Honey, I shrunk the vacuum chambers!

It takes a lot of work to achieve nothingness. The beam pipes within particle accelerators are some of the emptiest regions in the universe. They are evacuated so as to prevent the accelerating particles from colliding with ...

'Everything-repellent' coating could kidproof phones, homes

In an advance that could grime-proof phone screens, countertops, camera lenses and countless other everyday items, a materials science researcher at the University of Michigan has demonstrated a smooth, durable, clear coating ...

Tubular science improves polymer solar cells

A popular polymer-based solar cell could produce more energy if the electronic charges can move efficiently through the cell's components. A novel three-component mixture allows conductive solar cell materials to self-align ...

Polymer movement: key to next-generation coatings

Researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, led by doctoral student Victor Selin and Dr. Svetlana Sukhishvili, are making headway in understanding fundamental principles that ...

Paints and varnishes based on potato starch

If a surface has to be protected against corrosion, in 80 percent of all cases this takes place through coating it with paints or varnishes. When doing so, the proportion of bio-based, environmentally-friendly solutions is ...

Batteries—quick coatings

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using the precision of an electron beam to instantly adhere cathode coatings for lithium-ion batteries—a leap in efficiency that saves energy, reduces production and capital ...

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