Sunday, June 29, 2008
Miracle Material Shields Against X-ray And Gamma Emissions
Exposure to ionizing radiation is considered to be dangerous for humans. But all humans are exposed to some radiation simply by living on earth. When an exposure occurs over an extended period of time, it is referred to as "Chronic Exposure". This can be reduced by creating a barrier between the radiating source and the individual known as shielding.
Radiation Shield Technologies (RST) has achieved a breakthrough in personal radiation protection using nanotechnology. This revolutionary technology is currently produced as full body suits, gloves and boots and is marketed under the name Demron, but is commonly known as the miracle material.
Demron not only protects against particle ionizing/nuclear radiation (such as Beta and Alpha), but does what no other full body radiation protection can do: shield against X-ray and low-energy Gamma emissions. Demron is also non-toxic and completely Lead-free.
Lead aprons are used currently by medical professionals. But it tends to crack when bent or folded. Demron rectifies all these problems and ensures protection for the wearer.
The only downside is the weight of the material - a 36” x 30” blanket weighs approximately 60 lbs.
Source - Radiating Shield Technologies
Read the report of the test here.
Radiation Shield Technologies (RST) has achieved a breakthrough in personal radiation protection using nanotechnology. This revolutionary technology is currently produced as full body suits, gloves and boots and is marketed under the name Demron, but is commonly known as the miracle material. Demron not only protects against particle ionizing/nuclear radiation (such as Beta and Alpha), but does what no other full body radiation protection can do: shield against X-ray and low-energy Gamma emissions. Demron is also non-toxic and completely Lead-free.
Lead aprons are used currently by medical professionals. But it tends to crack when bent or folded. Demron rectifies all these problems and ensures protection for the wearer.
The only downside is the weight of the material - a 36” x 30” blanket weighs approximately 60 lbs.
Source - Radiating Shield Technologies
Read the report of the test here.
Labels: Material-Sciences, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Miracle Material Shields Against X-ray And Gamma Emissions posted by Vanessa : 9:19 AM
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Monday, May 26, 2008
Can Nanotubes Be A Source of Energy?
Image courtesy: Physorg
You have heard of carbon nanotubes, those quaint nano-stuff that can do many amazing things. Now some folks feel these can also play a role in the alternative energy domain. Read on.
When present in specially organized clusters, one could visualize carbon nanotubes as "nanotube forests." Within this forest, each individual nanotube acts like a tiny spring, and some scientists think that if you combine billions of them, they could do things that no steel spring could achieve.
Especially Carol Livermore. An assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Livermore believes these stronger-than-steel nanotubes could open new possibilities for energy generation and storage.
How?
It is well known that you can store energy in the deformation of a spring. That is hardly a challenge. The main challenge with storing energy in springs is most don't store a lot of energy per unit of weight or volume. Livermore and is team feels that this problem can possibly be taken care of by carbon nanotubes because they can stretch incredibly far without breaking.
Nanotubes work like expansion springs - pull them and they stretch, release them and they are back to their original shape, while releasing energy. This property has already been shown with individual nanotubes. And, as mentioned earlier, these deformations can be for extreme lengths / dimensions. Now, take this useful property of nanotubes, and then combine billions of such nanotubes together into bundles. Now you can explore if extreme deformations of such bundles can produce vast amounts of energy. This is what Livermore intends to do.
With a grouping of nanotubes as long as an inch or two, it will be possible to test the qualities of the carbon nanotubes in a visible experiment. Instruments could measure the amount of force used, and the amount of energy returned when the spring contracts.
What are the possible applications of energy from such nanotube bundles? Some of the possibilities discussed are high-end mechanical watches that need winding only once, regenerative braking devices for bicycles etc. They are also thinking of ways in which the nanotube springs could replace some kind of batteries. Not exactly earth-shaking, but hey, this is just the beginning. Essentially, what these folks are looking at are ways to capture & store mechanical energy and release it to do useful things. I'm sure there are more interesting applications one can visualise and perfect if the technology works out fine.
Source: Boston.com
Some related news items you could find useful:
Nanotubes Grown Straight in Large Numbers, Silicon Nanotubes Store Hydrogen More Efficiently Than Carbon Nanotubes
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
Friday, April 18, 2008
Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment
Even large amounts of manufactured nanoparticles, also known as Buckyballs, don't faze microscopic organisms that are charged with cleaning up the environment, according to Purdue University researchers.
In the first published study to examine Buckyball toxicity on microbes that break down organic substances in wastewater, the scientists used an amount of the nanoparticles on the microbes that was equivalent to pouring 10 pounds of talcum powder on a person. Because high amounts of even normally safe compounds, such as talcum powder, can be toxic, the microbes' resiliency to high Buckyball levels was an important finding, the Purdue investigators said.
The experiment on Buckyballs, which are carbon molecules C60, also led the scientists to develop a better method to determine the impact of nanoparticles on the microbial community.
Keywords: nanoparticles, Buckyballs, Purdue, microscopic organisms, toxicity
C60, microbial community
Labels: Bio-engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Buckyballs Toxicity No Harm To Microbes That Clean The Environment posted by Ecacofonix : 3:24 AM
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Monday, April 14, 2008
Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex
Last spring Swedish Lamera won the aircraft industry's Crystal Cabin Awards with their lightweight steel Hybrix. It is a sandwich material that consists of microscopic steel fibres between two sheets of stainless steel.
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
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Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
It is thin (1-2 mm), strong and it can be processed and formed in the same ways and with the same tools as ordinary stainless steel. In fact, the only apparent difference is that it weighs about half as much.
Hybrix has been described as "magic" since it seems too thin and firm to be hollow but this story gets even better: Lamera has combined their invention with Decorex - a material developed by another Swedish steel company, Sandvik. Decorex is a steel surface processed on nano level that can be given different colours and structures.
One obvious area of use is aircraft interiors since there is A LOT of money to save with fewer kilos in the air. Hybrix itself was developed at the well-known bionic intersection of biology and engineering.
More from here
Keywords: Swedish Lamera, Lightweight steel Hybrix, Sandwich material, Decorex
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Hybrix Lightweight Steel from Lamera - Combined with Decorex posted by Ecacofonix : 8:51 PM
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Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines
A University of Texas at Dallas team will play a key role in a new $15 million research project designed to enable manufacturing at an almost unimaginably small scale: one atom at a time.
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
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Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications.
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology.
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications.
* Customized surfaces that would have an array of applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person's complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours.
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Keywords: Tiny Assembly Lines, Ultra-low-power semiconductors, cellphones, wireless communications, Sensors, Customized surfaces, Nanoscale genomics arrays, complete genetic sequence
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiny Assembly Lines posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 PM
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Nanostructures that Exploit Hybrid-Polariton Resonances
Nanostructured devices that exploit the hybrid-polariton resonances arising from coupling among photons, phonons, and plasmons are subjects of research directed toward the development of infrared-spectroscopic sensors for measuring extremely small quantities of molecules of interest. The spectroscopic techniques in question are surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). An important intermediate goal of this research is to increase the sensitivity achievable by these techniques. The basic idea of the approach being followed in this research is to engineer nanostructured devices and thereby engineer their hybrid-polariton resonances to concentrate infrared radiation incident upon their surfaces in such a manner as to increase the absorption of the radiation for SEIRA and measure the frequency shifts of surface vibrational modes
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Keywords: Nanostructures, Hybrid-Polariton Resonances, hybrid-polariton resonances
photons, phonons, and plasmons , infrared-spectroscopic sensors , surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). surface vibrational modes
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Keywords: Nanostructures, Hybrid-Polariton Resonances, hybrid-polariton resonances
photons, phonons, and plasmons , infrared-spectroscopic sensors , surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). surface vibrational modes
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanostructures that Exploit Hybrid-Polariton Resonances posted by Ecacofonix : 5:22 AM
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Switching Electricity @ Nanoscale Dimensions to Boost Storage
A university's work on electricity conduction could significantly boost storage.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say they have invented a method to switch electricity on and off at nano-scale dimensions. The invention could lead to the creation of more compact data storage devices by increasing aerial density between data bits on silicon.
