Material Resources

The Guardian discovers nanotechnology

2008-03-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

The Guardian appears to have been bitten by the nanotechnology bug, if articles from the past two days are anything to go by. Tuning in to the possibilities of nanotube transistors reports on the application of carbon nanotubes in radios, and Once bitten... welcomes readers to the world of nanofoods, 'where almost anything is possible: where food can be manipulated at an atomic or molecular level to taste as delicious as you want, do you as much good as you want, and stay fresh for ... well, who knows?' Yum.

New Materials World out now

2008-03-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

It's actually been out for some time... those guys at MW run rings round the rest of us :-)

The March 2008 issue focuses on the automotive industry, with related articles on sustainable production, paint shop costs and coatings.

In other feature stories, mining risk management and the search for oil off the Irish coast are investigated.

In the news section, the team reports on new ways of disposing of irradiated materials and a silicon chip that is 10 times more energy-efficient than standard versions.

Galloway man builds home from salvaged materials for £4,000

2008-03-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

A man from Galloway, Scotland has built his own home from salvaged and natural materials for a total of £4,000, reports the BBC.

The walls are made of straw, the roof out of turf and much of the rest of the building from items discarded by other people, including a roof velux, shower tray, front window, front door and an oval bedroom window. The Tudor-style panelled timber ceiling was made out of solid pine changing cubicle doors salvaged from old Victorian public baths in Govan.

The warm and watertight cottage gets its water supplies by gathering rainfall and its electricity from a car battery.

Self-healing rubber

2008-02-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

A form of artificial rubber that is able to self-repair even when it is sliced in two has been invented by French researchers. The substance produces surfaces when cut that retain a strong chemical attraction to each other. This property comes from careful engineering of the molecules in the material, which is made from vegetable oil and a component of urine. The BBC site meanwhile is inviting comments from users to name the material, which so far is only being referred to as 'self-healing rubber'.

Contact lenses with circuits and lights

2008-02-18T01:35:00.000-08:00

Engineers at the University of Washington could make 'Terminator vision' a reality. Using manufacturing techniques at microscopic scales, they have combined a flexible contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. "Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside," says Babak Parviz, UW assistant professor of electrical engineering. Researchers built the circuits from layers of metal a few nanometers thick and constructed light-emitting diodes one third of a millimetre across, before sprinkling the powdery electrical components onto a sheet of flexible plastic. The shape of each tiny component dictates which piece it can attach to, a microfabrication technique known as self-assembly, and capillary forces pull the pieces into position.

US scientists develop 'power fibres' for smart clothes

2008-02-14T03:36:00.000-08:00

Today's BBC site reports that scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed brush-like fibres that generate electrical energy from movement. These could be woven into a material to allow designers to create "smart" clothes which harness body movement to power portable electronic gadgets. I want some.

New Materials World out now!

2008-02-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

The February issue of Materials World (crikey, is it February already?) focuses on plastics. John Loadman, a retired analytical chemist from Bishops Stortford, examines the history of vulcanised rubber, while James Lewis, Chairman of Bac2 Ltd, Southampton, describes how the cost of fuel cells can be reduced with a new conducted polymer. Related articles focus on plastic photovoltaic solar panels and non-destructive inspection of polyethylene pipes. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest takes a look at the Chinese coal mining industry and the use of computer modelling mining methods. In the news section, the team investigates the development of polymer lasers by UCLA as well as the relationship between academia and industry.

I confess to a personal favourite in this month's edition, a news-in-brief item (known as a NIB in the trade, folks!) about a new range of guitars developed by a firm called Cool Acoustics. The Secret Valentine steel-string is promoted by Gordon Giltrap and features a wooden body and neck with a foamed polycarbonate soundboard, claimed to have improved tonal quality over wooden versions. I want one.

OLEDs in the new Motorola phone

2008-01-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

Stephen Fry reviews the Motorola U9 in the latest of his excellent Dork Talk series for the Guardian Weekend magazine. The phone is notable for its usage of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in the casing, which as Fry puts it, "sandwich stacks of light-emitting layers of polymers to form ultra-thin displays" with "the remarkable potential to be incorporated into fabric and the lightest of materials, famously raising the prospect of roll-up monitors, a new generation of electronic paper, and a world in which displays can be seen everywhere." I want one.

