Maria Felice examines the history, properties and future of coal
Materials World - all features 2013
Gerard van den Hondel studies ways of reducing energy and costs in conveyer belt transportation of minerals
Melanie Rutherford speaks to John McVeigh of MYR Consulting about risk management in mining
Guy Richards highlights R&D relating to bioleaching
Rachel Lawler looks for the materials story behind the UK’s pothole-ridden roads
Rachel Lawler looks at upgrades taking place on railways across the UK
The science behind liquid helium-free cooling technologies and the potential benefits offered
Rhiannon Garth Jones finds out about some of the buildings behind the success of London 2012
[img_assist|nid=61367|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=62]Right on cue with the first frosts of autumn and with the festive season approaching, the recent round of price incr
With university tuition fees reaching £9,000 a year, apprenticeships are
an increasingly attractive alternative for many young people. But how
do they compare with higher education? And how might this affect
employers?
Daniel Edwards, Laboratory Technician at Mettis Aerospace Ltd, UK, talks
about his daily tasks and what's important to him in a job
Titanium is a transition metal, aptly named for its strength equivalent to some steels while being 45% lighter. Its biomedical applications, especially, demonstrate how modern materials science has improved life quality for millions of people.
A round-up of recent developments in materials processing.
Uranium mining brings with it a host of issues as well as benefits.
Nevertheless, demand is on the rise for the foreseeable future, says
Mark Kenwright, Associate Director of Geology and Resources at Wardell
Armstrong International.
How can mining companies reduce their energy costs and increase output?
One way is through the much-disputed route of eco-efficient comminution.
Materials World explores the changing nature of gas turbine operating
regimes and the impact this has on materials selection, in particular
the ceramic thermal barrier coatings applied to turbine blades.
Phill Greer of Concrete Canvas Ltd and Tom
de Saulles of the Minerals Products Association, both UK, talk about
exciting innovations in one of the most ancient building materials.
Marion Ingle and Simon Clarke, from materials consultancy firm Sandberg
LLP, UK, examine some causes of reduced performance of phenolic foam in
construction insulation applications, and explain how these can be
prevented and resolved.
The use of ceramics in architecture has seen a recent global resurgence.
Alexis Harrison, Senior Designer at Arup Materials in London, UK,
reveals some innovative uses of this traditional building material.
As the UK Government pledges an extra £60m funding to the UK Space
Agency for Europe’s space programme, Materials World looks at the sector’s
robust response to skills shortages.
Maria Felice examines plastic...
Examining a new process for the recovery of nickel from laterites.
Mark Godden, Quarry and Mine Manager at Albion Stone, explains the challenges of mining in an environmentally sensitive area
Melanie Rutherford speaks to Andrew Hames, Director of Global Mining at
G4S, about the issues facing security in the mining sector.
The materials and technology behind the Hawkei protected mobility vehicle from Thales that is set to join Australia's defence force fleet.
A new material from Australia offers promise for preventing corrosion of military equipment
Synthetic diamond is enhancing the termal management of semiconductors
A round-up of your feedback on the magazine and how we are responding
Rachel Lawler looks at techniques for energy recovery from landfill around the world
Michael Forrest talks to Wally Bucknell, CEO of Atlantic Gold NL, an
Australian company in near production of gold in Nova Scotia, Canada
Michael Forrest talks to Gerald Cheyne, Director of Corporate
Development at Kalimantan Gold Corp, about exploring for gold and copper
in this geologically active area
The risks associated with resource nationalism can ruin a mining project
in a foreign country. Guy Richards looks at the main forms in which it
comes and the strategies companies adopt to manage it
Boosted by the recent establishment of the Weinberg Foundation, thorium
nuclear power is enjoying an increasingly high profile as a green
nuclear energy panacea. The reality, as Tim Probert discovers, is not
nearly so simple
In March 2013, the UK Government confirmed nuclear as a key future
low-carbon energy source when it announced a new, long-term nuclear
strategy. Professor Andrew Sherry of The University of Manchester’s
Dalton Nuclear Institute and Professor Robin Grimes of Imperial College
London, both UK, discuss the critical materials challenges involved
With technological improvements raising efficiency and lowering costs,
solar power is catching up with conventional sources of energy. Rachel
Lawler speaks to three experts about promising developments in the
field
Tim Probert explores the steps being taken by the world’s leading power
grid equipment manufacturers to create a cost-effective, efficient high voltage DC circuit
breaker
Maria Felice examines the properties of this ubiquitous material
As stainless steel reaches a century in age, here are some of its achievements
Our list of 35 under 35 year-olds who have excelled in engineering and materials science
Maria Felice examines superhydrophobic materials
Rachel Lawler looks at the latest developments in microscopy and analysis equipment
Developing coking coal mines in the Kyrgyz Republic
Unconventional gas exploration and production in China
How the US automotive industry is meeting sustainability targets using high-strength steel and other technologies
The apps every materials scientist should have on their smartphone or tablet
Dr Robert Carroll considers the role of fly ash in a carbon-conscious future
Dr Valeska Ting and Chris Bowen look at materials for energy-efficient transport and the MEET project
Dr Kevin Cooke, R&D Technology Centre Manager for Miba Coating Group
at Teer Coatings Ltd in Worcestershire, UK, talks to Materials World
about the development of coatings to meet the ongoing needs of the
automotive sector.