The project, headed by Jeremy Levy, a professor in the university's School of Arts and Sciences, sought to create a new process to control the connectivity between insulating materials from an electrical conductor to an insulator and then back again.
In an interview, Levy said the principle could be refined to allow for the development of very powerful and tightly packed ultra-high-density storage devices for logic and memory devices.
The results of the project, known as "nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature," were published last week on the Web site of Nature Materials magazine.
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Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say they have invented a method to switch electricity on and off at nano-scale dimensions. The invention could lead to the creation of more compact data storage devices by increasing aerial density between data bits on silicon.
The project, headed by Jeremy Levy, a professor in the university's School of Arts and Sciences, sought to create a new process to control the connectivity between insulating materials from an electrical conductor to an insulator and then back again.
In an interview, Levy said the principle could be refined to allow for the development of very powerful and tightly packed ultra-high-density storage devices for logic and memory devices.
The results of the project, known as "nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature," were published last week on the Web site of Nature Materials magazine.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Switching Electricity @ Nanoscale Dimensions to Boost Storage posted by Ecacofonix : 9:05 AM
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Sanichiro Yoshida's Optical Interferometry Identifies Weaknesses In Structures
A patent has been awarded to Southeastern Louisiana University through one of its faculty that holds the potential to identify weaknesses in structures ranging from massive bridge construction to the tiniest elements of nanotechnology no larger than a speck of dust on a pinhead.
The patent is for a deformation prediction instrument developed by physicist Sanichiro Yoshida. The instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products.
Interferometry uses multiple light paths -- typically two -- from a common source, in this case a laser. The light paths allow the operator to exactly measure the difference in the path lengths when the light waves hit an object. The light waves – measuring less than one micron or one millionth of a meter – intersect on the material under study, are carefully measured and compared by the interferometer. This determines displacements of all points on the object, and through analysis of the pattern of the displacements, reveals a point of weakness in the material.
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The patent is for a deformation prediction instrument developed by physicist Sanichiro Yoshida. The instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products.
Interferometry uses multiple light paths -- typically two -- from a common source, in this case a laser. The light paths allow the operator to exactly measure the difference in the path lengths when the light waves hit an object. The light waves – measuring less than one micron or one millionth of a meter – intersect on the material under study, are carefully measured and compared by the interferometer. This determines displacements of all points on the object, and through analysis of the pattern of the displacements, reveals a point of weakness in the material.
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Labels: Civil-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Sanichiro Yoshida's Optical Interferometry Identifies Weaknesses In Structures posted by Ecacofonix : 7:59 AM
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Diamond-cooled Nuclear Reactor from Ronald Baney
Nuclear plants can fail when the heat from the reactor is not removed quickly enough from the core. This can happen in pressurised water nuclear reactors if the water in the cooling system boils, because steam is a much poorer conductor of heat than liquid water.These reactors have a primary water cooling system that directly takes heat away from the reactor. It is sealed under huge pressure to prevent it boiling and conducts heat to a secondary water cooling system that is not sealed.But this secondary system is also at risk of boiling. If that happens, heat builds up in the primary cooling system, which can lead to meltdown. Ronald Baney and colleagues at the University of Florida in Gainesville, think they can tackle this problem by turning to diamond – one of the best heat conductors known to science.
Their idea is to add diamond nanoparticles to the water of the secondary cooling system to dramatically improve its ability to transfer heat.Baney and colleagues say such nanoparticles are chemically inert and radiation resistant, so are unlikely to clump together in a way that could block the cooling system. However, they don't say how much a diamond-based heat transfer fluid might cost.Read the full diamond-cooled nuclear reactor patent application.
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Their idea is to add diamond nanoparticles to the water of the secondary cooling system to dramatically improve its ability to transfer heat.Baney and colleagues say such nanoparticles are chemically inert and radiation resistant, so are unlikely to clump together in a way that could block the cooling system. However, they don't say how much a diamond-based heat transfer fluid might cost.Read the full diamond-cooled nuclear reactor patent application.
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Physics
PermaLink - Diamond-cooled Nuclear Reactor from Ronald Baney posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Non-conducting Organic Polymers into Electricity Conducting "Synthetic Metals" Using Radiation
Recently, UPM unveiled their latest research at the World's Largest Market-Place for Inventions in Geneva. This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation, which can be used for artificial muscles, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries and more
This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation. These "synthetic metals" can be used for electromagnetic shielding, artificial muscles, active electronic devices, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries, ion exchange membranes, electrical display, chemical and biochemical sensors, electrochemical actuators, switches, and molecular electronics.
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This research is on a technique to transform non-conducting organic polymers into electricity conducting "synthetic metals" using radiation. These "synthetic metals" can be used for electromagnetic shielding, artificial muscles, active electronic devices, antistatic clothing, rechargeable batteries, ion exchange membranes, electrical display, chemical and biochemical sensors, electrochemical actuators, switches, and molecular electronics.
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Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Non-conducting Organic Polymers into Electricity Conducting "Synthetic Metals" Using Radiation posted by Ecacofonix : 4:33 AM
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Self-Mending Rubber Invented - Self-healing Properties Make it Suitable for Many Uses
Self-healing rubber that binds back together after being snapped or punctured could pave the way for self-healing shoes, fan belts, washing-up gloves and more. When the material melds together again, it has just as much strength as it had before, says Leibler, a polymer chemist at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution (ESPCI) in Paris, France.
The material could eventually make it a cinch to repair holes in shoes, snapped fan belts and punctured kitchen gloves. It might also make strange new products possible – for instance bags that can be ripped open and then resealed. Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds. The new substance self-heals when its surfaces are brought together under gentle compression, at room temperature.The material is synthesised from fatty acids and urea, which are cheap and renewable
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The material could eventually make it a cinch to repair holes in shoes, snapped fan belts and punctured kitchen gloves. It might also make strange new products possible – for instance bags that can be ripped open and then resealed. Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds. The new substance self-heals when its surfaces are brought together under gentle compression, at room temperature.The material is synthesised from fatty acids and urea, which are cheap and renewable
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Self-Mending Rubber Invented - Self-healing Properties Make it Suitable for Many Uses posted by Ecacofonix : 12:14 AM
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Nanosieves to Remove Water Out of Biofuels & Save Energy
A new type of membrane, developed by scientists of the University of Twente in The Netherlands, can stand high temperatures for a long period of time. This ‘molecular sieve’ is capable of removing water out of e.g. solvents and biofuels. It is a very energy efficient alternative to existing techniques like distillation. Even after testing during 18 months, the new membranes prove to be highly effective, while having continuously been exposed to a temperature of 150 ºC. Existing ceramic and polymer membranes will last considerably shorter periods of time, when exposed to the combination of water and high temperatures. The scientists managed to do this using a new ‘hybrid’ type of material combining the best of both worlds of polymer and ceramic membranes. The result is a membrane with pores sufficiently small to let only the smallest molecules pass through.