China becomes latest country to ban plastic bags

2008-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

China has pledged to ban plastic bags from June, reports the Guardian, a move designed to help stem an environmental 'menace' that causes floods and creates health problems. While a number of Chinese appear indifferent to the proposed new law, the effect on the plastics industry has yet to be gauged.

Heritage status for unique aqueduct?

2008-01-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Guardian reported on the selection of the amazing Pontcysyllte aqueduct on the Llangollen canal, near Wrexham, as this year's UK candidate for World Heritage status. The aqueduct was built between 1795 and 1808 with a revolutionary mix of ancient materials, such as ox blood (which helped bond mortar) and boiling sugar (used to seal Welsh flannel used with tar for caulking), and new cast iron technology previously untried on such a scale.

New Materials World out now

2008-01-03T01:24:00.000-08:00

Start your materials year in style with the January MW, which focuses on nanotechnology. John Gearing of Gearing Scientific Ltd discusses the measuring and testing of materials at the nanoscale, while Dr Cristianne Rijcken, a Postdoctoral Fellow from Utrecht University, Netherlands, explores nanomaterials for drug delivery systems. Related articles focus on the future of nanotechnology and imaging materials at the nanoscale. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest takes a look at niobium mining in Araxa, Brazil and reports on the MinSouth commodity day, which focused on copper. Elsewhere, the MW team investigate the development of electrochemical technology to aid micro- and nanoscale substrate patterning, and recycling carbon-fibre based composites.

MW is the leading monthly materials magazine and is available free to members of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

The brick that holds beer

2008-01-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

MR's Man in the Pub points me to a recent post in cool design blog Inhabitat about Heineken's WOBO (world bottle). Invented way back in 1963, Alfred Heineken's idea for a glass beer bottle that could be used as a building material when empty came to him during a trip to the Caribbean where he saw beaches littered with empties. Clearly ahead of its time in both ecology and drinking stakes, it seems a shame it never took off.

Your Stuff: If It Isn't Grown, It Must Be Mined

2008-01-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

This extensive article by Jeremy Faludi from Worldchanging is well worth a read. Packed with great links and interesting facts, it asks what the world of mining is like today, how rapidly are we depleting the minerals we have and how do we achieve 'sustainable mining'.

A very small Christmas greeting!

2007-12-21T04:20:00.000-08:00

The University of Leeds has put nanotechnology to seasonal use with this very small Christmas card - to be precise, the main image (an engraving onto a tiny piece of platinum) is no larger than a red blood cell. Sarah Pearman's design, which won a University competition, was turned into the nano version by John Harrington from Leeds's Institute for Materials Research using a state-of-the-art focused ion beam (FIB) machine.

Material Resources wishes all readers a very BIG merry Christmas and best wishes for 2008.

The DUMP useless packaging awards 2007

2007-12-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

IOM3 and the Institute of Packaging prides itself on hosting Starpack, the industry's most prestigious awards for innovative and stylish packaging, but on the other side of the world Environment Victoria's DUMP (Dangerous and Useless Materials in Packaging) awards have just been announced. Topping the list with a double win for both the 'Golden DUMP Award' and 'Excessive Use of Packaging' title is Proctor & Gamble for its Gillette Fusion Razor, which uses 'gratuitous amounts' of plastic, cardboard and composite paper products, while Woolworths Apple Snacks was given the 'Going Backwards Award' for its 'ludicrous packaging "innovation" that turns an apple into a grossly over-packaged fast food'. Full details and winners can be found here.

Proposed 'quality protocol for non-packaging plastics'

2007-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

letsrecycle.com reports on proposals by the Environment Agency and WRAP to secure a Quality Protocol for plastics from waste streams such as toys, electrical goods and end-of-life vehicles. If the proposals are realised, the plastics, once fully recovered, would no longer be considered 'waste' under UK law but instead be legally classed as a 'product', which would help reduce red tape and thus aid the marketing of plastics. The consultation closes in March 2008 and is likely to see a specification required for the finished plastic product before it is sold on to markets such as the construction and automotive industries.

Green Alliance calls for packaging compostability legislation

2007-12-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

Retail Bulletin reports that Green Alliance has launched a guide to compostable packaging for food products, and is pressuring manufacturers, retailers, local authorities and waste companies to put in place the measures necessary for all food packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2013.

