Materials Science

  1. Chemistry

    New coating for metals could cut engine wear

    Scientists have developed a new coating for engine parts that could reduce friction and engine wear. One big benefit: Cars may require fewer oil changes.

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  2. Tech

    ‘Smart’ sutures monitor healing

    Coatings added to the threads used to stitch up a wound let researchers use electrical signals to monitor a wound’s healing — even one covered by a bandage.

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  3. Materials Science

    Beetles offer people lessons in moisture control

    Taking tricks from a beetle, researchers are designing surfaces that collect water from the air or resist frost buildup.

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  4. Materials Science

    Nano medicines take aim at big diseases

    Nanomedicines are new treatments and tools that are taking aim at disease from the cellular level. Medicine’s next big thing could be very teeny tiny.

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  5. Tech

    Clear, stretchy sensor could lead to wearable electronics

    Researchers have combined plastics and metal to make a transparent, stretchable sensor. It could soon find use in touchscreens, wearable electronics and more.

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  6. Tech

    Concrete science

    Teen researchers are exploring ways to strengthen this building material, use it for safety purposes and use its discarded rubble.

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  7. Materials Science

    Nanowires could lead to super-long-lived battery

    Scientists have long been looking for ways to make rechargeable batteries that last forever. They now may be close. Their solution: gel-dipped nanowires.

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  8. Animals

    Insects can patch their broken ‘bones’

    When insects suffer wounds, they can mend their ‘skeleton’ with a patch on the inside. This makes the leg strong again, new data show.

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  9. Tech

    How to make window ‘glass’ from wood

    Scientists have come up with a way to make wood transparent. The new material could be used in everything from windows to packaging.

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  10. Physics

    Sunlight + gold = steaming water (no boiling needed)

    Nano-gold is the new black, at least when it comes to absorbing heat. When tiny gold particles get together, they become energy super-absorbers — turning them black.

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  11. Tech

    Eggshells help hatch a new idea for packaging

    Why just crack an egg? Make the shell into itty bitty bits and use them to build a more biodegradable plastic. New research shows how.

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  12. Tech

    Goo-oozing deicer protects surfaces

    New, slime-oozing coating might someday help reduce ice and snow buildups on road signs and aircraft wings. The inspiration? The goo produced by slugs.

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