An international team of researchers found they could use 3D printing to create Biosilicate® glass-ceramic scaffolds. This method offers low-cost fabrication of bioactive glass-ceramics for biomedical applications.
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As additive manufacturing techniques become increasingly sophisticated, they offer a way to effectively construct specialized electronic devices. Two recent papers describe different direct-writing AM methods for constructing lead-free piezoelectric parts.
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Researchers at MIT developed a robot that can effectively separate mixed recyclable materials, using two flexible silicone “hands” to feel the difference between paper, metal, and plastic.
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Nonoxide ceramics typically undergo high-temperature synthesis in an inert atmosphere to prevent spontaneous oxidation. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have now found that potassium bromide keeps nonoxide ceramics from oxidizing when synthesized in normal air.
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Frit produced by researchers in Spain using a pre-production scale microwave processing method compared well to commercial frit prepared in a traditional gas-fired continuous furnace—and it used 64 percent less energy per kilogram of frit to produce.
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Ultra-high temperature ceramic coatings are conventionally applied to composites using chemical vapor deposition. In a recent study, researchers from Korea experimented with applying UHTC coatings using a vacuum plasma spray process instead.
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Although 91 percent of the plastics discarded on this planet have never been recycled, the materials recycling status of glass has to be better…right? A daunting look at the current state of recycling.
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Field-assisted sintering techniques (FAST) offer a way to lower firing temperatures and cycle times of sintering processes. The feature article in the January 2019 issue of Journal of the American Ceramic Society summarizes discussions from a workshop aimed at understanding the mechanisms behind FAST.
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Osaka University researchers found that anodic oxidation allows them to self-heal ceramic-based composites at room temperature, bypassing high-temperature treatments that can cause undesirable reactions.
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The Rare Earth Extraction Facility, recently opened at West Virginia University, is developing a process to extract rare earth materials from acid mine drainage. The new facility could help lessen U.S. dependence on REE imports as well as boost the West Virginia economy.
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