Devon mine to reopen

2007-12-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

The BBC reports that Australian-based Wolf Minerals plans to start mining reserves at Hemerdon mine, Plympton to meet growing UK demand and exports of tungsten and tin. Some 500 jobs will be created by the move, but the impact on the local town will be considerable, with increased traffic and some homes 'engulfed' by the mine.

New Materials World out now

2007-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

The December issue of Materials World focuses on new materials. Drs Robin Rogers and Gabriela Gurau from Queens University in Belfast explore the development of ionic liquids, while Jerome Ville of Fibroline, Ecully, France, discusses a new dry powder impregnation technique to treat materials. Related articles focus on the thermal properties of diamond-based materials, and the use of auxetic materials. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest takes a look at minerals exploration, and talks to John Menzies, CEO of Euromax Resources Ltd, Canada, about mining in Eastern Europe.

In the news section meanwhile, the team investigates the development of electroluminescent garments to improve personal safety and developments in medical laser manufacturing.

The robotic self-tuning guitar

2007-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

As a longtime axe-noodler I took some interest in this story in today's Guardian reporting that legendary guitar manufacturer Gibson has developed the world's first self-tuning instrument: "Using robotic technology, the £1,400 Les Paul can detect when a string has fallen out of pitch and correct it immediately. The guitar uses a device in the bridge that monitors the pitch of the strings. Motorised tuners automatically adjust the strings. Gibson says it will reduce tuning problems for novices and professional performers." Gibson's excellent website goes on to explain how ceramics are used for insulation to isolate each individual string signal. All fascinating stuff, but to be fair it's a bit of a gimmick - professional players such as Jimmy Page (pictured in his heyday with an unroboticised Les Paul) won't really need the feature (unless they're rubbish in the first place) and amateurs who can't keep their guitar in tune are either doing it deliberately or need to learn how. A guitar that replaces its own broken strings, now, on the other hand...

Aerogel

2007-11-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

The above is a new video clip added to our favourites on IOM3's YouTube channel. Aerogel is an extremely light, highly porous material with the lowest density of any known solid. More expensive than gold, this excellent insulator has applications in light aircraft and spacecraft, being used on Nasa's Stardust mission to capture comet particles from Comet Wild 2. Future uses may include sporting equipment and architectural design.

IOM3 is open to suggestions for YouTube videos on materials-related items and we will also gladly feature original videos on the channel. Please contact Richard Cooper for further information.

New Materials World out now

2007-10-22T02:23:00.000-07:00

Crikey - you go away for a couple of weeks and when you come back, those industrious souls at Materials World have come up with another fabulous issue, this month focusing on polymers and composites. Stephen Kyle-Henney, Managing Director of TISICS Ltd, discusses the European aerospace opportunities for titanium composites, while professor Frank Jones of the University of Sheffield, UK, reports on the self-healing of matrix resins that can enhance the structural health of composite materials. Other related articles focus on the Nadcap composite accreditation programme and the use of natural polymers combined with inorganic carbonates to create tough and resilient composites. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest, President-elect of the London and Southern Counties Minerals Industries Institute (MinSouth), looks ahead to 2008 when the society will celebrate its 50th anniversary, while Richard Crockett of the Mining Institute of Scotland Ltd provides an overview of the institute’s history and future aims. In the news section, the Materials World team takes a look at the pros and cons of biofuels and a novel peptide-based hydrogel that may one day be injected to repair human tissue.

A podcast about materials, science and art

2007-09-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered what a painting sounds like, or how your sense of touch might change the way you see a work of art, check out this Tate Modern podcast in which a team from the Materials Library explores the material nature of art from a scientific and sensory point of view. Features include the sound inside a sculpture, fractal patterns in Jackson Pollock’s paintings, rapid prototyping and how pure elements of sounds are altered by changes in materials.

September issue of Materials World out now

2007-09-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Materials World focuses on magnetic materials. Matthew Ball of EPSRC takes a look at Responsive Mode Funding for magnetic research, while Michael Forrest talks to Len Comerford, Chief Executive Officer of Titanium Resources Ltd, about Sierra Leone’s rutile mining revival. Other magnetic-related features focus on how research into resonant frequency might improve the accuracy of sensing equipment, exploring the magnetic properties of nanostructures, and the role of numerical modelling in magnetic data storage technologies.

