Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: engineering – Page 3

A research team from Yokohama National University has developed a novel approach to investigate how the orientation and behavior of electrons in titanium affect its physical properties. Their findings, published in Communications Physics on December 18, 2024, offer valuable insights that could lead to the creation of more advanced and efficient titanium alloys.

Titanium is highly prized for its exceptional resistance to chemical corrosion, lightweight nature, and impressive strength-to-weight ratio. Its biocompatibility makes it an ideal material for medical applications such as implants, prosthetics, and artificial bones, while its strength and durability make it indispensable in aerospace engineering and precision manufacturing.

Read more | >

Bimetallic particles, made from a combination of a noble metal and a base metal, have unique catalytic properties that make them highly effective for selective heterogeneous hydrogenation reactions. These properties arise from their distinctive geometric and electronic structures. For hydrogenation to be both effective and selective, it requires specific interactions at the molecular level, where the active atoms on the catalyst precisely target the functional group in the substrate for transformation.

Nanoscale Engineering and Electronic Structure Tuning

Scaling these particles down to nanoscale atomic clusters or single-atom alloys further enhances their catalytic performance. This reduction in size increases surface dispersion and optimizes the use of noble metal atoms. Additionally, these nanoscale changes alter the electronic structure of the active sites, which can significantly influence the activity and selectivity of the reaction. By carefully adjusting the bonding between noble metal single atoms and the base metal host, researchers can create flexible environments that fine-tune the electronic properties needed to activate specific functional groups. Despite these advances, achieving atomically precise fabrication of such active sites remains a significant challenge.

Read more | >

Students from the Toms River School District in New Jersey will have the chance to connect with NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related questions from aboard the International Space Station.

Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call in collaboration with Science Friday at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 14, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.

Science Friday is a nonprofit dedicated to sharing science with the public through storytelling, educational programs, and connections with audiences. Middle school students will use their knowledge from the educational downlink to address environmental problems in their communities.

Read more | >

Innovative integration of flexible electronics with a lightweight, self-deployable boom offers multifunctionality for space applications. This ultrathin composite structure, designed to withstand harsh space conditions, enhances satellite capabilities. The Virginia Tech CubeSat, featuring this technology, is set for a 2025 launch.

Being lightweight is essential for space structures, particularly for tools used on already small, lightweight satellites. The ability to perform multiple functions is a bonus. To address these characteristics in a new way, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign successfully integrated flexible electronics with a three-ply, self-deployable boom that weighs only about 20 grams.

The study, “Multifunctional bistable ultrathin composite booms with ,” by Yao Yao and Xin Ning from Illinois, Juan Fernandez from NASA Langley Research Center and Sven Bilén at Penn State, is published in Extreme Mechanics Letters.

“It’s difficult to get commercial electronics integrated into these super thin structures,” said Xin Ning, an aerospace professor in The Grainger College of Engineering at U. of I. “There were a lot of engineering constraints adding to the challenge of making the electronics able to withstand the harsh environment of space.”

Continue reading “Flexible electronics integrated with paper-thin structure for use in space” | >

An international research team, working with cutting-edge technology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has made a discovery that may dramatically expand the materials used in next-generation, energy-efficient memory and logic devices.

The team, which includes Nebraska’s Abdelghani Laraoui, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, successfully demonstrated for the first time the imaging of magnetic skyrmions at room temperature in composition engineered . The team observed the tiny, vortex-like particles in these magnetic materials using a nitrogen-vacancy scanning probe in Laraoui’s lab. The findings are published in ACS Nano.

“This discovery is a huge step forward because, until now, scientists could only observe these skyrmions in bulk chiral magnetic materials at very low temperatures,” Laraoui said. “Being able to study them at room temperature opens up a whole new world of applications and possibilities.”

Read more | >

While most of us are familiar with magnets from childhood games of marveling at the power of their repulsion or attraction, fewer realize the magnetic fields that surround us—and the ones inside us. Magnetic fields are not just external curiosities; they play essential roles in our bodies and beyond, influencing biological processes and technological systems alike. A recent arXiv publication from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Argonne National Laboratory highlights how magnetic fields in the body may be analyzed using quantum-enabled fluorescent proteins, with hopes of applying to cell formation or early disease detection.

Detecting subtle changes in magnetic fields may equate to beyond subtle impacts in certain fields. For instance, quantum sensors could be applied to the detection of electromagnetic anomalies in data centers, potentially revealing evidence of malicious tampering. Similarly, they might be used to study changes in the brain’s electromagnetic signals, offering insights into neurological diseases such as the onset of dementia. However, these applications demand sensors that are not only sensitive but also capable of operating reliably in real-world conditions.

Spin qubits, known for their notable sensitivity to magnetic fields, are introduced in the study as a compelling solution. Traditionally, spin qubits have been formed from nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds. While these systems have demonstrated remarkable precision, the diamonds’ bulky size in relation to molecules and complex surface chemistry limit their usability in biological environments. This creates a need for a more adaptable and biologically compatible sensor.

Read more | >

Case Western Reserve University researcher advances zinc-sulfur battery technology. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries power everything from electric vehicles to wearable devices. But new research from Case Western Reserve University suggests that a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative may lie in zinc-based batteries.

In a study published recently in Angewandte Chemie, researchers announced a significant step toward creating high-performance, low-cost zinc-sulfur batteries.

“This research marks a major step forward in the development of safer and more sustainable energy storage solutions,” said Chase Cao, a principal investigator and assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case School of Engineering. “Aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries offer the potential to power a wide range of applications — from renewable energy systems to portable electronics — with reduced environmental impact and reliance on scarce materials.”

Read more | >

A groundbreaking study showcases the creation of sustainable hydrophobic paper, enhanced by cellulose nanofibres and peptides, presenting a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based materials, with potential uses in packaging and biomedical devices.

Researchers aimed to develop hydrophobic paper by leveraging the strength and water resistance of cellulose nanofibers, creating a sustainable, high-performance material suitable for packaging and biomedical applications. This innovative approach involved integrating short protein chains, known as peptide sequences, without chemically altering the cellulose nanofibers. The result is a potential alternative to petroleum-based materials, with significant environmental benefits.

The study, titled “Nanocellulose-short peptide self-assembly for improved mechanical strength and barrier performance,” was recently featured on the cover of the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. The research was conducted by the “Giulio Natta” Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Aalto University, the VTT-Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the SCITEC Institute of the CNR.

Read more | >