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What does Earth's core have in common with salad dressing? Maybe this

A Yale-led team discovered that molten iron alloys containing silicon and oxygen form two distinct liquids under conditions similar to those in the Earth's core, mimicking the separation of oil and vinegar in salad dressing. This finding provides new insights into the evolution of Earth's magnetic field.

Researchers discover surprising quantum effect in hard disk drive material

Scientists have found a surprising quantum effect in cobalt-iron alloy materials commonly used in hard disk drives. By controlling electron spin direction, the researchers can alter magnetic state, allowing for more efficient information storage and potential applications in electric motors, generators, and magnetic bearings.

GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Scientists develop low-cost energy-efficient materials

Scientists have created amorphous softmagnetic alloys with high magnetic properties, technological plasticity, and ultrahigh strength. The new iron-based alloys surpass common industrial analogues in terms of their properties, offering relatively low cost and simplicity of industrial production.

World's first-ever 3D-printed high-strength aluminum

HRL Laboratories' breakthrough alloy is the world's first printable high-strength aluminum, registered with the Aluminum Association. The registration validates its commercial value and enables companies to access the alloy through specific powder numbers.

Discovering the next generation of catalysts

The development of a new generation of catalysts is crucial to meet the world's demand for clean energy. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have made a breakthrough in finding better, cheaper catalysts using high-entropy alloys, which can aid the conversion of chemical substances in chemical reactions.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

New reactor-liner alloy material offers strength, resilience

A new tungsten-based alloy developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory has shown outstanding radiation resistance, retaining mechanical properties after exposure to high levels of radiation. The material's unique composition and structure have been found to be key factors in its exceptional performance.

A major step closer to a viable recording material for future hard disk drives

A group of researchers in India has developed an iron-platinum alloy that can overcome the thermal stability issues limiting its use as a material for future hard disk drives. By tweaking the L10 phase, they achieved a significant enhancement of the transformation rate and reduced the ordering temperature below 300 degrees C.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Removing toxic mercury from contaminated water

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new electrochemical process to clean mercury from water, reducing its content by over 99%. The technique uses a platinum electrode to form an alloy with mercury, creating a stable and recyclable material.

Treated superalloys demonstrate unprecedented heat resistance

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory discovered a way to make superalloys more resistant to heat-related failures, allowing them to withstand high temperatures six times longer than untreated counterparts. This breakthrough could improve materials performance in electricity generators and nuclear reactors.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Interdisciplinary interactions inspire new discovery

Researchers at Tohoku University have found new good catalysts using unique Heusler alloys, enabling the replacement of expensive Pd-based catalysts. The discovery also offers insight into the mechanisms of catalysis on alloys, paving the way for further investigation.

Noble metal-free catalyst system as active as platinum

A team of researchers has discovered a noble metal-free catalyst system that is as active as platinum, thanks to the high entropy effect. The alloy, made up of five elements, forms new active centers that offer entirely new properties and are relevant for catalysis.

High-performance self-assembled catalyst for SOFC

A new catalyst has been developed to improve Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) performance by forming a self-assembled alloy at the surface. The catalyst was tested using methane gas directly, operating stably for over 500 hours with four times higher reaction efficiency than previous catalysts.

Keep cool: Researchers develop magnetic cooling cycle

Scientists create six-step cycle that uses magnetic materials to cool down, reducing greenhouse impact of traditional refrigerants. The technology could be more efficient than vapor compression and has potential for widespread use.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Coining less expensive currency: bringing down the cost of making nickels

Researchers at NIST have developed a new material for making nickels that is 40% less expensive to produce, reducing the cost of materials from seven cents to five cents per coin. The new design uses an integrated computational materials engineering framework and advanced alloys to achieve this cost reduction.

An unlikely marriage among oxides

Empa researcher Sebastian Siol develops new phase of manganese selenide and telluride alloy, displaying useful piezoelectric properties. The material combination is promising for various applications such as smart windows, gas sensors and semiconductor coatings.

Making new layered superconductors using high entropy alloys

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created new superconductors made of layers of bismuth sulfide and a high entropy rare earth alloy oxyfluoride. The new material retains superconducting properties over a wider range of lattice parameters than materials without high-entropy-alloy states.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Ultrahigh-pressure laser experiments shed light on super-Earth cores

Researchers simulated conditions inside a planet three times larger than Earth using high-powered laser beams. The study revealed that the crystal structure of iron-silicon alloys changes with higher silicon content under extreme pressures, providing new insights into the nature of super-Earths and their cores.

Scientists mix the unmixable to create 'shocking' nanoparticles

Scientists at the University of Maryland have created nanoparticles composed of up to eight distinct elements, greatly expanding the landscape of nanomaterials. This breakthrough enables a wide range of applications in catalysis, energy storage, and bio/plasmonic imaging.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Researchers use 3-D printing to create metallic glass alloys

Researchers have successfully created amorphous metal alloys using additive manufacturing, overcoming the critical casting thickness limitation. The technique enables production of metallic glasses on larger scales, with potential applications in high-performance materials for electric motors, wear resistance, and structural integrity.