In other feature stories, Magnus Ericsson, chairman of the Raw Materials Group, Sweden, describes the latest trends in the iron and steel industry, while Michael Hall of the National Physical Laboratory discusses the behaviour of magnetic materials under extreme conditions.

In the news section, the MW team takes a look at a new superconducting magnet that can create a 26.8-tesla magnetic field, funding for carbon saving projects, and mining contracts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Smart clothing (for real this time)

2007-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

My disappointment about the news item on not-very-smart clothing from last month has been allayed somewhat by this feature from The Engineer, which reports on shirts that monitor heart activity, jackets that reflect up to 97% of radiated heat (ideal when stuck on the Tube this time of year) and a Yorkshire firm's quantum tunnelling composites technology, wherein metal-filled polymers are transformed from a virtually perfect insulator to metal-like conductor when deformed through twisting, stretching or compression, enabling the material to be used in a number of switching and sensing applications, such as controlling your iPod.

Coming soon - the Materials Resource Centre

2007-09-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a little guided tour from Sumeet Bellara of the Materials Resource Centre currently being prepared for its official launch on 24th September.

The video is also available on IOM3's new YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/iom3, which will be reviewed shortly to include favourite films uploaded by other YouTubers.

Engineers perfecting technology for 'hydrogen-on-demand'

2007-08-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

Purdue University researchers have made progress with their technology that produces hydrogen by adding water to an alloy of aluminum and gallium. When water is added to the alloy, the aluminum splits water by attracting oxygen, liberating hydrogen in the process. As the alloy reacts with water, the aluminum turns into aluminum oxide, also called alumina, which can be recycled back into aluminum. The recycled aluminum would be less expensive than mining the metal, making the technology more competitive with other forms of energy production.

The Purdue researchers are developing a method to create particles of the alloy that could be placed in a tank to react with water and produce hydrogen on demand. The technology could represent a pollution-free energy source for a range of potential applications, from golf carts to submarines and cars to emergency portable generators.

Climate campaigners plan 'smart clothes' protest

2007-08-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

So there I was browsing the Guardian when I came across the above headline. Wow, I thought, this Heathrow protest is going really hi-tech and materials-friendly! And then I read the article and realised that, er, smart clothes are, like, suits and stuff. 'Protesters may choose to target businesses around Heathrow and will use smart clothing to blend in with ordinary workers,' runs the report. Oh well.

MADE at the 2007 London Design Festival

2007-08-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Materials and Design Exchange will have a major presence at this year's London Design Festival. An annual celebration of London’s position as a global design capital, the event will run across the capital from 15-25 September, featuring events, exhibitions and installations. MADE and the Crafts Council will open proceedings by co-hosting the first debate, to be chaired by Arts Council chairman Sir Christopher Frayling, and MADE events will include workshops on materials in advanced lighting and ceramics in the kitchen, as well as a networking seminar on fashion design and materials technology, and in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, a major one-day conference on rapid manufacturing, presented by speakers of international standing.

On 24th September MADE will also be launching the Materials Resource Centre, a national resource for designers and materials scientists wishing to explore new materials and their applications. Working as I do alongside Sumeet Bellara I have been lucky enough to have a preview of the MRC, based here at IOM3's London HQ, and can report it's looking fabulous. Come along next month - it's free and you're in for a treat!

New MADE magazine out now

2007-08-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of the Materials & Design Exchange's excellent thrice-yearly magazine is now out. The essential read for the materials and design communities, features cover subjects including rapid manufacturing, innovative London buildings, the Metropolitan Works show, the recent Materials in Bicycles workshop and Power of Aluminium Awards, lightweight materials, innovative surfboards and lots more. It's worth getting for the layout and reproductions alone, and the sofa on page 39 is a winner. If you're not already on the MADE mailing list, you can either go here and sign up or contact Sumeet Bellara, IOM3's Design Technologist, on 020 7451 7315 or drop him a line at sumeet.bellara@iom3.org

Get Material Resources posts by email

2007-08-14T01:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the tecchies at FeedBurner, you can now receive new content posted to the Material Resources blog by email. To subscribe, simply enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar.

