lights and other electronics.

Stronger dental fillings from graphene oxide

Tests on the toxicity of several graphene materials revealed that graphene oxide could make super-strong dental fillings that don't corrode.

Laser-induced graphene produces micro-supercapacitor

Scientists have used graphene produced by heating plastic sheets with a laser to create flexible, solid-state micro-supercapacitors.

GE invests in Optomec

Additive manufacturing (AM) specialist Optomec reports that GE Ventures and Autodesk Inc have both made strategic investments in the company.

Norsk Titanium showcases AM tech

Norsk Titanium says that it has demonstrated its RPD process to aerospace participants of the European Space Agency (ESA) €20 million AMAZE initiative.

Materials testing specialist receives Nadcap accreditation

WMT&R has received Nadcap accreditation for nonmetallic and composites testing at its new facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Dow and DuPont approve merger deal

DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company have approved a definitive agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock merger of equals.

Powder specialist awarded lifetime award

Dr. John Carson has been awarded the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2015 Particle Technology Forum award.

Associate Editor of Computational Materials Science elected to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

New members welcomed for their outstanding scientific achievements.

New hires at Abbott

Abbott Furnace Company, has made three new appointments to its team, according to the MPIF.

Targeted bombing shrinks cancerous tumors

Researchers have developed cancer-killing nanoparticles that swell and burst when exposed to near-infrared laser light.

Wave-powered water treatment

Could oceans be cleaned using entirely self-powered systems? A group of Chinese researchers believes so...

Airborne and Siemens open ‘digital’ composites research hub

Airborne Composites and Siemens have opened what they say is the first ‘digital factory’ in Ypenburg, the Netherlands.

Velox expands distribution in Poland

Velox GmbH has extended its partnership with Wolfangel in Poland from January 2016.

Video covers AM process chain

Marc Saunders from Renishaw has created a video which discusses how AM relies on a chain of processes.

EPMA mourns death of executive director

The EPMA has announced that Jonathan Wroe, EPMA executive director, passed away on Friday 4 December after a short illness.

New power paper sets conductivity record

A new material consisting of nanocellulose and a conductive polymer boasts an outstanding ability to store energy.

New plastic solar cell minimizes photon energy loss

A newly-developed polymer can minimize energy loss when converting sunlight to electricity in a solar cell.

Chinese researchers take the trial and error out materials science

Download article now.

Kennametal appoints new VP of industrial business

Kennametal Inc has elected Charles (Chuck) M. Byrnes, Jr. to the position of Kennametal vice president.

Fraunhofer opens R&D center for turbomachine manufacturing

Fraunhofer Institute and RWTH Aachen University have launched the International Center for Turbomachinery Manufacturing (ICTM).

Coperion expands long fiber technology in Europe and Asia

Coperion can now offer complete installations for the production of long fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFTs).

Ashland hires new VP

Ashland Inc has appointed Gregory W. Elliott as vice president and chief human resources and communications officer.

Cytec opens new application center in the UK

Cytec Industries Inc has opened a new US$13 million application center in Heanor, UK.

Makin Metals appoints new finance director

Makin Metals has appointed Phil Wilcock as finance director, replacing Brian Hope.

New highly-absorbent nanosheets could soak up oil spills

A new boron nitride nanosheet can absorb up to 33 times its weight in oils and organic solvents.

‘Perfect’ white graphene could usher in new era of electronics

Scientists have developed a new process for fabricating 'perfect' white graphene, also known as hexagonal boron nitride.

PM companies to merge

NTN Corporation's consolidated subsidiaries NTN Powder Metal Corporation and Nippon Kagaku Yakin Co Ltd have merged.

Nanoscale octopods shine at catalysis

Nanoscale octopods made of gold and palladium can do double duty as catalysts and plasmonic sensors.

New ASTM standard helps test metallic coatings

A new ASTM test method has been launched to provide a way to determine the tensile and compressive stress on metallic coatings.

Diamond pillars are all ears

Diamond-coated micro-sized pillars could sharpen up cochlear implants by acting as a guide for regrowing auditory neurons

DuPont announces 2020 sustainability goals

DuPont today updated its sustainability goals for 2020.

Federal-Mogul expands automotive aftermarket business in Asia Pacific

Federal-Mogul Motorparts has entered into a joint venture with Loxley Public Company Limited.

Thermoelectric material benefits from a bit of doping

Scientists have discovered that doping tin selenide with sodium boosts its performance as a thermoelectric material.

