Materials Congress 2010 – Materials for Extreme Environments and
Times is inviting papers until 31 March. To be held from 20-23
September in Kuala Lumpur, the technical programme will explore materials and processes that can meet industry and society demand.
A polymer that combines drug-eluting and self-cleansing agents could reduce the risk of bacterial infection through urinary catheters, say researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, UK.
The EU adopted a regulation this year governing active and intelligent materials and products that come into contact with food. Dr Alistair Irvine, Principal Consultant in Food Packaging Safety at Pira International, in Leatherhead, UK, welcomes the move.
Capsules placed on circuit boards that contain suspensions of conductive carbon nanotubes could make burnt out electronics a thing of the past.
The shells are being designed to erode under conditions of high
electrical potential, temperature spikes, mechanical damage or other
appropriate stimuli.
A novel interlayer between the skin and foam core in sandwich structures could provide composite components with an inherent self-healing mechanism. This reinstates the backface support to prevent buckling during compression.
The Carbon Trust is searching for UK innovators to help develop the
next generation of fuel cells. People with expertise in polymers,
catalysts, metals and other materials that could provide alternatives
to current fuel cell components are invited to take part in the Fuel Cells Challenge.
A one day event on thin and thick film processing, was run on 23 September by Cranfield University as part of the Functional Materials Committee’s commitment to training of early stage researchers. The attendees gained first hand experience of a range of processing and characterisation techniques, including sol gel, spin coating, characterisation, and microscopy.