University of Michigan engineers develop 'second skin' to detect corrosion

2007-08-10T01:54:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering have developed a coating that could be painted or sprayed on structures to sense their stability over time, allowing inspectors to check for damage without physically examining the structure. The coating would act as a new 'skin' for bridges, buildings and aircraft, behaving like a sixth sense for inspectors looking for the sort of cracks and corrosion that can lead to catastrophic failures like the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse.

New technology for eliminating iron ore waste in mines

2007-08-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

A major breakthrough by India's Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (formerly Regional Research Laboratory) means accumulation of iron ore waste in mines could soon be a thing of the past. IMMT has developed a technology with the potential to eliminate mineral waste in all forms. Dubbed 'column flotation', the equipment can treat fine iron ore particles and low grade ores which are left dumped in hills of waste.

University Challenge - The Professionals - update

2007-08-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all staff and members who applied to be on the IOM3 team for the new series of University Challenge - The Professionals. (My original post is here.)

I received a reassuring number of enthusiastic applications from members and staff alike. All were of a very high standard and it was difficult to make a decision, but a team has now been chosen.

Please keep an eye on the blog for further news!

Levitation 'possible' with nanotechnology (but don't hold your breath)

2007-08-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Professor Ulf Leonhardt and Dr Thomas Philbin of the University of St Andrews in Scotland claim to have worked out a way of reversing the Casimir force so that it repels instead of attracts. The discovery could revolutionise nanotechnology, leading to frictionless micro-machines with moving parts that levitate - but Leonhardt says it will be a while yet before people will be able to fly, 'since this quantum force is small and acts only at short ranges.' Meh.

Slate extraction on BBC's 'Mountain'

2007-08-06T03:49:00.000-07:00

Last night's episode of the BBC Mountain series had an interesting section on slate mining. Set this week in the Lake District, presenter Griff Rhys-Jones toured the peaks and valleys of the area discussing the usual suspects (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Arthur Wainwright, Kendal mint cake) before thinking out of the box a bit and meeting Mark Weir, who a few years ago bought Honister Slate Mine. The mine had been closed for years, yet despite knowing nothing about slate mining whatsoever Weir put everything he had into reviving it, even to the extent of working 24-hour shifts at the face in pitch darkness. There were some dramatic shots of the mine interior, a section of which Weir is now planning to carve into an amphitheatre.

Caption competition

2007-08-02T07:13:00.001-07:00

One of the many benefits of my job at IOM3 is surely sitting opposite Sumeet Bellara, design technologist, MADE lynchpin and guardian of IOM3's Materials Resource Centre. This month's Materials World (see below) is inviting captions for this photo of the man himself demonstrating some of d3o's very smart shock absorbing material. Suggestions should be sent to MW, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1W 5DB, to arrive by 10th August. d3o incidentally have a second great site featuring more photos, videos and a blog here.

New Materials World out now

2007-08-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

The August issue of Materials World focuses on medicine. John Priestly of Queen Mary University looks at using silk as an aid in nerve regeneration, while Professor Ifor Samuel of the University of St Andrews investigates a light-emitting sticking plaster to treat skin cancers. Other health-related features focus on articulated materials for supporting injured body parts, pills that progressively release their active ingredients, the potential of nanoparticles in molecular diagnostics, and the process of risk-based design for medical products. In other feature stories, John Cole-Baker examines the influence of mining codes, while Stephen Hamley of the Pan European Resources Committee describes the on-going process to harmonise the reporting of ore reserves around the world. In the news section, Rupal Mehta looks at the genesis of iron-oxide-rich copper-gold deposits and minerals mapping at an iron mine, while Meagan Ellis talks to Susan Kilcoyne, the first female head of a materials research institute in the UK.

Polls

2007-08-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who voted in last week's polls on nuclear energy and plastic shopping bags. These have been archived at the bottom of the page, where the results can be found. Ideas for further polls are welcomed.

Bring back reusable packaging!

2007-08-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

This blogger has posted some nice photos of (mostly glass) packaging that was designed by the manufacturers to be used for something else when the product it packaged was finished with. Of course, you can still find examples of this now, in the form of tins of Quality Street, posh biscuits and so on - but probably not often enough.

Russian bid for Arctic mineral riches

2007-08-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Russia has sent a mini-submarine 14,000 feet to the floor of the Arctic Ocean to stake the country's claim to Lomonosov Ridge, an underwater shelf. 'There is yellowish gravel down there,' reported expedition leader Artur Chilingarov.

