Tag Materials
New nondestructive optical technique reveals the structure of mother-of-pearl
Scientists have admired and marveled at the material for decades, not only for its beauty and optical properties but because of its exceptional toughness.
New solvent-based recycling process could cut down on millions of tons of plastic waste
Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, but are impossible to recycle using conventional methods. Researchers are making progress in changing that.
Fitter increases the benefits of wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic
A team of UW–Madison engineers has developed a simple and inexpensive do-it-yourself fitter that ensures a tighter mask seal around the wearer’s nose, mouth and face.
New 3D-printed artery can monitor blockages from the inside
When surgeons replace part of a blood vessel to treat blood clots, coronary disease, stroke damage and more, between 40% and 50% of those grafts fail. In response, UW engineers are developing an artificial vessel that can be monitored remotely.
Critical communications component made on a flexible wooden film
New research by a UW–Madison engineer leverages a surprising and inexpensive substance — wood — to make the flexible microwave circuits that power modern communications.
New coating hides temperature change from infrared cameras
With further development, the coating could have applications in heat transfer, camouflage and even in clothing to protect people’s personal privacy.
Fuel cell advance a breath of fresh air for future power alternative
Engineers at UW–Madison have revealed new insights about the chemical reactions that power fuel cells, which could help lead the way toward longer-lived green energy devices.
Implantable device aids weight loss
New battery-free, easily implantable weight-loss devices developed by engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison could offer a promising new weapon for battling the bulge.
Switching identities: Revolutionary insulator-like material also conducts electricity
The new material could lay the groundwork for ultrafast electronic devices, such as the cellphones and computers of the future. Most importantly, the material remained stable and retained its unique characteristics.
New fuel cell concept brings biological design to better electricity generation
A new approach addresses the high cost of fuel cells, which is one reason that there are only a few thousand vehicles running on hydrogen fuel currently on U.S. roads.
Eagle-eyed machine learning algorithm outdoes human experts
UW–Madison's Dane Morgan and collaborators used machine learning to make artificial intelligence better than experienced humans at analyzing damage to potential nuclear reactor materials.
Best ever at splitting light, new material could improve LEDs, solar cells, optical sensors
The project was a team effort involving researchers at multiple institutions with varied expertise. “This is a big success for collaborative science,” says UW–Madison's Mikhail Kats.
Count on it: Peering at atomic structures with no more than pencil and paper
The simple strategy could help bring about ultrafast computer chips based on materials other than silicon, says Jason Kawasaki, a UW–Madison professor of materials science and engineering.
Advance could enable novel high-performance materials
An engineering physics professor has created new materials that behave in an unusual way that defies the standard theory engineers use for designing things like buildings, airplanes, bridges and electronic devices.
Pulling needles out of haystacks: With computation, researchers identify promising solid oxide fuel cell materials
Using advanced computational methods, UW–Madison materials scientists have discovered new materials that could bring widespread commercial use of solid oxide fuel cells closer to reality.
Bio-renewable process could help ‘green’ plastic
Plastics are often derived from petroleum, but Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center scientists at UW–Madison are developing new and renewable ways of creating them from biomass.
Optoelectronics origami: An easy-to-make, double-duty curved image sensor
The advance by a UW–Madison engineering team could lead to cameras with features such as infinite depth of field, wider view angle, low aberrations, and vastly increased pixel density.
New technique could slash energy use in making silicon
A chemistry professor has come up with a more sustainable way to make silicon at much lower temperatures for the kind of advanced batteries used in electronics such as phones, cameras and laptop computers.
Thin photodetector could increase performance without adding bulk
The advance could reduce the size and weight of a series of solar panels, produce a higher-quality photo in low lighting conditions, or even transmit data more quickly.
Liquid crystal design method could speed development of cheap chemical sensors
The sensors could be used for detecting explosives, industrial pollutants or even the chemical markers of disease in a patient’s breath.