Researchers adopting global approach to studying microplastics and microfibers
Scientists at UC San Diego are working to understand plastic degradation in the ocean, particularly smaller particles called microplastics and related microfibers.
Scientists at UC San Diego are working to understand plastic degradation in the ocean, particularly smaller particles called microplastics and related microfibers.
Environment
Aug 21, 2019
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12
Nature has evolved protein-based substances with mechanical properties that rival even the best synthetic materials. For example, pound for pound, spider silk is stronger and tougher than steel. But unlike steel, the natural ...
Materials Science
Apr 2, 2019
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150
A new technique to spin starch fibers using Lego pieces could have future applications for lab-grown "clean" meat, according to a team of food scientists from Penn State and the University of Alabama.
Other
Mar 26, 2019
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567
While the polyester leisure suit was a 1970s mistake, polyester and other synthetic fibers like nylon are still around and are a major contributor to the microplastics load in the environment, according to a Penn State materials ...
Environment
Feb 17, 2019
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27
A new research article introduces a nanofiber material produced by the electrospinning device at the Laboratory of Polymers and Textile Technology in Tallinn University of Technology, and a range of applications. The article, ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 1, 2018
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Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, nature has produced a myriad of biological materials that serve either as skeletons or as defensive or offensive weapons. Although these natural structural materials are derived ...
Polymers
Aug 13, 2018
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9
Fabrics made from silkworm fibers have long been treasured for their beautiful luster and refreshing coolness. Columbia Engineering researchers have discovered that fibers produced by the caterpillars of a wild silk moth, ...
Optics & Photonics
May 18, 2018
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185
During rare desert rainfalls, cacti waste no time sopping up and storing a storm's precious precipitation. Inspired by this natural phenomenon, scientists report in a study appearing ACS Macro Letters that they have developed ...
Materials Science
Apr 11, 2018
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27
Natural fibers have many advantages: they are renewable, biodegradable and robust. They are more energy-efficient to produce than glass or carbon fibers, are lighter and have better acoustics. Their disadvantage: they absorb ...
Materials Science
Feb 1, 2018
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5
Researchers at Tufts University's School of Engineering have developed a new bioinspired technique that transforms silk protein into complex materials that are easily programmable at the nano-, micro- and macro-scales as ...
Nanophysics
Feb 27, 2017
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18