Jan

11

The US May Get its Own Lithium Supply

January 11, 2012 | 1 Comment

A deposit in Nevada has the potential to make the U.S. self sufficient in lithium at a rate supporting building up to one million electric vehicles per year at current use per vehicle. That’s the estimate of Jay Chmelauskas, President of Western Lithium who said in a company press release, “As an electric car owner, [...]

Dec

26

At The Threshold of New Kinds of Chemical Reactions

December 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment

For 84 years chemists have suspected the conservation of angular momentum (CAM) had direct applications in chemistry.  December 22, 2011 saw Michigan State University (MSU) researchers first report that CAM in chemistry is in fact at work and the demonstration offers that scientists can use it to control and predict reactions in general.  This is [...]

Nov

23

Big Improvement to Erbium Doping Materials

November 23, 2011 | 1 Comment

Erbium isn’t likely on most folks news watch list, but the rare earth element is used more than we realize and a material doping improvement has significant potential across a wide set of fields. Arizona State University researchers have created a new crystal material compound called erbium chloride silicate.  Electrical engineering professor Cun-Zheng Ning at [...]

Oct

14

Perhaps the First Molecular Filter Arrives

October 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment

At the University of Minnesota a research team has designed a specialized type of molecular sieve that could make the production of gasoline, plastics and various chemicals more cost effective and energy efficient. After more than a decade of research, the team devised a means for developing freestanding, ultra-thin zeolite nanosheets that as thin films [...]

Oct

13

Concern Grows About Minerals and Metals

October 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

Many if not most metals, rare earth minerals and other elements used to make everything from photovoltaic panels and cellphone displays to the permanent magnets in cutting edge new wind generators and motors will become limited in availability.  Geologists are warning of shortages and bottlenecks of some metals due to an insatiable demand for consumer [...]

Jul

27

Diamond for Tillage

July 27, 2011 | 3 Comments

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg and their partners in the RemBob project are working on coating plowshares with diamond-like carbon (DLC) to reduce friction.  When it comes to moving earth, a significant amount of energy is used in food production, fuel production and construction. Less friction equals less [...]

Jul

25

3-D Photonic Crystals Go Electric

July 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Previous attempts at making 3-D photonic crystals have resulted in devices that are only optically active, which means they can direct light but are not electronically active, so they can’t turn electricity to light or vice versa.  It’s been a tantalizing problem.  Getting to electric crystals could offer new or extremely efficient energy devices. University [...]

Jul

22

Super Strong Metal Discovery

July 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment

PhD student Tianbo Yu at Risø DTU in Denmark has discovered a new phenomenon that will make nanometals more useful in wider use while working at the Materials Research Division at Risø.  Yu has taken the research a step further in discovering the new phenomenon. The new discovery could speed up the practical application of [...]

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