The June issue of Materials World focuses on energy and power. Keith Parker, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, discusses the materials challenges that will arise from more nuclear power initiatives. Microwave heating is finding new industrial uses, as Mark Pickering of Carbolite Ltd explains. And Sergei Dudarev of the European Atomic Energy Community offers his opinion on a new study that examines the materials defects formed under irradiation.

In other features, we focus on the benefits of an engineering initiative geared towards improving productivity within the metals industry, Gerald Panneton of Continental Minerals discusses how China’s copper deficit can be met, and we take a look at the potential of tanzanite - a colourful gem that is growing in popularity.

In our news section, Materials World looks at a team from the University of Teesside who have found an effective method to remove ochre from mine water, and Martin Bjerregaard of Golder Associates talks about his proposed NGO which will tackle the waste produced by major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in the USA. In other news, researchers at the London Centre for Nanotechnology are investigating an unusual ceramic that conducts electricity only in certain directions.