https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. For the first time, researchers in China have demonstrated a high-temperature superconducting diode effect, which allows a supercurrent to flow in both directions. Published in Nature Physics, the team's result could help address the noisy signals that pose a fundamental challenge in quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-physicists-superconducting-diodes-high-temperatures.html Condensed Matter Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:40:02 EST news685103809 Effective thermal management is essential to ensuring the performance and lifespan of modern electronics. While polymers are widely used in electronic components, they inherently exhibit poor thermal conductivity, limiting their effectiveness in dissipating heat. To overcome this, researchers have been investigating the potential of integrating highly conductive fillers, such as liquid metals (LM), into polymers. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-liquid-metal-polymers-potential-electronics.html Polymers Wed, 30 Oct 2024 17:04:03 EDT news649526641 A research team has developed a new thin film deposition process for tin selenide-based materials. This process utilizes the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method, enabling thin film deposition on large wafer surfaces at a low temperature of 200°C, achieving exceptional precision and scalability. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-team-thin-deposition-tin-selenide.html Nanomaterials Thu, 09 May 2024 09:45:03 EDT news634466701 To develop advanced materials, a deep understanding of their underlying microstructure and chemistry is necessary. Knowing how defects influence the interplay between microstructure and chemical composition is crucial, as they are the entry gate for material's failure due to corrosion or crack initiation. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-elements-grain-boundary-revealing-material.html Nanophysics Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:31:03 EDT news610108261 Publishing in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, scientists from Jilin University and Edith Cowan University comprehensively reviewed the latest preparation techniques of copper matrix composites and the effect of ceramic particles on the mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion behavior of the composites. Four main aspects of particle characterization were included: particle content, particle size, particle morphology and interfacial bonding of particles to copper matrix. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-ceramic-particles-metallic-copper.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:57:12 EDT news607255029 Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a promising solution to the contemporary problem of the impending global energy crisis. SOFCs show high efficiency, lower emissions, and have low operating costs, making them an ideal power source for a fossil fuel-free society. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-oxychloride-high-stability-oxide-ion-interstitial.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Apr 2023 09:20:57 EDT news601114854 Carbon fiber composites are preferred structural materials due to their high specific strength and modulus. Laminated construction of carbon composites and anisotropic nature, though, leave them sensitive to external loading. Since a brittle matrix controls the properties in and out of plane direction, interlaminar resin-rich regions are particularly susceptible to matrix cracking. Such incipient damage eventually evolves into life-limiting fracture, such as delamination under Mode II loading. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-electrospun-short-nylon-nanofibers-resistance.html Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Mar 2023 11:32:03 EDT news598617121 Integrative actuators and sensors within a single active device offer compelling capabilities for developing robotics, prosthetic limbs, and minimally invasive surgical tools. But instrumenting these devices at the microscale is constrained by current manufacturing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-complex-biological-smart-fibers.html Biochemistry Thu, 09 Feb 2023 10:17:10 EST news595160227 An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Mansingh (Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College), Dr. JS Binoj (Center for Advanced Composite Materials, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia & Institute of Mechanical Engineering, SIMATS) and Associate Professor Eugene Wong (Newcastle University in Singapore), has successfully developed a method to recycle agriculture waste, namely pineapple leaf fibers, for making filaments that can be used for 3D printing of parts. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-method-recycle-pineapple-leaf-fibers.html Polymers Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:21:02 EDT news584094061 Consider the humble tire. Sitting outside on a frigid winter day, it's hard as a stone, yet when spinning under a drag racer, a tire becomes warmly pliable. For everyday materials, from glass to rubber to plastic, these fundamental changes in behavior are determined by the glass transition temperature. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-tool-probe-plastics-behavior-molecular.html Polymers Mon, 11 Mar 2019 07:27:21 EDT news471508028 Researchers from EPFL's Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites have developed a material that can easily heal after being damaged. This cutting-edge composite could be used in aircraft, wind turbines, cars and sports equipment. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-self-healing-composite.html Materials Science Wed, 06 Mar 2019 10:22:56 EST news471090168 Soon you may no longer have to worry about how long your dental repairs will last. A new dental reconstruction material developed in Sweden offers unprecedented improvements over existing acrylate-based fillers. Adapted from bone fracture glue research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the material, which can be molded in a clinical setting, surpasses currently-used implant materials in key areas of stiffness, strength, biocompatibility and adhesion. https://phys.org/news/2018-11-super-strong-bio-compatible-material-broken.html Materials Science Tue, 06 Nov 2018 08:22:25 EST news460714940 What happens when gold and silver just don't cut it anymore? You turn to metallic alloys, which are what Army researchers are using to develop new designer materials with a broad range of capabilities for our Soldiers. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-army-materials.html Materials Science Wed, 10 Oct 2018 02:41:34 EDT news458358087 One in five mobile phone users in the UK have cracked their screen by dropping the phone in a three year period, according to a YouGov poll. The mobile screens break easily because they are usually made from an oxide material which allows the touch screen to function but breaks easily. In contrast, graphene and other 2-D materials could also function as as efficient mobile touch screens but are highly bendable. These materials therefore promise to revolutionise flexible electronics with the potential to produce unbreakable mobile phone displays. https://phys.org/news/2018-09-origami-d-materials.html Nanomaterials Mon, 10 Sep 2018 08:50:57 EDT news455788243 An EU-funded project has fostered links between national and European programmes to harmonise and implement scientific and technical research into materials for a safe and sustainable nuclear sector. https://phys.org/news/2018-04-nuclear-materials-sustainable-future.