Manufacturing the new hybrid membranes is simpler than that of ceramic membranes, because the material is flexible and will not show cracks.
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Manufacturing the new hybrid membranes is simpler than that of ceramic membranes, because the material is flexible and will not show cracks.
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Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanosieves to Remove Water Out of Biofuels & Save Energy posted by Ecacofonix : 12:14 AM
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Breakthrough Nanotechnology Will Bring 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks
Invention: 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks using nanotechnology
1. This invention and patents on a technique for changing matter at the molecular level is one of the World’s only new enabling technologies, having many hundreds of electro-optic applications. 2. Atomic Holographic Nano-technology will allow for the first time a functional method for programmable molecular lenses that will allow incoming light to be rejected, modified internally, or allowed to pass unaltered through a transparent lens known as disk, tape, card, drum, film, etc. 3. By being able to program optical lenses, many applications based on light and color can be developed, such as holographic storage, bio-terror detection devices, optical electronics, security products, and hundreds of other products never seen before on the world’s markets.
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1. This invention and patents on a technique for changing matter at the molecular level is one of the World’s only new enabling technologies, having many hundreds of electro-optic applications. 2. Atomic Holographic Nano-technology will allow for the first time a functional method for programmable molecular lenses that will allow incoming light to be rejected, modified internally, or allowed to pass unaltered through a transparent lens known as disk, tape, card, drum, film, etc. 3. By being able to program optical lenses, many applications based on light and color can be developed, such as holographic storage, bio-terror detection devices, optical electronics, security products, and hundreds of other products never seen before on the world’s markets.
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Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Breakthrough Nanotechnology Will Bring 100 Terabyte 3.5-inch Digital Data Storage Disks posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Nanowires Could Turn Your T-Shirts Into Nano-Power Stations
A nanotech invention by a US research team offers an intriguing glimpse of the future: slip on some nanowire-embedded clothes, plug your MP3 player or cellphone into them, and as you dance or walk around, your outfit generates enough power to run the gadget. More details on how the fabric works, and some nano-imagery after the jump. Professor Zhong Lin Wang and team of the Georgia Institute of Technology coated kevlar strands with zinc oxide nanowires, protecting the bushy wires with a polymer and adding gold to other fibers to act as a conductor. The piezoelectric power-generating action comes when the nanowires bend as two fibers rub together, translating bending of the material into electricity which flows along the gold fibers. Professor Wang says that across several square feet of fabric the nanowire fibers can generate power adding up to tens of milliwatts, which is not a huge amount, but is certainly enough for a dribble top-up charge for your portable devices. With a little more power, the idea could be great in smart fabrics for consumers, or even for medical or military use, but it's clearly an invention in its infancy.
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Textile-Engineering
PermaLink - Nanowires Could Turn Your T-Shirts Into Nano-Power Stations posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Will Nanocomp's Carbon Nanotubes Replace Copper Wiring in Aircraft?
Nanocomp Technologies has been given an Air Force contract to develop electrically conductive wire and other materials from carbon nanotubes. The major aspect of this contract is an effort to replace copper wiring and its attendant limitations — weighty, physically breaks down, etc. If Nanocomp Technologies is successful the entire aerospace industry will be one of the first beneficiaries of this development.
Under Phase One, Nanocomp Technologies will expand upon its current processing and manufacturing methods for producing CNT sheets and spun conductors, composed of long-length CNTs, to surpass established electrical performance standards required by aerospace to replace traditional copper wiring.
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Keywords: Nanocomp, Carbon Nanotubes(CNT), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Improved Electrical Power, Boeing 747, Aerospace Systems, Copper Wiring Harnesses
Under Phase One, Nanocomp Technologies will expand upon its current processing and manufacturing methods for producing CNT sheets and spun conductors, composed of long-length CNTs, to surpass established electrical performance standards required by aerospace to replace traditional copper wiring.
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Keywords: Nanocomp, Carbon Nanotubes(CNT), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Improved Electrical Power, Boeing 747, Aerospace Systems, Copper Wiring Harnesses
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Material-Sciences, Metallurgical-Engineering
PermaLink - Will Nanocomp's Carbon Nanotubes Replace Copper Wiring in Aircraft? posted by Ecacofonix : 5:47 AM
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Superconductors to Keep Satellites Together - DARPA F6 Programme
Using magnetic forces to hold the elements of a modular spacecraft together without mechanical connection is being studied by Cornell University's College of Engineering as part of a Northrop Grumman-led team working on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's System F6 fractionated satellite programme. F6 aims to replace the traditional large monolithic satellite with several small independently launched spacecraft flying in close formation.
Cornell is working with flux-pinning superconductors that resist movement within magnetic fields and which could be used to hold spacecraft components in place without mechanical connections. The superconductors can be turned on and off, allowing flux-pinned modules to repositioned or replaced like the "virtual building blocks" of a fractionated satellite, says the university. Cornell is also studying electromagnetic formation flight, which can passively stabilise formations of spacecraft flying in close proximity (less than 1m), while also preventing them from colliding. DARPA plans to fly a fractionated satellite within four years.
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Keywords: Electromagnetic, Cornell University, F6 fractionated satellite programme, flux-pinning superconductors, DARPA
Cornell is working with flux-pinning superconductors that resist movement within magnetic fields and which could be used to hold spacecraft components in place without mechanical connections. The superconductors can be turned on and off, allowing flux-pinned modules to repositioned or replaced like the "virtual building blocks" of a fractionated satellite, says the university. Cornell is also studying electromagnetic formation flight, which can passively stabilise formations of spacecraft flying in close proximity (less than 1m), while also preventing them from colliding. DARPA plans to fly a fractionated satellite within four years.
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Keywords: Electromagnetic, Cornell University, F6 fractionated satellite programme, flux-pinning superconductors, DARPA
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Superconductors to Keep Satellites Together - DARPA F6 Programme posted by Ecacofonix : 5:31 AM
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Top 10 Advances in Materials Science?
What are the defining discoveries, moments of inspiration, or shifts in understanding that have shaped the dynamic field of materials science we know today?
This post makes an evaluation and does a selection. It has tried to focus on the advances that have either changed our lives or are in the process of changing them.
The list?
1. International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors
2. Scanning probe microscopes
3. Giant magnetoresistive effect
4. Semiconductor lasers and LEDs
5. National Nanotechnology Initiative
6. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
7. Materials for Li ion batteries
8. Carbon nanotubes
9. Soft lithography
10. Metamaterials
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This post makes an evaluation and does a selection. It has tried to focus on the advances that have either changed our lives or are in the process of changing them.
The list?
1. International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors
2. Scanning probe microscopes
3. Giant magnetoresistive effect
4. Semiconductor lasers and LEDs
5. National Nanotechnology Initiative
6. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
7. Materials for Li ion batteries
8. Carbon nanotubes
9. Soft lithography
10. Metamaterials
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Self Assembly the Science of Future? Babak Amir Parviz Answers
In 2007, Dr Babak Amir Parviz was chosen by the MIT Technology as one of the top innovators under the age of 35, for developing the self-assembly manufacturing method.
You can find excerpts from an interview with him on nanotechnology and self assembly. Some interesting questions were asked and answered on self-assembly.