The nano2hybrids project

2007-07-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

A consortium of European scientists modelling the interaction of metal nanoclusters with carbon nanotubes have got together to post videos of their progress online, as part of a unique 3-year web project. http://www.nano2hybrids.net/ displays a range of video diaries and invites interested members of the public to join in the discussion. As the site says, 'Follow the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the new discoveries and the dead ends - in short, find out what doing science research is really like!' The above video is a short introduction to the work being undertaken.

London firm fined £50,000 for packaging waste transgression

2007-07-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

'Green' London wine merchant Berkmann Wine Cellars has been fined nearly £50,000 under the Producer Responsibility Obligations for failing to recover and recycle more than 2,800 tonnes of packaging waste. The firm stumped up fines and costs to the Environment Agency for failing to register as a producer of packaging and for failing to meet its requirements to recover and recycle packaging waste from 1999 to 2005. The PRO requires firms with a turnover of more than £2m that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year to contribute to UK recycling targets for packaging waste. More details at Printweek.com.

Packaging bodies collaborate to help Ghana crops

2007-07-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ghana newspaper The Statesman reports that South African firm Nampak and the Woodstock Institute for Science and Service to Humanity is working with the Institute of Packaging, Ghana to develop a system of preserving and packaging fresh plantain, tomatoes and mangoes in a bid to reduce post-harvest losses. The lack of modern methods and technology of preserving food crops in Ghana means that many fruits, vegetables and tubers rot after investing. The system being developed will help the export and packaging industries store and package several perishable agricultural products. The IOPG's site appears to be down but their details can be found on this site.

James May's 20th Century

2007-07-25T01:53:00.000-07:00

Last night's double-bill of this engaging, if lightweight, science programme showed how iron and steel and strengthened glass, essential components of skyscrapers, changed the shape of modern cities. Top Gear's May dropped an old Mini 10 feet onto a sheet of toughened glass of about an inch thick, and expressed incredulity when bits fell off the classic car but the glass remained intact. Elsewhere in the programme he explained the basics of how electric guitars work and dropped into a neon technician's workshop to see how signs are made. Not exactly in-depth, but all good fun. The series is part of the BBC/Open University's open2.net online learning portal.

Cast your vote!

2007-07-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Those good folks at Blogger have developed a polling feature. With my customary zeal for all things new-fangled, I've consulted with IOM3's communications department and set up two polls in the sidebar, concerning nuclear energy and plastic bags respectively. The polls aren't scientific, but then neither, surely, are people's emotions on such weighty issues. Each poll runs for just a week, so get voting!

Art from industrial waste

2007-07-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

Based as I am at IOM3's London headquarters, most days I come to work via the South Bank Centre, which has recently undergone an extensive revamp. Currently outside the Royal Festival Hall is a curious Klaus Weber installation which caught my eye for its use of a black rock-type substance. In The Big Giving, 'a group of male and female figures are cast rising out of, or simultaneously sinking into volcanic-looking mounds of rock made from industrial steel waste.' Yum. The installation is on view until September.

The blade runner

2007-07-16T02:49:00.000-07:00

The TV news last night reported on the remarkable athlete Oscar Pistorius, a lifelong double-amputee who runs on specially-designed carbon-fibre blades. Pistorius won the right to race alongside able-bodied world and Olympic champion Jeremy Warriner in the 400m at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield yesterday. Pistorius's 'Cheetah blades' are carved from lightweight carbon fibre by Reykjavik firm Ossur.

Bottoms up - unpackaged products

2007-07-16T02:24:00.000-07:00

I turned on the TV on Friday evening to see a short programme about Lush, a chain of cosmetics shops which sells its products unpackaged. Their CEO was talking about how he had been inspired by the way cheese shops stack their produce naked in a counter. This isn't, of course, quite the same thing, as even the best cheese shops do package their cheeses (or at least wrap it in something), and a bar of soap isn't going to go off if you leave it lying around uncovered. But it's still an interesting, if radical, idea, and Lush are apparently now a multi-million-pound business. When looking them up on the web this morning however I was unexpectedly confronted by a row of bottoms - a photo of some Lush staff posing unpackaged to publicise their wrappage policy. Thus, if bottoms are considered non-work-friendly where you are (unlike Lush, where they are evidently obligatory), please don't click this link to the Lush home page!

