Materials Science news

One word: bioplastics

Chemistry / Materials Science

Nov 17, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (10) | 4

(PhysOrg.com) -- Every year, more than 250 billion pounds of plastic are produced worldwide. Much of it ends up in the world's oceans, a fact that troubles MIT biology professor Anthony Sinskey.

New research provides blueprint for molecular basis of global warming

Chemistry / Materials Science

Nov 17, 2009 | 4 / 5 (4) | 3

A new study indicates that major chemicals most often cited as leading causes of climate change, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are outclassed in their warming potential by compounds receiving less attention.

Tiny bubbles clean oil from water

Chemistry / Materials Science

Nov 16, 2009 | 4 / 5 (3) | 0

Small amounts of oil leave a fluorescent sheen on polluted water. Oil sheen is hard to remove, even when the water is aerated with ozone or filtered through sand. Now, a University of Utah engineer has developed ...

Hybrid composite for root canal treatment

Chemistry / Materials Science

Nov 03, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A dentist carrying out root canal treatment will need to use a variety of compounds. These do not always bond together properly and sometimes expensive follow-up treatment has to be performed. ...

Porphyrin Dimers Increase Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 30, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (12) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Porphyrins are most commonly thought of as the pigment in red blood cells, but now scientists have found that porphyrins can also be used to increase the efficiency of an inexpensive type ...

Eco-friendly metal coating replacement for chromate

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 30, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- CSIRO has developed a novel coating technology, "Quench Coat", to protect galvanised products from 'white rust' ? the form of zinc oxide that tarnishes freshly galvanised coatings, making ...

Researchers create nanoparticle coating to prevent freezing rain buildup (w/ Video)

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 29, 2009 | 3 / 5 (2) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Preventing the havoc wrought when freezing rain collects on roads, power lines, and aircrafts could be only a few nanometers away. A University of Pittsburgh-led team demonstrates in the Nov. 3 edition of ...

Improved adhesive for products like transparent tape could benefit biofuels economy

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 29, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

An adhesive used in products like laminate countertops may also help cement a place for economically viable biofuels, according to a Kansas State University researcher.

Scientists Make Ink Disappear, Make Paper Reusable

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 27, 2009 | 3.1 / 5 (16) | 4

(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite ongoing efforts to save the trees, many offices print high volumes of paper documents on a daily basis. Although many companies encourage paper recycling, both disposing of and recycling ...

Scientists Show Strontium's Swimming Skills

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 27, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Recently, a trio from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Louisiana Tech University showed that strontium ions congregate on water's surface. Their computer simulation and careful calculations ...

Podcast: Tiny sea creature and a new medical adhesive

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 27, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

Scientists questing after a long-sought new medical adhesive describe copying the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in the latest episode in the American Chemical Society's ...

Researchers make key step towards turning methane gas into liquid fuel

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 22, 2009 | 3.5 / 5 (8) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Washington and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have taken an important step in converting methane gas to a liquid, potentially making it more useful as a fuel ...

Carbenes: New molecules have wide applications

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 22, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have created in the laboratory a class of carbenes, highly reactive molecules, used to make catalysts - substances that facilitate chemical reactions. ...

Designer molecule detects tiny amounts of cyanide, then glows

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 21, 2009 | 4 / 5 (3) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A small molecule designed to detect cyanide in water samples works quickly, is easy to use, and glows under ultraviolet or "black" light. Although the fluorescent molecule is not yet ready ...

Replacing Platinum in Fuel Cell Technology

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 20, 2009 | 2.8 / 5 (5) | 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the biggest hindrances to the development of fuel cell technology is its cost. In order to work properly, polymer electrolyte fuel cells require a catalyst. So far, though, the most ...

Synthetic Cells Shed Biological Insights While Delivering Battery Power

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 20, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Trying to understand the complex workings of a biological cell by teasing out the function of every molecule within it is a daunting task. But by making synthetic cells that include just a ...

Long carbon fibers could improve blast resistance of concrete structures

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 20, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Dr. Jeffery Volz, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and his team have received $567,000 to explore ...

Chemists discover recipe to design a better type of fuel cell

Chemistry / Materials Science

Oct 18, 2009 | 3.9 / 5 (11) | 2

Fuel cells are often touted as one method to help decrease society's addiction to fossil fuels. But there is still a lot of work to be done before fuel cells will be ready for mass market to be used in transportation, home ...