Current issue

Milk protein whey – a by-product of cheese making – is being used to fabricate high-performance, plastic-like foams that show chemical resistance and mechanical strength, stiffness, and toughness in harsh environments at over 150°C.

By incorporating graphene nanoplatelets into traditional cement, researchers suggest they can enhance the material’s water and fracture resistance as well as potentially imbue electrical conductivity and piezoelectric and magnetic properties.

Researchers have discovered a transparent coating to capture virus-laden respiratory droplets and aerosols, removing them from the air.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, are developing an ultra-thin, inflatable device to treat the most severe forms of pain in the spinal column without invasive surgery.

A technique to form protective semiconducting passivation layers on the surface of lithium (Li) electrodes to prevent electric vehicle (EV)-related battery fires is being put forward at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).

A ‘wearable’ patch that can monitor and detect plant diseases or other stresses, such as crop damage or extreme heat, in real-time could aid precision or controlled agriculture.

Phase-change material composites that can regulate ambient temperatures inside buildings are being developed at Texas A&M University, USA, using a ‘simpler and cost-effective manufacturing process’.

With COP26 approaching and environmental targets becoming more pressing, a Westminster Forum event discussed some of the policies being proposed to deal with the UK’s plastic waste.

Valuable metals, such as copper, gold, zinc, silver and lithium, could be extracted from the lenses of hot hypersaline liquid trapped in porous rocks below dormant volcanoes.