Materials selection can affect tennis racket and player performance. The stiffness-related vibration of the frame and shock transmission to the player are common complaints that manufacturers are addressing through applications such as piezo materials.
Many motorsport innovations rely on carbon fibre composites (CFCs) to provide specific properties that are unobtainable with traditional metallic materials and manufacturing techniques. But it is not enough to take an existing metallic component and simply change it to a CFC.
A new family of Diamond-Silicon Carbide composites (Skeleton Cemented Diamond) creates low-cost materials with improved thermal and mechanical properties.
Engineering thin organic films and producing layers of known composition is critical to industry. A range of techniques can be employed to determine the depth distribution and build a profile of elements within a material.
A consequence of recent developments in microelectronics, optics and nanotechnology is a demand for wear resistant coatings and the enhanced functionality of conductive films. Thin films are key to the production of new materials and devices using this technology.
Thin film castings provide a cost-effective way to modify surface properties. They can change chemical stoichiometry, density, porosity and crystallinity.
Researchers are examining the outstanding physical properties, in terms of strength, elastic stiffness and thermal and electrical conductive applications of carbon nanotube composites.