Full interview here
Labels: Manufacturing-Production-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Self Assembly the Science of Future? Babak Amir Parviz Answers posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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AEG Carbon Fib6er-elastomer Composite Bipolar Plate for PEM Fuel Cells
Fuel cells constitute one of the most promising sources of environmental friendly energy for the future. A proton exchange membrane (pem) fuel cell is a stack of electrochemical cell systems (figure) placed in series.
American engineering group (aeg, akron, oh) has developed a new elastomer-carbon fiber composite bipolar plate for pem fuel cells with high electrical conductivity, high strength, light weight and very low permeability. This new unique composite bipolar plate is a less-expensive and light-weight alternative to graphite and steel. The use of highly conductive elastomer compound and multi-stage molding technology enables the fabrication of bipolar plates with high carbon fiber content. This composite bipolar plate is a promising solution, and this plate has the potential for being produced at low cost. The plate is produced using short carbon fiber structure with elastomer impregnation into pre-form uncured structures.
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Keywords: Carbon fib6er-elastomer, proton exchange membrane (pem), electrochemical cell systems, mass-production technologies, fuel cell system assembly, elastomer-carbon fiber, multi-stage molding technology
American engineering group (aeg, akron, oh) has developed a new elastomer-carbon fiber composite bipolar plate for pem fuel cells with high electrical conductivity, high strength, light weight and very low permeability. This new unique composite bipolar plate is a less-expensive and light-weight alternative to graphite and steel. The use of highly conductive elastomer compound and multi-stage molding technology enables the fabrication of bipolar plates with high carbon fiber content. This composite bipolar plate is a promising solution, and this plate has the potential for being produced at low cost. The plate is produced using short carbon fiber structure with elastomer impregnation into pre-form uncured structures.
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Keywords: Carbon fib6er-elastomer, proton exchange membrane (pem), electrochemical cell systems, mass-production technologies, fuel cell system assembly, elastomer-carbon fiber, multi-stage molding technology
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - AEG Carbon Fib6er-elastomer Composite Bipolar Plate for PEM Fuel Cells posted by Ecacofonix : 5:16 AM
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Monday, April 7, 2008
Video of How Nanotubes and Nanofibers Form
Watch amazing footage of how nanotubes form.
A team of scientists led by the Department's Dr Stephan Hofmann have successfully produced live video footage that shows how carbon nanotubes, more than 10,000 times smaller in diameter than a human hair, form.
The video sequences show nanofibres and nanotubes nucleating around miniscule particles of nickel and are already offering greater insight into how these microscopic structures self-assemble.
These two videos show how the nickel reacts a process called catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD). This is one of several methods of producing nanotubes, and involves the application of a gas containing carbon (in this case acetylene) to minute crystalline droplets referred to as "catalyst islands" (the nickel).
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A team of scientists led by the Department's Dr Stephan Hofmann have successfully produced live video footage that shows how carbon nanotubes, more than 10,000 times smaller in diameter than a human hair, form.
The video sequences show nanofibres and nanotubes nucleating around miniscule particles of nickel and are already offering greater insight into how these microscopic structures self-assemble.
These two videos show how the nickel reacts a process called catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD). This is one of several methods of producing nanotubes, and involves the application of a gas containing carbon (in this case acetylene) to minute crystalline droplets referred to as "catalyst islands" (the nickel).
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Graphene with Low Intrinsic Resistance Could be the New Silicon
Research results from University of Maryland physicists show that graphene, a new material that combines aspects of semiconductors and metals, could be a leading candidate to replace silicon in applications ranging from high-speed computer chips to biochemical sensors.
The research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnolgy, reveals that graphene conducts electricity at room temperature with less intrinsic resistance than any other known material.
Intrinsic resistance results from the unavoidable lattice vibrations in a material when the temperature is greater than absolute zero. The intrinsic resistance determines a material's mobility, or the speed at which an electrons move when an electric field is applied to the material. The very high mobility of graphene makes it promising for applications in which transistors must switch extremely fast, such as in the processing of extremely high frequency signals
Graphene is also a very promising material for chemical and biochemical sensing applications in which an electrical signal from, for instance, a molecule adsorbed on the sensing device, is translated into an electrical signal by changing the conductivity of the device
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The research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnolgy, reveals that graphene conducts electricity at room temperature with less intrinsic resistance than any other known material.
Intrinsic resistance results from the unavoidable lattice vibrations in a material when the temperature is greater than absolute zero. The intrinsic resistance determines a material's mobility, or the speed at which an electrons move when an electric field is applied to the material. The very high mobility of graphene makes it promising for applications in which transistors must switch extremely fast, such as in the processing of extremely high frequency signals
Graphene is also a very promising material for chemical and biochemical sensing applications in which an electrical signal from, for instance, a molecule adsorbed on the sensing device, is translated into an electrical signal by changing the conductivity of the device
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Labels: Material-Sciences, Physics
PermaLink - Graphene with Low Intrinsic Resistance Could be the New Silicon posted by Ecacofonix : 10:09 PM
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Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiniest Scale Production for Future Tech
A University of Texas at Dallas team will play a key role in a new $15 million research project designed to enable manufacturing at an almost unimaginably small scale: one atom at a time. This breakthrough technology will make it possible to manufacture devices with atomic precision by exploiting our established ability to remove individual hydrogen atoms from a silicon surface using a scanning tunneling microscope.
Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications
* Customized surfaces
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person’s complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours
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Known as atomically precise manufacturing, the technique is expected to enable a wide variety of devices and products, including:
* Ultra-low-power semiconductors for cellphones and other wireless communications
* Sensors with ultra-high sensitivity
* Data encryption orders of magnitude more secure than existing technology
* Optical elements that enable unprecedented performance in computing and communications
* Customized surfaces
* Nanoscale genomics arrays that would enable a person’s complete genetic sequence to be read in less than two hours
More from here
Labels: Manufacturing-Production-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Atomically Precise Manufacturing - Tiniest Scale Production for Future Tech posted by Ecacofonix : 9:59 PM
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Self-assembled Materials Form Mini Stem Cell
Imagine having one polymer and one small molecule that instantly assemble into a flexible but strong sac in which you can grow human stem cells, creating a sort of miniature laboratory. And that sac, if used for cell therapy, could cloak the stem cells from the human body’s immune system and biodegrade upon arriving at its destination, releasing the stem cells to do their work
Futuristic? Only in part. A research team from Northwestern University’s Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine has created such sacs and demonstrated that human stem cells will grow in them. The researchers also report that the sacs can survive for weeks in culture and that their membranes are permeable to proteins.
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Futuristic? Only in part. A research team from Northwestern University’s Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine has created such sacs and demonstrated that human stem cells will grow in them. The researchers also report that the sacs can survive for weeks in culture and that their membranes are permeable to proteins.
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Labels: Bio-engineering, Material-Sciences
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Magnetic Flux Pinning Superconductors - Stability, Control in Space
Superconductors to provide new levels of stability and control in large structures and satellite formations in space
By taking advantage of the surprising physics of magnetic flux pinning, spacecraft components could hover a fraction of an inch to several feet apart without electrical power. Flux-pinning superconductor materials resist movement within magnetic fields, and flux pinning can be turned on or off simply by cooling or heating the superconductors. As a result, modules consisting of magnets and flux-pinning superconductors can maintain the position and orientation of spacecraft components. Furthermore, flux-pinned connections are stable without active feedback control, which typically requires on-board computers and power.
