Materials Science

Materials Science

High-temperature ceramics takes flight

A recent NASA flight test of ultrahigh-temperature ceramic materials might lead to a new aerospace design that would make the space shuttle look downright old-fashioned.

Materials Science

Scientists tone down silicon rockers

Researchers have created pairs of silicon atoms that stay level instead of slowly rocking in place, permitting scientists to study silicon-surface reactions in unprecedented detail.

Materials Science

Crystal puts pressure on diamonds

A new type of synthetic crystal called moissanite allows researchers to study more material at high pressure than is possible with traditional diamond devices.

Materials Science

Nanotubes take on the Grand Canyon

A new technique can turn forests of carbon nanotubes into a foamlike material with ideal properties for making lightweight shock absorbers.

Materials Science

Tiny Trouble: Nanoscale materials damage fish brains

Although nanomaterials could one day lead to more powerful electronics and better medicines, new research shows these tiny materials can also be toxic to fish.

Materials Science

Forensics on Trial

A decades-long practice of matching bullets on the basis of their chemical makeup is flawed, and the story behind this forensic technique reveals how science can get distorted in the courtroom.

Materials Science

New work improves stainless steel surface

A novel electrochemical method improves the surface of stainless steel without making the metal brittle or prone to corrosion.

Materials Science

Cinching nanotubes into tough fibers

Irradiating bundles of carbon nanotubes can lead to tougher fibers.

Materials Science

Hard Stuff: Cooked diamonds don’t dent

When exposed to high heat and pressure, single-crystal diamonds become extraordinarily hard.

Materials Science

Light whips platinum into shape

Scientists are exploiting the molecular machinery behind photosynthesis to create unique nanostructures out of platinum.

Materials Science

Pumping Carbon: Researchers watch nanofibers grow

The first atomic-scale movies of carbon nanofiber growth show particles of a metal catalyst pulsating wildly while carbon and metal atoms scuttle across the particle’s surface.

Materials Science

Flexible E-Paper: Plastic circuits drive paperlike displays

In a major step toward electronic paper, researchers have made electronic-ink displays on flexible plastic sheets.