Paul Newbatt from
nano-ceramic powder manufacturer Innovnano tells Materials World
about recent R&D in thermal barrier coatings technology and how the
company has taken nanotechnology to an industrial scale.
Is it possible to produce frictionless material? Self-adaptive
nanostructures could lead to huge friction reduction, say Dr Tomas
Polcar from the University of Southampton, UK, and Professor Albano
Cavaleiro from the University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Andrew Spencer, Head of Learning and Development at non-destructive
testing training specialist Arygll Ruane, discusses changing training
needs in industry and how to stand out from the crowd when applying for a
job.
The history of sheet glass, also known as architectural glass or window glass, including some recent high-tech developments such as self-cleaning glass.
Ian Levy, CEO of Australian Bauxite, talks about the
aluminium market and his company’s projects to develop new mines in
Australia.
For those metals where a little goes a long way, a static market has led
to a drop in competitive prices. Materials World talks to George
Putnam, CEO of EMC Metals Corp, USA, about the company’s plans to become
a major scandium producer.
Materials World speaks to Malagasy Presidential candidate Dr Emma
Rasolovoahangy about the challenges the country faces in exploiting its
abundant natural resources.
CEO of TransTasman Resources Ltd, Tim Crossley, talks to Materials World about developing iron sand deposits in New Zealand
Maria Felice looks at how aggregated diamond nanorods have improved wear resistance and now form one of the toughest materials available
Quicker and cheaper mining permits lead to gold exploration in the Nevada–Utah Long Canyon
A single man is responsible for shaping much of the scientific vocabulary commony used today. Professor Claire Preston from the University of Birmingham highlights the most prolific wordsmith in the language of science
Laptops are complex, but how many materials are used in their manufacture?
Director of The Ames Laboratory, Alex King, speaks to Materials World about the research they are involved in and the work being done with critical materials in the energy sector
How much do companies rely on critical raw materials? The supply is level is recorded by many lists, but how accurate are they?
Rare earth elements are not as scarce as is commonly believed. The real issue surrounds the extraction, processing and environmental costs of their production
The oil and gas industry has a long history of publishing guidelines and codes of practice to improve safety and environmental performance.
Maria Felice considers the technology that propels millions of people to
their holiday destinations each year – aeroplane engines.
The use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in mining is growing. Michael
Forrest talks to Lok Home, President of TBM manufacturer The Robbins
Company, USA, to find out why.
As Crossrail, Europe’s largest civil engineering project, reaches the halfway point of construction, Simon Pugh, Lead Engineer in the Route Control Centre for Crossrail, talks to Michael Forrest about how it is built and how it will be run.
The capabilities of ceramic materials have made them an increasingly
attractive choice for specifiers in the automotive industry. Scott
Bentley of Morgan Advanced Materials, UK, looks at some of the ways
ceramics are applied in the sector.
Dr Charles Marsden, Technical Director at Dynamic-Ceramic, UK, talks to Materials World about ceramic materials.
Researchers around the world are developing ceramics inspired by biomaterials.
Proving that a material can withstand the force of a bullet is one thing. Predicting it's response can is quite another. A collaborative research project is helping to increase understanding of ceramic materials for armour.
Politicians and economists can be a contrary bunch, but one thing they tend to agree on is that capital investment in transport and infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to kick start an ai
Rachel Lawler looks at the range of options open to declining numbers of materials science graduates
Problem solving with Jan Lewis from Wardell Armstrong International
Maria Felice looks at the varied uses of, and changes to, aluminium foil over the years
Sensor technology improvements are helping engineers meet demands for safer
and more economic systems. Rachel Lawler looks at the developments
Australia has sizeable Uranium deposits but extraction is difficult. Alan Eggers tells Micheal Forrest how they will be accessed.