New gold foam almost as light as air

Scientists have produced a new kind of gold foam that is lighter than water and almost as light as air.

DuPont receives global supplier award

DuPont Performance Polymers has received the 2015 Overall Performance Award from MAHLE.

Reichhold receives supplier award from wind power specialist

LM Wind Power has named Reichhold as the company’s most innovative supplier in 2015.

Federal-Mogul expands China market

Federal-Mogul Motorparts and China Automotive Import and Export Co Ltd (CAIEC) have formed a joint venture.

Carpenter Technology Q1 results

Carpenter Technology Corporation has announced net sales of US$455.6 million in Q1 2016, compared to sales of US$549.8 million in the same period of 2015.

Departure of PMG’s CEO

Dr. Michael Krehl has resigned from his position at PMG Holding GmbH due to different opinions on group strategy.

Gamesa signs 103-MW supply agreement

Gamesa has signed an agreement with Enbridge to install 45 G97-2.1 MW and four G90-2.0 MW wind turbines.

OM Group changes name

Metal chemicals company OM Group Inc plans to change its name to Vectra Co.

Tests show benefits of powder rheometer

A joint study carried out by Freeman Technology and Gerteis Maschinen + Processengineering AG has been carried out on Freeman’s FT4 Powder Rheometer.

ARRK opens new rapid CNC machining centre in UK

ARRK has expanded its operations in the UK by opening a new dedicated building for rapid CNC machining in Gloucester.

Protons kick out the defects in monolayers

Using an organic superacid to fix defects in molybdenum disulphide produced a 100-fold increase in its photoluminescence quantum yield.

Solar cells work better in tandem

Researchers have produced tandem solar cells from polycrystalline thin films, using a method that is suitable for mass production.

Ashland announces new distributor for Nordic region

Ashland Performance Materials has appointed Kemi-Intressen AB as its new distributor for Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Composite ladybird makes use of DIAB materials

A two-storey high ladybird designed as a media center for children in a Dubai hospital has been made using DIAB materials.

Head of ARC MIM U.S. elected president of MIM association

Tom Houck, vice president of U.S. ARC MIM, has been elected president of the Metal Injection Molding Association (‘MIMA’).

Bodycote reports reduced revenue

Bodycote reports 7.5% lower revenue from the period from July to October 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

Microwaves improve green workings of materials used to clean wastewater

Self-assembled catalysts could transform chemical manufacturing

Scientists have developed novel catalysts made from self-assembled porous silica material containing finely-positioned metal nanoparticles.

New graphene production process is 100 times cheaper

Researchers have developed a new process that can produce large sheets of graphene 100 times cheaper than existing processes.

Kennametal Q1 2016 results

Kennametal Inc today reported its results for the 2016 fiscal Q1 ended 30 September 2015.

ATI Q3 2015 results

ATI has reported Q3 2015 sales of US$833 million and a net loss attributable to ATI of US$145 million.

Gamesa doubles net profit

Gamesa reports that it has doubled its net profit to €126 million on a 30% increase in revenues to €2,533 million.

Cytec shareholders approve merger with Solvay

Cytec Industries Inc has announced the voting results for its special meeting of common stockholders on its proposed merger with Solvay.

Atomic study of fuel cell catalysts heats up

Scientists have used scanning transmission electron microscopy to track atomic reconfigurations in individual platinum-cobalt nanoparticle catalysts.

Solid film boosts performance of aqueous Li-ion battery

A novel ‘water-in-salt’ aqueous lithium-ion battery is able to produce double the voltage of other aqueous batteries.

M1 Composites moves into larger facility

M1 Composites Technology Inc has relocated to a larger facility in Laval, Quebec.

WPI research improves understanding of component stress

A research team at WPI in the U.S. is expanding its understanding of how stress and fatigue cause microscopic damage to form in metal components.

US$25 million for materials research

The Micron Foundation has given US$25 million to help fund a new Center for Materials Research at Boise State University.

ZWICK webcast to showcase composites testing

Zwick USA is hosting a free webcast on achieving accurate measurement results for compression tests on composites.

Materials at vastly different scales deform in similar ways

Solid materials such as nanocrystals, bulk metallic glasses, rocks or granular materials all deform in a similar way when exposed to stress.

New single-step method for manufacturing 3D nanostructures

A new method for manufacturing 3D nanostructures uses a mask that can define a pattern on two sides of a silicon wafer simultaneously.

Hartzell introduces five-blade carbon fiber propeller

Hartzell Propeller is introducing a new five-blade composite swept tip prop for the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.