Imagine a material cracking—now imagine what happens if there are small inclusions in the material. Do they create an ...

Researchers discovered that twisting 2D materials improves toughness while preserving strength, paving the way for durable electronics and smart devices. (Nanowerk News) The mechanical strength and ...

A class of materials that consist almost entirely of air, yet rival or exceed the mechanical performance of steel by weight, has moved from laboratory curiosity to active engineering research over the ...

Working on the nanoscale gives researchers a lot of insight and control when fabricating and characterizing materials. In larger scale manufacturing, as well as in nature, many materials have the ...

It’s very difficult to create a large piece of glass without flaws. But the researchers knew how to make very small flawless pieces. As long as glass is less than a micrometer thick, it’s almost ...

Vibration-absorbing, sound-damping materials such as sheets of rubber and expanded foam tend to be thick, bulky and soft. A new material is a big exception to that tendency, however, as it absorbs ...

That trait, which makes a coffee lid or a fishing float so useful, also turns plastic into a long-term guest in places it was never invited. Unrecovered fragments collect across ecosystems, and they ...

Composite materials have revolu­tionised a wide range of industries, including aerospace and automotive, offering unrivalled strength, lightness and design flexibility compared to more conventional ...