Dr. Mason Peck from the Cornell University College of Engineering is continuing his research begun in 2005 with recent funding from F6 contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation, where magnetic flux pinning holds special promise for eliminating the complexity of mechanical connectors currently designed into space systems for docking, attaching, and configuring components. F6 (Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information eXchange) is a new spacecraft design strategy being studied by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DOD).
Peck's use of magnetic flux pinning complements a related technology, EMFF (electromagnetic formation flight), by providing passive stability for formations of spacecraft in close proximity (less than 1 meter). It also eliminates power, software, and electronics hardware as single points of failure for controlling the positions of nearby components. Electromagnetic actuation can provide coarse or fine control of the formation. In addition, the technology provides a passive bumper that can guarantee no contact while components are maneuvering in space
Full report from here
By taking advantage of the surprising physics of magnetic flux pinning, spacecraft components could hover a fraction of an inch to several feet apart without electrical power. Flux-pinning superconductor materials resist movement within magnetic fields, and flux pinning can be turned on or off simply by cooling or heating the superconductors. As a result, modules consisting of magnets and flux-pinning superconductors can maintain the position and orientation of spacecraft components. Furthermore, flux-pinned connections are stable without active feedback control, which typically requires on-board computers and power.
Dr. Mason Peck from the Cornell University College of Engineering is continuing his research begun in 2005 with recent funding from F6 contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation, where magnetic flux pinning holds special promise for eliminating the complexity of mechanical connectors currently designed into space systems for docking, attaching, and configuring components. F6 (Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information eXchange) is a new spacecraft design strategy being studied by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DOD).
Peck's use of magnetic flux pinning complements a related technology, EMFF (electromagnetic formation flight), by providing passive stability for formations of spacecraft in close proximity (less than 1 meter). It also eliminates power, software, and electronics hardware as single points of failure for controlling the positions of nearby components. Electromagnetic actuation can provide coarse or fine control of the formation. In addition, the technology provides a passive bumper that can guarantee no contact while components are maneuvering in space
Full report from here
Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences, Physics
PermaLink - Magnetic Flux Pinning Superconductors - Stability, Control in Space posted by Ecacofonix : 12:08 AM
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) - Metal Hybrids Promise Materials of the Future
Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), a fairly new class of hybrid materials that combine organic molecules with metal atoms, is thought to have a bright future for various applications, from medicine to the automotive industry. They could be used to create a variety of innovative materials that are described to have a complex architecture, such as thin or thick films, microparticles and fibers, for use for diagnostics or treatment.
So what are the MOFs? The European Science Foundation explains:
MOFs are porous materials with microscopic sized holes, resembling honeycombs at molecular dimensions. This property of having astronomical numbers of tiny holes within a relatively small volume can be exploited in various ways, one of which is as a repository for gases. Gas molecules diffuse into the MOF solid and are contained within its pores. In the case of gas storage, MOFs offer the crucial advantage of soaking up some of the gas pressure exerted by the molecules.
This makes hydrogen derived from non-fossil energy sources such as fuel cells, or even genetically engineered plants, potentially viable as a fuel for cars while the alternative of pressurised canisters is not.
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So what are the MOFs? The European Science Foundation explains:
MOFs are porous materials with microscopic sized holes, resembling honeycombs at molecular dimensions. This property of having astronomical numbers of tiny holes within a relatively small volume can be exploited in various ways, one of which is as a repository for gases. Gas molecules diffuse into the MOF solid and are contained within its pores. In the case of gas storage, MOFs offer the crucial advantage of soaking up some of the gas pressure exerted by the molecules.
This makes hydrogen derived from non-fossil energy sources such as fuel cells, or even genetically engineered plants, potentially viable as a fuel for cars while the alternative of pressurised canisters is not.
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) - Metal Hybrids Promise Materials of the Future posted by Ecacofonix : 7:24 AM
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Soild Hydrogen Storage System by Stanford Ovshinsky
Hydrogen Solutions to Replace Gasoline Inventor will Keynote nanoTX USA’08
World-famed pioneer in nanostructures, who was once named Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet,” is greatly anticipated in the scientific and business community with exciting new advances
Stanford R. Ovshinsky has become a living legend in the scientific and business communities, having once been profiled in a one-hour PBS program on NOVA entitled “Japan’s American Genius.” The most recent exciting advancement is his solid hydrogen storage system, a metal hydride solid which can be stored in a granular, inert form in compact tanks. It's as easy to fuel up a vehicle with this solid hydrogen as it is to gas up a conventional car. When the car needs fuel, a little energy from the battery system heats up the solid and releases hydrogen gas. Solid hydrogen is currently powering some internal combustion engines on modified Toyota Priuses, and the future looks promising for fuel cell implementation.
Full story here
World-famed pioneer in nanostructures, who was once named Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet,” is greatly anticipated in the scientific and business community with exciting new advances
Stanford R. Ovshinsky has become a living legend in the scientific and business communities, having once been profiled in a one-hour PBS program on NOVA entitled “Japan’s American Genius.” The most recent exciting advancement is his solid hydrogen storage system, a metal hydride solid which can be stored in a granular, inert form in compact tanks. It's as easy to fuel up a vehicle with this solid hydrogen as it is to gas up a conventional car. When the car needs fuel, a little energy from the battery system heats up the solid and releases hydrogen gas. Solid hydrogen is currently powering some internal combustion engines on modified Toyota Priuses, and the future looks promising for fuel cell implementation.
Full story here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Soild Hydrogen Storage System by Stanford Ovshinsky posted by Ecacofonix : 7:20 AM
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Monday, March 24, 2008
Superionic Stamping, Dip-pen Nanolithography - 2 New Nanofabrication Techniques
Two new and exciting scanning-probe techniques have been developed recently. The field is moving closer to being able to build 3D engineered atom-precise structures. Neither of these techniques does this yet, and one may not be able to, but... read on and see why this is an exciting time to be in nanotech.
Superionic stamping is a technique that uses a solid material in which metal ions can move around when directed by electricity. Push the stamp into a substrate, run a current, and some metal moves from the stamp onto the substrate.
The second technique uses dip-pen nanolithography to build artificial lipid bilayers, like the ones that make up cell membranes. The developers, which include Chad Mirkin, inventor of DPN, have been able to "deposit multiple phospholipids in precise patterns
More from here
Superionic stamping is a technique that uses a solid material in which metal ions can move around when directed by electricity. Push the stamp into a substrate, run a current, and some metal moves from the stamp onto the substrate.
The second technique uses dip-pen nanolithography to build artificial lipid bilayers, like the ones that make up cell membranes. The developers, which include Chad Mirkin, inventor of DPN, have been able to "deposit multiple phospholipids in precise patterns
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Superionic Stamping, Dip-pen Nanolithography - 2 New Nanofabrication Techniques posted by Ecacofonix : 3:15 AM
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Supercompressed Silicon, Hydrogen Superconducts at Room Temperature
A new superconducting material fabricated by a Canadian-German team has been fabricated out of a silicon-hydrogen compound [after supercompression, 96-120GPa] and does not require cooling. They had to keep the material under pressure (100GPa) in order to get it to superconduct.