Modified, 3-D printable alloy shows promise for flexible electronics, soft robots

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a 3D printable alloy that enables the rapid manufacture of flexible computer screens, bendable displays, and soft robots. The new alloy, created by adding nickel nanoparticles to galinstan, can be layered into tall structures with good conductivity and self-healing properties.

Taking control at the junction

KAUST researchers have created boron-nitride-based alloys with tunable polarization, a crucial property for computer memory. By varying the atomic composition, they can control the spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric constants of these materials.

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

New catalyst for making fuels from shale gas

Researchers at UCL and Tufts University developed a platinum-copper alloy catalyst that breaks carbon-hydrogen bonds in methane with reduced energy consumption. The new catalyst is resistant to coking, rendering it more effective than traditional materials.

Accelerated analysis of the stability of complex alloys

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have developed a novel process for analyzing the temperature and oxidation resistance of complex alloys, reducing test time from months to days. The method, which combines multiple techniques, allows for rapid testing of high-performance materials.

Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dec. 2017

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a precision de-icing technology that uses high-resolution modeling to identify areas most vulnerable to drivers during hazardous weather conditions. The team also discovered a function of certain microbes that produces a new derivative of vitamin B12, which could enhance the e...

Cool your airfoils

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are developing advanced strategies to reduce the adverse effects of extremely high-temperatures on gas turbines. They are exploring applications for an anti-oxidation coating that can help cool airfoils and other hot-section components, enabling higher temperature operation for better efficie...

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

3-D printing of aircraft parts out of titanium

Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University are creating hydrogen-resistant products from titanium alloys using additive manufacturing. They plan to print aircraft parts out of BT6 and BT9 titanium alloys, aiming to improve properties such as wear resistance and corrosion resistance.

The secret to improving liquid crystal's mechanical performance

Researchers found that adding nanoparticles to liquid crystals improves their mechanical performance by increasing their lubricating properties. The study used a formula to approximate mobility of dislocations and performed numerical simulations to understand how Cottrell clouds erode when dislocations move at high speed.

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

Solidifying advanced alloy design

Researchers developed a framework for designing tailored microstructure patterns in materials using a combination of theory and experiment. They successfully simulated the solidification process of an aluminum-silver-copper alloy, comparing their results with experimental photographs.

'Magic' alloy could spur next generation of solar cells

Researchers at University of Michigan develop cost-effective material to capture near-infrared light in solar cells, making concentrator photovoltaics more efficient and practical for large-scale electricity generation. The new alloy is significantly less expensive than previous formulations and enables easier manufacturing.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Crystallization frustration predicts metallic glass formation

A new study from Duke University predicts which binary alloys will form metallic glasses, paving the way for strong and conductive materials. The technique involves analyzing structures and energies within solidified alloys to identify potential metallic glasses.

Exploring superconducting properties of 3-D printed parts

Australian researchers use 3-D printing to create a resonant microwave cavity via an aluminum-silicon alloy that boasts superconductivity when cooled below the critical temperature of aluminum. The study explores the superconducting properties of 3-D printed parts and demonstrates the potential for rapid prototyping in various fields.

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

How to make metal alloys that stand up to hydrogen

A team of MIT researchers has discovered a method to greatly reduce the damaging effects of hydrogen on metal alloys, which are widely used in nuclear reactors and other energy systems. By carefully engineering a layer of zirconium oxide on the surface of the alloy, they can inhibit hydrogen from entering the metal's crystal structure.

Video: Morphing metal shapes future of soft robotics

Cornell University engineers have developed a hybrid material combining stiff metal and soft rubber foam for dynamic shape changes, self-healing and improved load-bearing capabilities. The material features a unique ability to melt and reform, mimicking the flexibility of an octopus.

Ames Laboratory scientists join consortium to research lightweight materials

Scientists at Ames Laboratory will contribute to LightMAT through three core capabilities: powder processing, pilot-scale materials processing, and theoretical alloy development. These efforts aim to develop lighter materials for industries such as transportation, with the goal of improving energy savings and reducing costs.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Making sense of metallic glass

Researchers at Carnegie Institution explore the rules behind metallic glasses, materials that are stronger and more resistant than traditional metals. By studying alloys under extreme pressures, they found a consistent numeric relationship between structure and properties, which could aid further discovery and synthesis.

A nanoscale look at why a new alloy is amazingly tough

A Berkeley Lab-led team has identified mechanisms that make the new CrMnFeCoNi alloy incredibly tough and strong at room temperature. The alloy's unique nanoscale mechanisms, including crack bridging and three-dimensional stacking fault defects, work together to resist damage.

New bimetallic alloy nanoparticles for printed electronic circuits

Researchers at Toyohashi Tech and Duke University developed a new method to produce oxidation-resistant copper alloy nanoparticles, which can be used as the main component of affordable conductive inks. The production process is economical and environmentally friendly, making it suitable for the advancement of printed electronics.

Nanomagnets: Creating order out of chaos

Researchers from HZDR and TU Dresden have developed a method to fabricate nanomagnets in an iron-aluminum alloy layer without masks. The use of highly focused ion beams enables the generation of complex magnetic geometries suitable for spintronic device applications.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.