Processing

Say sayonara to exploding batteries—LLZO ceramic thin films offer hope for safer, thinner all-solid state lithium-ions

By April Gocha / October 14, 2016

Researchers at the University of Michigan have devised a technique using mass-producible methods to fabricate thin films of LLZO ceramic, which could help improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries.

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Flash spark plasma sintering: Harnessing thermal runaway to densify silicon carbide in seconds

By April Gocha / October 11, 2016

Researchers at San Diego State University now report that they have developed an ultra-rapid method of flash spark plasma sintering, called flash hot pressing, that can really quickly densify even hard-to-deform materials such as silicon carbide.

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Latest sintering technology makes ceramic-based materials faster with less heat

By Stephanie Liverani / September 29, 2016

Penn State University (State College, Pa.) researchers announced they’ve developed a new technology called cold sintering process that can make a ceramic material faster than it takes to bake a pizza and at lower temperatures.

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Awards, Materials Genome Initiative, flash spark plasma sintering, combination furnaces, and more—all inside September ACerS Bulletin

By April Gocha / August 19, 2016

The September issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring ACerS 2016 awardees, an update to the Materials Genome Initiative, designing unique combination furnaces, and a novel flash spark plasma sintering process—is now available online.

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Zero waste: European project revamps ceramic tile manufacturing to completely eliminate waste

By April Gocha / July 11, 2016

A European project called LIFECERAM—coordinated by the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica of the Universitat Jaime I of Castellón in Spain and including Spanish Association of Ceramic Tile and Paving Manufacturers and several commercial partners—has reached an important milestone towards its goal of achieving absolutely zero waste in ceramic tile manufacturing.

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Video: Anti-counterfeiting technique writes invisible watermark in ceramic or glass

By April Gocha / July 6, 2016

An École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne–based startup called Nanoga has patented a system that can create photonic watermarks on ceramic, glass, and metal materials and may drastically help fight pervasive markets of counterfeit goods.

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Video: Improving armor—developing better materials to better protect

By April Gocha / June 8, 2016

When it comes to ceramic materials, body armor is a familiar and favorite topic. But better materials for protecting the lives of those in the line of duty extend beyond ceramics, too.

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Researchers create single diamond/boron nitride crystalline layers for more efficient high-power machining

By Stephanie Liverani / May 13, 2016

ACerS member Jay Narayan and his research team at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique to deposit diamond on the surface of cubic boron nitride, integrating the two materials into a single crystalline structure that can be used in high-power devices.

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Video: New ‘green’ method for large-scale silica production gives agricultural waste a purpose

By Stephanie Liverani / April 6, 2016

Is rice ash the key to ‘greener’ silica production? ACerS member Richard Laine, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan, explains his new clean, cost-efficient method for large-scale manufacture of silica.

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Video: From waste to resource—3-D printing carbon emissions into alternative concrete

By April Gocha / March 30, 2016

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California Los Angeles has devised a proof-of-concept that shows it’s possible to capture carbon dioxide emissions and convert them into a concrete alternative that can be 3-D printed—a material the researchers are calling CO2NCRETE.

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