The press release talked about not using refrigerant and EEtimes said room temperature superconductor. They believe that the new silane / hydrogen compounds could reach room temperature superconducting levels. The temperature at which superconductivity occurs exhibits some interesting behavior. It hangs around 5-10K for most of the pressure range (50-200GPa), but in a small range between 100-125GPa, it increases quite sharply. Although the researchers only have five data points in the range and never observed a critical temperature higher than 20K, the shape of the curve indicates that, for some small range of pressures, a very high critical temperature might be achieved. So they still have to investigate the critical pressure range and possibly other compounds and still get them to work after pressure is removed. The other unpressurized material which could be superconducting at 185K are closer to being possible improved application, but they need some more independent confirmations.
More from here
The press release talked about not using refrigerant and EEtimes said room temperature superconductor. They believe that the new silane / hydrogen compounds could reach room temperature superconducting levels. The temperature at which superconductivity occurs exhibits some interesting behavior. It hangs around 5-10K for most of the pressure range (50-200GPa), but in a small range between 100-125GPa, it increases quite sharply. Although the researchers only have five data points in the range and never observed a critical temperature higher than 20K, the shape of the curve indicates that, for some small range of pressures, a very high critical temperature might be achieved. So they still have to investigate the critical pressure range and possibly other compounds and still get them to work after pressure is removed. The other unpressurized material which could be superconducting at 185K are closer to being possible improved application, but they need some more independent confirmations.
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences, Physics
PermaLink - Supercompressed Silicon, Hydrogen Superconducts at Room Temperature posted by Ecacofonix : 3:15 AM
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Nader Engheta - Metananocircuits Electronics' Next Frontier
A University of Pennsylvania professor is exploring an approach to nanotechnology that will allow circuit theory to operate in an entirely new regime--one where "current" is no longer defined as the movement of electrons and holes, but instead as an electromagnetic wave.
If Nader Engheta's theories prove successful in practice--and researchers are already working on experiments to test this--then the work could strike the elusive balance between finding new technologies that can reliably operate at nanometer scales and ensuring that the technologies can bootstrap on decades of knowledge about more-conventional electronics.
For one thing, Engheta said he is interested the possibility of creating switches from metananocircuitry. They could lead to a new kind of optical information processing and, perhaps, a new form of nanoscale computational unit, said Engheta, the H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of electrical and systems engineering at Penn.
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If Nader Engheta's theories prove successful in practice--and researchers are already working on experiments to test this--then the work could strike the elusive balance between finding new technologies that can reliably operate at nanometer scales and ensuring that the technologies can bootstrap on decades of knowledge about more-conventional electronics.
For one thing, Engheta said he is interested the possibility of creating switches from metananocircuitry. They could lead to a new kind of optical information processing and, perhaps, a new form of nanoscale computational unit, said Engheta, the H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of electrical and systems engineering at Penn.
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Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nader Engheta - Metananocircuits Electronics' Next Frontier posted by Ecacofonix : 3:15 AM
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Composites Has Huge Demand from Aerospace, Wind Turbines, Oil & Gas Cos
The composites industry today is seeing strong double-digit growth, with gross margins in the range of 21 to 23 percent and research and development spending in the range of 2 to 5 percent. By my reckoning, the use of carbon fiber in wind turbine blades will be the second largest application after aerospace by 2010. Other major drivers include offshore oil and gas, pressure vessels (particularly those for hydrogen storage), military defense and sports.
The overall market outlook for the next 20 years is positive, despite the uncertain economy and the weakness of the dollar against the euro and the yen. Here’s a rundown on the fiber industry as well as the overall composites industry and market demand.
There has been a paradigm shift in aircraft design at Boeing and Airbus, with composites now specified for primary structures. This is a significant change. All future wide-body airplanes shipped from both manufacturers are based on the new paradigm. Both Boeing and Airbus are projecting multibillion-dollar markets for new airplanes over the next 20 years, particularly in Asia.
The industrial market, which can include basically everything outside of the aerospace/military sector and sporting goods, has a 15 percent CAGR. Sporting goods checks in at 7 percent growth. The primary consumers are the U.S., Europe and Japan. China, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam have started using carbon fiber and are driving demand upward. Global demand estimates through 2020 for carbon fiber are presented in the Table.
Meeting this burgeoning demand for carbon fiber are seven major manufacturers: Cytec, Hexcel, Mitsubishi Rayon, SGL, Toho-Tenax, Toray and Zoltek. Three of these, Toray, Toho-Tenax and Mitsubishi, control 70 percent of the market
More from here
The overall market outlook for the next 20 years is positive, despite the uncertain economy and the weakness of the dollar against the euro and the yen. Here’s a rundown on the fiber industry as well as the overall composites industry and market demand.
There has been a paradigm shift in aircraft design at Boeing and Airbus, with composites now specified for primary structures. This is a significant change. All future wide-body airplanes shipped from both manufacturers are based on the new paradigm. Both Boeing and Airbus are projecting multibillion-dollar markets for new airplanes over the next 20 years, particularly in Asia.
The industrial market, which can include basically everything outside of the aerospace/military sector and sporting goods, has a 15 percent CAGR. Sporting goods checks in at 7 percent growth. The primary consumers are the U.S., Europe and Japan. China, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam have started using carbon fiber and are driving demand upward. Global demand estimates through 2020 for carbon fiber are presented in the Table.
Meeting this burgeoning demand for carbon fiber are seven major manufacturers: Cytec, Hexcel, Mitsubishi Rayon, SGL, Toho-Tenax, Toray and Zoltek. Three of these, Toray, Toho-Tenax and Mitsubishi, control 70 percent of the market
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Composites Has Huge Demand from Aerospace, Wind Turbines, Oil & Gas Cos posted by Ecacofonix : 3:15 AM
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
New Nanofabrication Techniques - Superionic Stamping and More
Two new and exciting scanning-probe techniques have been developed recently. The field is moving closer to being able to build 3D engineered atom-precise structures. Neither of these techniques does this yet, and one may not be able to, but... read on and see why this is an exciting time to be in nanotech.
Superionic stamping is a technique that uses a solid material in which metal ions can move around when directed by electricity. Push the stamp into a substrate, run a current, and some metal moves from the stamp onto the substrate.
The second technique uses dip-pen nanolithography to build artificial lipid bilayers, like the ones that make up cell membranes. The developers, which include Chad Mirkin, inventor of DPN, have been able to "deposit multiple phospholipids in precise patterns."
Full story here
Related blogposts
Solid-state superionic stamping offers a new approach to nanofabrication techniques
Superionic stamping is a technique that uses a solid material in which metal ions can move around when directed by electricity. Push the stamp into a substrate, run a current, and some metal moves from the stamp onto the substrate.
The second technique uses dip-pen nanolithography to build artificial lipid bilayers, like the ones that make up cell membranes. The developers, which include Chad Mirkin, inventor of DPN, have been able to "deposit multiple phospholipids in precise patterns."
Full story here
Related blogposts
Solid-state superionic stamping offers a new approach to nanofabrication techniques
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - New Nanofabrication Techniques - Superionic Stamping and More posted by Ecacofonix : 9:31 AM
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Random Nanostructure Boosts Thermoelectric Power
Engineers and scientists in Massachusetts have managed to greatly boost the efficiency of a common material used for thermoelectric cooling that has not been improved upon in 50 years. The researchers at Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who reformulated the material—bismuth antimony telluride, or BiSbTe—say that not only will the change boost the efficiency of current uses but it will also open the way to operating automobile systems on waste heat from the engine and possibly provide an alternative to solar cells for converting the sun's energy to electricity.