Why East Africa is becoming an important source for oil and gas companies
The US Government’s Conflict Minerals Rule, issued in August 2012,
will have an effect on these materials' supply, but how will it affect industry?
German power companies are progressing in storing wind power as hydrogen, but can this gas be used to generate power?
Dr Debra Carr of the Impact and Armour Group at Cranfield Defence and
Security, UK, describes her latest findings in forensic textile science after a recent overseas
research trip.
UK experts provide an overview of trends in the nanofibre electrospinning sector
Metals are hard fought for and then they suffer corrosion...
You might think of voluntary work as something only those at the start
of their career should be interested in, but the range of opportunities
available make it a great option at any point in your career. Rachel
Lawler considers how volunteering could benefit you
Maria Felice examines the huge range of materials that have been used in clothing over the years
Mass spectrometry is finding wider applications in materials analysis.
Rachel Lawler looks at some of the new equipment available
David Kalenuik, CEO of Lake Victoria Mining Company, tells Michael
Forrest about the company’s first steps in developing a gold mine in
Tanzania
In an age of
rapidly advancing technology, supercomputing is pushing materials
science into the fast lane. John Conti-Ramsden, Richard Anderson and
Sebastian Metz from the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry, UK,
examine the many applications of materials modelling
Is the subsea industry any closer to solving the materials challenges it
currently faces? Andrew Low, Deputy Engineering and Technology Manager
at INTECSEA, UK, examines the issues and potential solutions
Recent deepsea exploration looks set to put Tanzania on the commercial
energy map. Martin Cox, Technical Business Development Consultant at
Aberdeen Drilling Management Ltd, examines the challenges the country
faces in exploiting its vast natural gas reserves
Ian Merchant answers questions about subsea engineering technology
Maria Felice examines the extraordinary properties of aerogels.
The effectiveness of heat treatment is directly linked to the
effectiveness of the oven used. Rachel Lawler looks at some of the
improved products available.
Michael Forrest talks to Peter Hambro about the technological changes required to maintain production in Russia’s gold mines.
Modern analogs could help develop mines in some of the world’s oldest
geological terranes. Michael Forrest finds out more from Glen Kuntz, CEO
of Canadian exploration company Mega Precious Metals Inc.
With hydraulic fracturing back on the agenda in the UK, Tim Probert
explores the next steps towards Britain’s ambition to create a shale gas
revolution.
Mike Wilson and Dr Stuart Hambling, metallurgists at BAE Systems
Maritime-Submarines, discuss the techniques that were developed during
the construction of the Royal Navy’s most sophisticated and powerful
nuclear submarine ever to set sail from British waters.
Dr Carsten Schwandt from the Department of Materials Science and
Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, UK, looks at the reprocessing
of spent oxide nuclear fuel.
Brian Hall, Materials Project Engineer at the Westinghouse Materials
Center of Excellence, USA, describes new initiatives to extend nuclear
plant service-life.
Ever since 2007, when EDF Energy and AREVA submitted a joint application
to build a new type of nuclear reactor in the UK, the complex design of
the UK European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) has been the subject of
intense scrutiny.
Last April, the Oil Patch Warrior statue at Duke’s Wood in Nottinghamshire was damaged by thieves attempting to steal it for the scrap metal.
For many of us the closest we get to a pair of skis is Ski Sunday, or perhaps a trip to the Alps.With origins firmly rooted in function rather than fun, Maria Felice examines the advances in ski technology and materials.
Detecting faults and weaknesses is a key task in many industries. Rachel
Lawler looks at some of the testing equipment available.
Could earth models have as big an impact on mineral exploration as they have had on the oil industry? Michael Forrest reports.
Combining gold tenements in areas of existing mining has reaped rewards
for one Australian company. Michael Forrest investigates one company’s
path to success.
Michael Forrest talks to Ian Brown, Consulting Practice Director at Canadian engineering company Hatch, about the rising costs of infrastructure.
Dr Chris O’Connor, Business Manager – Utilities, at GL Noble Denton,
looks at electrofusion and pipe preparation in the second of a two-part
series examining polyethylene pipeline systems.
Alongside automotive manufacturers’ efforts to boost performance and
improve fuel efficiency, suppliers from all sides of the industry are
pushing to further optimise their part of the puzzle. Swiss coatings specialist Oerlikon Balzers, explains how its new coating reduces energy loss.
Application specialists from international analysing and testing company
Netzsch explain how thermal analysis of high-tech composite materials
is helping to meet the needs of the automotive industry
Interest in natural fibre composites is increasing. Dr Brendon Weager,
Managing Director of Composites Evolution, UK, examines the use of flax
in composite sporting goods.