Fortnightly bin collections trashed

2007-07-16T02:20:00.000-07:00

The Commons local government committee has concluded that controversial plans for fortnightly rubbish collections may not work in built-up areas and there is no proof they increase recycling.

Your starter for ten...

2007-07-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

IOM3 is considering entering a team for the new series of 'The Professionals' spinoff of the BBC's long-running quiz show University Challenge.

This will be the fifth series featuring organisations rather than university teams. The Royal Society, British Geological Survey, Royal Meteorological Society and Royal Astronomical Society are among the organisations who have featured in past years, so there is a good tradition of science bodies taking part - although not, so far, winning!

IOM3 is looking for four team members from staff and membership who together will provide a broad range of general knowledge.

The selection process and filming are taking place this autumn. Applicants will need to be available for an initial informal meeting with the production team, which will involve a short written quiz. Then, if we're chosen for the show, team members will need to be available for one day's filming, probably at IOM3's fabulous Regency London HQ, followed by a further maximum of two days' filming of the actual show in Manchester on the weekend of 1st and 2nd December (it will only go into the second day if we get through the first round on the Saturday!)

All expenses, and accommodation if applicable, will be met by the production company.

Applications are open to all IOM3 staff and members. If you would like to be considered, please email me no later than Friday 3rd August with your contact info, membership number (if applicable) and a note of the following:

Your hobbies and interests
Your qualifications
Any general areas you're strong on.

Please also pick three words which describe you best.

Applicants must be prepared to commit to the filming, as well as a short meeting in London on a date TBC between 13th and 24th August for the team photo and a written quiz for the application.

Watch this space for our progress and any further info! (A further post was made on this topic here.)

New domain name for MADE

2007-07-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Materials and Design Exchange, aka MADE, now has its own domain name, www.made.uk.net. (The existing web address will also continue to work.) MADE is a recent initiative born of the recognition that the needs of designers are quite different from those of scientists and engineers, and is aimed at facilitating the development of design skills to exploit the benefits of new materials and processes. IOM3's partners in MADE are the Design Council, the Royal College of Art, the Institution of Engineering Designers, and the Engineering Employers Federation (South), and the initiative is supported by BERR (the DTI as was). Register now to access the whole of the Materials KTN website and access to the other Knowledge Transfer Networks.

MADE in Design Week

2007-07-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

The current issue of Design Week has a feature headlined Pedalling power examining ways of getting people out of their cars and onto bicycles. Six groups of students brainstormed at the recent MADE Bicycle Summer School De-CONSTRUCT: Re-CONSTRUCT event for two days to generate ideas for 'getting bums on saddles'. Our very own Sumeet Bellara is pictured in the article, which can be read here, but only if you're already a subscriber to DW.

93% of plastic 'is not recycled'

2007-07-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Because of the variety of plastic types and the cost of recycling them, many councils have been slow to introduce comprehensive plastics recycling schemes. As this BBC report details, progress is being made - but many households keen to recycle are still finding the situation frustrating.

Robot built to simulate human walking

2007-07-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

A small, biped robot has been built to unravel the mysteries of walking. The self-learning, dynamic 'Runbot' uses the lessons of 1930s human physiologist Nikolai Bernstein, and can move at speeds of more than three leg lengths per second - slightly slower than the fastest walking human.

PC World to start selling robots

2007-07-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

PC World has announced it will be opening a series of "Roboshops" - areas of the shop dedicated to robots. "We are convinced that robotics will play an increasingly important role in the field of consumer technology in the years ahead," says MD Keith Jones, "and the time is right for us to enter this developing market. The robot will soon become a mass-market phenomenon." Initially the shop will sell things like Spykee and a home entertainment system inside an R2D2 shell.

Boeing's new 'environmentally-friendly' plane

2007-07-09T02:03:00.000-07:00

Boeing yesterday unveiled its new 787 Dreamliner, the first big commercial aircraft made mostly of carbon fibre rather than aluminium. Boeing claims the 787 is more fuel-efficient than its competitors and produces 20% less CO2. The above BBC page also features a video of the plane being unveiled and a gallery of pictures from the assembly line.