The team, Zhifeng Ren and Gang Chen, reported on their work in today's Science Express. They say that by breaking the bulk material into tiny chunks—from 5 to 50 nanometers across—they've increased a key measure of thermoelectric conversion, called the ZT of the alloy, from 1 to 1.4.
The relationship between the ZT of a material and the conversion efficiency of a device based on it is not linear, so that translates into an improvement in thermoelectric conversion efficiency of between 15 percent and 30 percent...
Full report here
Related blogposts
Nanotechnology provides a cost-effective way to improve performance of thermoelectric materials
The team, Zhifeng Ren and Gang Chen, reported on their work in today's Science Express. They say that by breaking the bulk material into tiny chunks—from 5 to 50 nanometers across—they've increased a key measure of thermoelectric conversion, called the ZT of the alloy, from 1 to 1.4.
The relationship between the ZT of a material and the conversion efficiency of a device based on it is not linear, so that translates into an improvement in thermoelectric conversion efficiency of between 15 percent and 30 percent...
Full report here
Related blogposts
Nanotechnology provides a cost-effective way to improve performance of thermoelectric materials
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Random Nanostructure Boosts Thermoelectric Power posted by Ecacofonix : 6:16 AM
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Nanotechnology Conductors - Clean & Efficient
By crushing a widely used semiconductor into nanoparticles, researchers said on Thursday they have created a compound that could lead to cleaner, more efficient refrigerators, solar power plants and other devices.
The crushed material makes it possible to conduct electricity without conducting so much heat, solving a problem that has baffled engineers for 50 years.
Writing in the journal Science, the teams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston College said their method provides a cheap way to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency.
Full report here
Related blogposts
Cheap, Efficient Thermoelectrics
The crushed material makes it possible to conduct electricity without conducting so much heat, solving a problem that has baffled engineers for 50 years.
Writing in the journal Science, the teams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston College said their method provides a cheap way to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency.
Full report here
Related blogposts
Cheap, Efficient Thermoelectrics
Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
Friday, March 21, 2008
Nanominerals (Mineral Nanoparticles) Influence Earth Systems Significantly
The ubiquity of tiny particles of minerals - mineral nanoparticles - in oceans and rivers, atmosphere and soils, and in living cells are providing scientists with new ways of understanding Earth's workings. Our planet's physical, chemical, and biological processes are influenced or driven by the properties of these minerals.
So states a team of researchers from seven universities in a paper published recently in the journal Science: "Nanominerals, Mineral Nanoparticles, and Earth Systems." The way in which these infinitesimally small minerals influence Earth's systems is more complex than previously thought, the scientists say.
Full story here
Related blogposts
'Nanominerals' Influence Earth Systems From Ocean To Atmosphere To Biosphere
So states a team of researchers from seven universities in a paper published recently in the journal Science: "Nanominerals, Mineral Nanoparticles, and Earth Systems." The way in which these infinitesimally small minerals influence Earth's systems is more complex than previously thought, the scientists say.
Full story here
Related blogposts
'Nanominerals' Influence Earth Systems From Ocean To Atmosphere To Biosphere
Labels: Geo-Sciences, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanominerals (Mineral Nanoparticles) Influence Earth Systems Significantly posted by Ecacofonix : 12:14 AM
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Thursday, March 20, 2008
Nokia Nanotech Phone Concept
Mobile handset giant Nokia has given the first glimpses of the research it is doing in collaboration with the University of Cambridge when it unveiled a shape changing mobile device concept based on nanotechnology.
Dubbed Morph, the joint nanotechnology concept was designed to demonstrate the possible future benefits of nanotechnology for mobile devices. Morph is both stretchable and flexible, but Nokia suggests nanotechnology could also allow future mobile phones to include self-cleaning surfaces and see-through electronics.
More from here
Dubbed Morph, the joint nanotechnology concept was designed to demonstrate the possible future benefits of nanotechnology for mobile devices. Morph is both stretchable and flexible, but Nokia suggests nanotechnology could also allow future mobile phones to include self-cleaning surfaces and see-through electronics.
More from here
Labels: Design-Engineering, Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Material-Sciences
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Surface Dislocation Nucleation: Strength Is But Skin Deep At The Nanoscale
For centuries, engineers have bent and torn metals to test their strength and ductility. Now, materials scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science are studying the same metals but at nanoscale sizes in the form of wires a thousand times thinner than a human hair. This work has enable Penn engineers to construct a theoretical model to predict the strength of metals at the nanoscale. Using this model, they have found that, while metals tend to be stronger at nanoscale volumes, their strengths saturate at around 10-50 nanometers diameter, at which point they also become more sensitive to temperature and strain rate. Such prediction of different strength regimes of nano-solids is important for future application and engineering design of nanotechnology.
Full story here
Full story here
Labels: Material-Sciences, Metallurgical-Engineering
PermaLink - Surface Dislocation Nucleation: Strength Is But Skin Deep At The Nanoscale posted by Ecacofonix : 8:52 AM
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Gold Can Be Made Magnetic On The Nanoscale Through Oxygenation
Physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have made two important findings regarding gold on the nanoscale. They found that applying an electrical field on a surface-supported gold nanocluster changes its structure from a three-dimensional one to a planar flat structure. In another paper, they relate their discovery that gold in this size regime can be made magnetic through oxygenation of gold nanowires.
They also found that up to a certain length, oxygenated gold nanowires behave as a conducting metal, but beyond that, they become insulators. This marks the first time on the nanoscale that such a metal-to-insulation transition has been found on the nanoscale. Both findings are important predictions that could some day be implemented as control parameters governing the chemical and physical material properties employed in nanotechnology.
Full story here
They also found that up to a certain length, oxygenated gold nanowires behave as a conducting metal, but beyond that, they become insulators. This marks the first time on the nanoscale that such a metal-to-insulation transition has been found on the nanoscale. Both findings are important predictions that could some day be implemented as control parameters governing the chemical and physical material properties employed in nanotechnology.
Full story here
Labels: Material-Sciences, Metallurgical-Engineering
PermaLink - Gold Can Be Made Magnetic On The Nanoscale Through Oxygenation posted by Ecacofonix : 8:49 AM
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Sunday, March 2, 2008
Scientists Measure Force Required To Move Individual Atoms
Scientists Measure Force Required To Move Individual Atoms
IBM researchers – with help from the University of Regensburg –have taken the extraordinary step of measuring the tiny forces needed to manipulate the atoms. These findings will be published in the February 22 issue of Science magazine. This fundamental measurement provides important information for designing future atomic-scale devices: computer chips, miniaturized storage devices, and more.
Understanding the force necessary to move specific atoms on specific surfaces is one of the keys to designing and constructing the small structures that will enable future nanotechnologies. The problem is akin to what scientists and engineers needed to learn about construction at macroscopic sizes many decades ago. For example, building a modern bridge would be impossible without first measuring the strength of different materials, understanding the relevant forces, and comprehending how everything interacts.
Full story here
IBM researchers – with help from the University of Regensburg –have taken the extraordinary step of measuring the tiny forces needed to manipulate the atoms. These findings will be published in the February 22 issue of Science magazine. This fundamental measurement provides important information for designing future atomic-scale devices: computer chips, miniaturized storage devices, and more.
Understanding the force necessary to move specific atoms on specific surfaces is one of the keys to designing and constructing the small structures that will enable future nanotechnologies. The problem is akin to what scientists and engineers needed to learn about construction at macroscopic sizes many decades ago. For example, building a modern bridge would be impossible without first measuring the strength of different materials, understanding the relevant forces, and comprehending how everything interacts.
