The failure mechanics of steel lattice materials have been explored by a team of engineers from Cambridge University in the UK.
The
work could lead to improved energy absorbing structures, with
applications in defence, in particular, as a material for improved body armour.
As the UK REACTICS programme draws to a close, Rupal Mehta caught up with the researchers involved, who want to take auxetic materials out of the lab and into the field.
A building material that could lead to less brittle, crack resistant,
ceramics has been developed by researchers at The University of
Manchester, UK, after observing the properties and behaviour of nacre, which compromises calcium carbonate and proteins.
The Research Councils UK Energy Programme wishes to develop collaborative projects between the UK and China in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in the field of solar cells, solar fuels and fuel cells.
An online Collaborative Open Resource Environment (CORE) for materials science is being launched in the UK on 21 April. The aim is to make electronic educational resources freely available under a range of Creative Commons licenses.
Aircraft may soon be able to respond to varying external conditions using ‘smart morphing technologies’ that increase fuel efficiency, improve maneuverability and lower landing speeds.
The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) led by the University of Sheffield with Rolls-Royce and supported by the University of Manchester will be based at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Sheffield.
Air hardened, mineral-bound foam concretes that can be produced cost effectively for load-bearing structures, are now available, say researchers at the Technische Universitaet Dortmund, Germany. Ultraporcrete is said to combine the strength, low density and good
heat insulation of cellular and foam concrete, without
the need for energy intensive autoclave manufacturing.
