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Materials World January 2009

The January issue looks at plastics and polymers. Related features focus on reducing the environmental impact of tyre manufacture and the importance of neutron scattering in polymer science.

News examines low-cost portable devices for quick medical diagnoses and a coal-to-liquid demonstration facility. 

News

Natural fibre bioplastics become largely sulphur-free

A spherical loudspeaker made from the largely sulphur-free Arboform
A hemp or flax-based bioplastic that uses 90% less sulphur has made the material suitable for consumer goods such as toys and electronics, say researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Pfinztal, Germany. At the end-of-life, the plastic can be broken down and re-pelletised.
Materials World Magazine, 29 Jan 2009

Efficient LCD displays

Laptop screens that run on a fraction of the power used by conventional screens are being developed by US company Pixel Qi, based in San Bruno. The firm claims it has redesigned traditional liquid crystal display materials and production techniques to improve performance.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Armed with portable solar generators

American soldiers could soon be taking a new piece of kit onto the battlefield – a portable solar-powered generator smaller than a laptop. The Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) programme is made up of a group of US universities, Government research laboratories and companies, and aims to reduce the weight of batteries a soldier has to carry and simplify logistical supply chains.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Plastic diagnostic lab-on-a-chip

A low-cost portable polymer tool that allows for quick diagnoses in remote environments is being developed by a group of European researchers. A key element to the system is microfluidic transport of the sample and reagents through various channels. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces help control the fluid flow and reduce unwanted protein adsorption.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Smart nanostructures to make chemical reactors more energy efficient

Nanostructured materials, tailored to respond to various stimuli, may form the basis of more energy efficient chemical reactors by regulating reactions, momentum, and heat and mass transfer inside the plants. A consortium of three UK universities, Leeds, Bath and Glasgow, is in the early stages of developing this nanotechnology from molecular metal oxides and polymers.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Microwave processing heats up oil drill cuttings

UK researchers aim to scale-up a microwave system to treat oil-contaminated waste from fossil fuel exploration on and offshore. The technology is said to be more energy efficient and cost effective than existing thermal desorption methods, as well as providing a small, portable and modular system suitable for in situ activity on offshore rigs.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Capturing carbon from the air

Engineering a facility to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from ambient air could help in the battle against global warming. Professor David Keith of the University of Calgary, Canada, aims to enable absorption of CO2 emissions from sources such as aircraft and automotives.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Model behaviour of ceramics

Multi-scale mathematical and computer modelling could eliminate the existing ‘trial and error’ approach to sintering ceramic parts, say researchers at the University of Leicester, UK. This may help ensure the integrity and quality of components during manufacture, saving money and reducing waste.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Materials thoughts – Student opinions of higher education in materials science

The UK’s first National Subject Profile for Higher Education Programmes in Materials was
launched in 2008. In the last of a series of articles, the team behind it considers the views
of recent graduates on course content and how well it equipped them for a career in industry.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

£250m for doctoral training

A quarter of a billion pounds is to be invested by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in training scientists and engineers to strengthen Britain’s economy and tackle issues such as climate change and energy use.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Faster chip production, without a mask

A new maskless lithography technique could enable fast and low-cost manufacture of semiconductors with nanoscale resolution.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Underground coal gasification

Australian company Linc Energy Ltd has announced the first production of diesel from its demonstration coal to liquid (CTL) facility at Chinchilla, Queensland. The firm claims this is the first time underground coal gasification has been combined with CTL, reducing the cost and lifecycle carbon emissions of the fuel.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Quality control for structural steelwork moves forward

The European conformity standard (CE mark) for the design, fabrication and erection of structural steelwork will be introduced to the UK in August 2009. The BS EN 1090 Part 1 outlines what systems
steelwork contractors need to put in place to ensure the health and safety levels, as well as quality, of their finished products. Meagan Ellis reports
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Features

Opening up – new mine opportunities

Mining

The most important mining exploration decision is to determine the region in which to carry it out. One country that has attracted interest is Armenia, where the Amulsar prospect shows promise. Induced polarisation geophysics has identified favourable electrically-resistive bodies corresponding to bulk low-grade silicified breccia bodies at three locations within the prospect.

Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Polyethylene for water - polymer pipes

Polyethylene pipe systems may provide solutions for the global water challenge. It is argued that they are cost effective accross the lifecycle and that ease of laying offers environmental benefits.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Studying polymers - neutron scattering and ISIS

Inside ISIS a proton beam travelling at 84% of the speed of light is fired at a small tungsten target to make neutrons
Professor Dame Julia Higgins, former Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London, UK, explains neutron scattering  with reference to the £200m second target station to complement the existing neutron source at ISIS, UK, which will be optimised for the production of long-wavelength neutrons.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Joint venture – polymer development

Neutron Flow-mapping of a construction flow
The Microscale Polymer Processing initiative links industry research groups to eight university teams with expertise in physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and computer science. The aim was to design new plastics at the molecular level, with all the subsequent processing and product properties targetted from the design of the polymerisation itself. The group now knows the basic rules connecting molecular structure to process performance in polymer melts, and how to tailor the rules for any chemistry of polymer chain.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

What’s green and black? – Advances in rubber for tyres

Hollow silica 50 without CA
When first developed, pneumatic tyres used vulcanised natural rubber (polyisoprene), synthetic rubber took over and now advances in materials science offer tyre manufacturers the chance to significantly reduce their environmental impact, making a product that is ‘greener’ in terms of manufacture and service.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Opening up communication channels – profile on Dr Anthony Hodge, President of the International Council on Mining and Metals

Dr Anthony Hodge, President of the International Council on Mining and Metals
From locating water supplies in Africa to advising the Canadian Government on nuclear waste management, Dr Anthony Hodge’s career has spanned the full environmental gammit. Now, as President of the International Council on Mining and Metals in London, UK, he hopes to bring his message of sustainability and cooperation to the mining industry. Meagan Ellis reports
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009

Material Matters

Explaining how cobwebs are constructed

A short commentary on the uniqueness of spiders followed by an explanation of how they construct cobwebs.
Materials World Magazine, 01 Jan 2009