Full story here
Labels: Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Scientists Measure Force Required To Move Individual Atoms posted by Ecacofonix : 8:11 PM
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Nanotech gets cleantech boost from IBM, Saudi Arabia
Nanotech gets cleantech boost from IBM, Saudi Arabia
Tiny research got a big boost as Saudi Arabia teamed up with Armonk, N.Y.'s International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) on a new project to look into nanotechnology for cleantech applications.
The multi-year project will see Saudi scientists and engineers working together with their IBM counterparts on advanced nanotechnology programs in the fields of solar energy, water desalination and petrochemical applications such as recyclable materials
Full story here
Tiny research got a big boost as Saudi Arabia teamed up with Armonk, N.Y.'s International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) on a new project to look into nanotechnology for cleantech applications.
The multi-year project will see Saudi scientists and engineers working together with their IBM counterparts on advanced nanotechnology programs in the fields of solar energy, water desalination and petrochemical applications such as recyclable materials
Full story here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Nanotech gets cleantech boost from IBM, Saudi Arabia posted by Ecacofonix : 8:09 PM
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Nokia Tinkers With Morphing Phone Concept
Imagine what you'd get if you crossed Gumby with a smartphone, and you've got some idea of what a new, nanotech handset from Nokia could be like.
The new nanotech mobile called Morph, which was jointly developed by the Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge in England, is a bendable, flexible and stretchable device that can be folded into pocket size and used as a handset, or unfolded and opened up to display more detailed information. Users could fold or unfold the device to suit their immediate purpose, whether it's to talk on the phone or use input devices such as keyboards or touch pads. Even the electronics integrated into the device, from interconnects to sensors, would be flexible. (Nanotech's use in mobiles is fast on the rise and a study estimates that the nanotech components for mobiles market could be a 15 billion $ market by 2012)
The Morph was unveiled recently as part of the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition that runs through May 12 at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
How's this morphing structure produced? Nokia's technology uses Fibril proteins (but biodegradable materials could also be used in future) woven into a 3-D mesh that reinforces thin elastic structures. The resulting elasticity enables the devices to change shapes and configure themselves to adapt to the task at hand.
Morphing phones are not exactly new. Design firm Alloy exhibited its Polygon morphing phone as early as June 2006. But morphing mobiles have seen significant acceleration in the past few months.
Nokia's Morph is also seen as a part of a broader ongoing trend toward transformable devices. Other product trends in a similar direction are Motorola's Rokr E8 (a nice review here), Polymer Vision's Readius, Modu Phones from an Israeli company, and BenQ S670C.
Read more on these morphing mobiles from the following news reports: Tech News World, Rediff, PocketLink
The new nanotech mobile called Morph, which was jointly developed by the Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge in England, is a bendable, flexible and stretchable device that can be folded into pocket size and used as a handset, or unfolded and opened up to display more detailed information. Users could fold or unfold the device to suit their immediate purpose, whether it's to talk on the phone or use input devices such as keyboards or touch pads. Even the electronics integrated into the device, from interconnects to sensors, would be flexible. (Nanotech's use in mobiles is fast on the rise and a study estimates that the nanotech components for mobiles market could be a 15 billion $ market by 2012)
The Morph was unveiled recently as part of the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition that runs through May 12 at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
How's this morphing structure produced? Nokia's technology uses Fibril proteins (but biodegradable materials could also be used in future) woven into a 3-D mesh that reinforces thin elastic structures. The resulting elasticity enables the devices to change shapes and configure themselves to adapt to the task at hand.
Morphing phones are not exactly new. Design firm Alloy exhibited its Polygon morphing phone as early as June 2006. But morphing mobiles have seen significant acceleration in the past few months.
Nokia's Morph is also seen as a part of a broader ongoing trend toward transformable devices. Other product trends in a similar direction are Motorola's Rokr E8 (a nice review here), Polymer Vision's Readius, Modu Phones from an Israeli company, and BenQ S670C.
Read more on these morphing mobiles from the following news reports: Tech News World, Rediff, PocketLink
Labels: Electronics-Communications-Engineering, Material-Sciences
Monday, February 25, 2008
Nano-alumina: Future metal for automobile, aerospace engineering
Nano-alumina: Future metal for automobile, aerospace engineering
From nano-fabric to nano-drugs — the new technology has become a major field of research worldwide and its applications have tremendous impact on our day-to-day life.
But an Indian scientist has discovered a new method to solidify nano-alumina composites in laboratory- scale for the first time and claims to have created "nanoalumina with uniform strength" which could be three times stronger than steel.
More from here
From nano-fabric to nano-drugs — the new technology has become a major field of research worldwide and its applications have tremendous impact on our day-to-day life.
But an Indian scientist has discovered a new method to solidify nano-alumina composites in laboratory- scale for the first time and claims to have created "nanoalumina with uniform strength" which could be three times stronger than steel.
More from here
Labels: Material-Sciences, Metallurgical-Engineering
PermaLink - Nano-alumina: Future metal for automobile, aerospace engineering posted by Ecacofonix : 3:21 AM
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Flexible Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Battery From “Nanotube Ink”
Professor George Gruner and a group of scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles have recently fabricated a flexible Carbon Nanotube (CNT) based battery architecture from “nanotube ink”, using cheap and highly scalable materials. Possible applications include powering disposable electronic devices like long-range RFID tags or small displays. The scientists are hoping that the batteries will be able to generate more power in the future, so that they will be able to power a wider range of devices. Currently, industrial-scale printing processes can deposit electronics onto a variety of flexible substrates cheaply and speedily. The printed electronics require cheap printed power sources. For this reason, the new CNT batteries may potentially be an important advancement in battery technology.
The new batteries are deposited layer-by-layer in an all solution-phase approach amenable to large-scale production, similarly to roll-to-roll printing
Besides the clear benefits of the solution-phase room-temperature process, there are even better news for future devices
More from here
The new batteries are deposited layer-by-layer in an all solution-phase approach amenable to large-scale production, similarly to roll-to-roll printing
Besides the clear benefits of the solution-phase room-temperature process, there are even better news for future devices
More from here
Labels: Energy-Environment-Engineering, Material-Sciences
PermaLink - Flexible Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Battery From “Nanotube Ink” posted by Ecacofonix : 4:41 AM
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Nano-alumina with Uniform Strength Created - Metal for Automobile, Aerospace Engineering
An Indian scientist has discovered a new method to solidify nano-alumina composites in laboratory- scale for the first time and claims to have created "nanoalumina with uniform strength" which could be three times stronger than steel.
But what could be the use of this new finding? According to Prof. Payodhar Padhi, HoD, Mechanical Engineering of Orissa Engineering College, Bhubaneswar, the new material can have wide-ranging applications in automobile and aerospace designs to increase fuel efficiency.
The invention consists of an assembly for producing metal matrix nano-composite (metal having nano-sized particulate) through solidification route, which was earlier never possible, claims Padhi. The 'nano-alumina' with i
But what could be the use of this new finding? According to Prof. Payodhar Padhi, HoD, Mechanical Engineering of Orissa Engineering College, Bhubaneswar, the new material can have wide-ranging applications in automobile and aerospace designs to increase fuel efficiency.
The invention consists of an assembly for producing metal matrix nano-composite (metal having nano-sized particulate) through solidification route, which was earlier never possible, claims Padhi. The 'nano-alumina' with i