A crack can begin deep inside a component, out of sight long before the damage becomes obvious. Now, engineers at the universities of Glasgow and Sydney have borrowed a medical imaging technique to watch cracks develop inside 3D-printed materials, potentially giving future components a way to warn of approaching failure. The team printed plastic containing carbon nanotubes … [Read more...] about 3D-printed materials reveal damage before they fail
Materials
Waste eggshells used to strengthen magnesium alloys
Discarded eggshells could provide a useful ingredient for manufacturing lightweight metal components. Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated a technique that uses finely ground shells to produce stronger, harder magnesium alloys, replacing calcium materials normally manufactured from mined ore. Magnesium alloys combine low weight with mechanical … [Read more...] about Waste eggshells used to strengthen magnesium alloys
Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Researchers at Caltech have developed an ultrafast optical device capable of using one beam of light to redirect another in just 74 femtoseconds. The technology uses a nanoengineered silicon metasurface to amplify interactions between light and matter, potentially offering a new approach to controlling light in future communications, computing and sensing systems. At 74 … [Read more...] about Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
Scientists have captured X-ray images of metal dendrites forming in microgravity for the first time, in research that could help improve manufacturing processes including casting, welding and metal 3D printing. An international research team, including scientists from the University of Manchester, conducted the experiment aboard the MASER-13 sounding rocket, which launched … [Read more...] about Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
Straw could help UK meet housebuilding targets
Every summer, fields across Britain produce something the construction industry needs in enormous quantities: material. Around 9.9 million tonnes of straw comes from UK cereal farming each year, and researchers at the University of Bath believe some of it could provide a renewable alternative to more carbon-intensive building materials. At the moment, that barely happens. … [Read more...] about Straw could help UK meet housebuilding targets