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:55:37 EDT news443692528 Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a range of composite metal foams (CMFs) that can be used in applications from armor to hazardous material transport - and they're now looking for collaborators to help identify and develop new applications. To that end, the researchers are issuing a comprehensive overview and new data on their CMFs. https://phys.org/news/2017-03-overview-composite-metal-foams-potential.html Materials Science Mon, 13 Mar 2017 17:24:48 EDT news408644669 Recent advancements in automotive, aerospace and power generation industries have inspired materials scientists to engineer innovative materials. Ceramic metal composites, or cermets, are an example of a new and improved class of materials that can enhance transportation and energy conversion technologies. https://phys.org/news/2017-01-rapid-ceramic-metal-superior-composites.html Materials Science Thu, 19 Jan 2017 06:16:35 EST news404028987 If you've never had the plumber to your house, you've been lucky. Pipes can burst due to a catastrophic event, like subzero temperatures, or time and use can take a toll, wearing away at the materials with small dings and dents that aren't evident until it's too late. https://phys.org/news/2016-08-polymers.html Materials Science Wed, 17 Aug 2016 09:43:21 EDT news390645787 The newest Airbus and Boeing passenger jets flying today are made primarily from advanced composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic—extremely light, durable materials that reduce the overall weight of the plane by as much as 20 percent compared to aluminum-bodied planes. Such lightweight airframes translate directly to fuel savings, which is a major point in advanced composites' favor. https://phys.org/news/2016-08-method-carbon-nanotubes-airplane-lighter.html Nanomaterials Wed, 03 Aug 2016 06:44:32 EDT news389425461 Researchers have recently presented in Advanced Materials a broad scope of application of halloysite clay tubes. https://phys.org/news/2015-10-halloysite-natural-nanomaterial.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 26 Oct 2015 05:14:19 EDT news365055243 Manufacturers and engineering firms in the advanced composites sector can now use new software developed at Purdue University to reduce the design cycle of materials and structures, and analyze models too complex for existing methods. https://phys.org/news/2015-08-analyswift-purdue-software-composite-materials.html Engineering Mon, 31 Aug 2015 12:03:34 EDT news360241404 In the 1967 movie The Graduate, young Benjamin Braddock gets a now-famous one-word piece of advice about the future from a family friend: plastics. https://phys.org/news/2015-05-team-explores-fabricate-preforms-composites.html Engineering Wed, 27 May 2015 10:20:38 EDT news351940830 The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has built a robot to pull, bend, and twist samples of the composite materials used to build F/A-18s and other aircraft. Dr. John Michopoulos leads the project. With a machine that can, as he says, "Measure so much more than anybody else," and some very advanced math, he can "create a theory that is consistent with all these experiments that we made, and works for all scales." He predicts how the materials will perform when made into large structures and used over many years. https://phys.org/news/2015-04-composite-material-samples-nrl-scientists.html Engineering Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:30:01 EDT news348308344 A medical device, once its job is done, could harmlessly melt away inside a person's body. Or, a military device could collect and send its data and then dissolve away, leaving no trace of an intelligence mission. Or, an environmental sensor could collect climate information, then wash away in the rain. https://phys.org/news/2014-04-scientist-materials-electronics-dissolve-triggered.html Materials Science Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:50:01 EDT news315822478 (Phys.org) —New composite materials based on selenium (Se) sulfides that act as the positive electrode in a rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery could boost the range of electric vehicles by up to five times, according to groundbreaking research carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The studies of the materials demonstrated that they have the potential to pack five times the energy density of conventional batteries. https://phys.org/news/2013-12-composite-battery-boost.html Materials Science Wed, 04 Dec 2013 09:45:51 EST news305372731 Many natural composite materials have evolved to wrinkle in response to certain stimuli: The eye of the squid is lined with wavy layers of silvery reflectors that give it a silvery sheen. In the cell walls of many plants, wrinkles allow expansion without strain. Finally, the inner lining of arteries contain wrinkled lamellae that can be indicators of coronary heart disease, and can serve as markers for the condition. https://phys.org/news/2013-04-scientists-guidelines-smart-composite-materials.html Materials Science Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:30:01 EDT news286096102 Researchers at Ruhr University have used self-assembling techniques to produce gold microwires that have suitable properties for micro-Velcro. The research is published today in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2013-02-gold-micro-velcro.html Nanomaterials Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:20:03 EST news279528508 NASA has selected eight large-scale integrated technology demonstrations to advance aircraft concepts and technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment over the next 30 years, research efforts that promise future travelers will fly in quieter, greener and more fuel-efficient airliners. https://phys.org/news/2013-01-nasa-green-aviation-throttles-gear.html Space Exploration Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:00:01 EST news276943214 There are vast quantities of seawater available; drinking water, on the other hand, is in scarce supply. Desalination plants can convert seawater to drinking water. Yet these plants require pipelines made of a special kind of steel or titanium – expensive material that is growing increasingly difficult to procure. Heat-conducting polymer composites may soon replace titanium altogether. https://phys.org/news/2012-10-accessible-material-seawater-desalination.html Materials Science Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:34:21 EDT news268648413 An artificial bone scaffold produced by researchers in South Korea could enhance the treatment of bone damage and defects through bone grafts. https://phys.org/news/2012-07-microwave-artificial-bone.html Materials Science Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:02:57 EDT news262339361