Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

Laser Inversion enables Multi-Materials 3D Printing

Laser beam transmitting upwards through glass.

Selective laser sintering is one of the most widely used processes in additive manufacturing, but it is limited to printing with a single material at a time. Robotics engineers have now developed a new approach to overcome this limitation: By inverting the laser so that it points upwards, they’ve invented a way to enable SLS to use – at the same time – multiple materials.

Additive manufacturing – or 3D printing – uses digital manufacturing processes to fabricate components that are light, strong, and require no special tooling to produce...

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Chemists make Tough Plastics Recyclable

Thermoset polymers, found in car parts and electrical appliances, have to be durable and heat-resistant, but typically cannot be easily recycled or broken down after use. MIT chemists have now developed a way to modify thermoset plastics that allows them to be more easily broken down without compromising their mechanical strength.
Image: stock image

Chemists have developed a way to modify thermoset plastics with a chemical linker that makes it much easier to recycle them, but still allows them to retain their mechanical strength.

Thermosets, which include epoxies, polyurethanes, and rubber used for tires, are found in many products that have to be durable and heat-resistant, such as cars or electrical appliances...

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New study reveals a Graphene Sheet behaves ‘Like a mirror’ for water molecules

An image showing graphene water molecules on both sides of graphene. Because graphene is a conductor of electricity, water molecules on both sides of the graphene attract each other by the same charges. (Courtesy image)

A recently published study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers sheds new light on how water interacts with the nanomaterial graphene, a single, thin layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.

The researchers’ findings could hold implications for a variety of applications, including sensors, fuel cell membranes, water filtration, and graphene-based electrode materials in high-performance supercapacitors.

The study, “Solvent–Solvent Correlations across Graphene: The Effect of Image Charges,” was published in the American Chemica...

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New insight into the Origin of Water on the Earth

Organic matter in nebula could be the source of terrestrial water. Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Scientists have found the interstellar organic matter could produce an abundant supply of water by heating, suggesting that organic matter could be the source of terrestrial water.

There remains a number of mysteries on our planet including the elusive origin of water on the earth. Active studies suggested that terrestrial water had been delivered by icy comets or meteorites containing hydrous silicates that came from outside the “snow line” – the boundary beyond which ice can condense due the low temperatures...

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