New Materials World - out now

2007-07-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

Materials and energy is the theme of the July issue of Materials World. Features look at research being conducted on fuel cells by the National Physical Laboratory, as well as efforts by Imperial College London, the Materials UK Energy Materials Working Group and QinetiQ to develop new materials to meet 21st century energy needs. In other feature stories, Michael Forrest investigates the future of gold, platinum and Scottish coal, while a group of international scientists discuss finding a replacement to traditional lead-tin solder. In the news section, Meagan Ellis reports on ecological housing innovations at the OFFSITE 2007 conference, while Rupal Mehta catches up with the research team at the Northwest Composites Centre. The MW team also report on a lithium-ion battery separator that helps prevent explosions, new austenitic stainless steels that can withstand higher temperatures, and a 3D plasma coating technique that will keep artery stents from clogging.

d3o's intelligent materials for sportswear

2007-07-05T03:58:00.001-07:00

d3o make sportswear from materials that employ intelligent molecules which flow with you as you move and come together on shock to absorb impact. A sample of their wares can be found in the foyer of IOM3's London HQ as part of the MADE resource centre. d3o also have a cool site with a nifty bit of animation and a video showing skiers and snowboarders demonstrating the sorts of impacts their material is designed to protect you from, to the accompaniment of some funky music.

Materials UK's first birthday

2007-07-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

To (as Pepys might have put it) a reception at the House of Lords' Cholmondeley Room last night, at the invitation of Lord Haskel, to celebrate Materials UK's first year. This unique organisation is owned by the materials community, forging links between industry, academia, policy stakeholders, and employee organisations, working with the materials community to deliver essential activities and seeking out opportunities for global advantage. Speaking last night were chairman Wyn Jones, CEO David Bott and Lord Haskel himself, who joked that recent events in the Commons meant it had not been possible to find 'an actual politician' to speak at the reception, so made an amusing 20-word parody speech of his own, before making somewhat more serious points about the new equality and progressiveness of the Upper House. A variety of light refreshments were enjoyed by some 300 guests, and feverish networking ensued. And so, to bed.

iPhone packaging praised

2007-07-04T07:11:00.001-07:00

'Did you notice that they bothered to indent the button on the cover of the box?' raves this blogger about Apple's much-hyped new iPhone. 'Let us not forget how far those design geeks at Apple go. That bag was incredible too, no creases! And it fit the iPhone boxes perfectly...three stacked would be just right, or perhaps two and some accessories. And the plastic piece that held up the iPhone when you first opened the box. What about that thick foam in the top of the lid? They really did think of everything...' She has also posted some photos here.

Whither the Forth Road Bridge?

2007-07-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday's episode of Coast went off at a fascinating tangent as the excellent BBC series examining the coastlines of the UK explained how the Forth Road Bridge is gradually corroding. Hundreds of thousands of cables keep the bridge aloft, but water has found its way inside them causing them to snap one by one. A matrix of miniature microphones installed over the bridge last summer enables engineers to actually listen for snapping cables, from which they estimate that the bridge has only nine years of life left. Authorities however have yet to decide how to replace the bridge, without which motorists would have to make a 40-mile detour, which would cause a number of economic and social problems.

Tactile sensor acts as mechanical 'human finger' in minimally-invasive surgery

2007-07-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

Researchers from Concordia University have designed a millimeter-sized sensor that has many of the tactile abilities of a human finger. It can sense the magnitude and the position of an applied force, slippage of a grasping tool, and the softness of an object, such as a cancerous tumour. The engineers have designed the sensor to be compatible with the grasper of many minimally invasive surgery (MIS) tools, as well as to be easily fabricated by Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) techniques.

New nanocomposite developed

2007-07-04T06:33:00.001-07:00

This article from Reliable Plant reports on a new nanocomposite material developed by University of Virginia engineering professor Mool C. Gupta. The mixture of plastic, carbon nanotubes and a foaming agent - making it extremely lightweight, corrosion-proof and cheaper to produce than metal - will be used in sensitive electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers which require shielding from electromagnetic interference.

Recycling plastic: good or bad?

2007-07-04T06:26:00.001-07:00

An interesting article pointing out the environmental cost of recycling plastic. Starting with a useful layman's guide to polymers, Todd Whitcombe concludes that "if the point [of recycling] is to remove carbon from the carbon cycle by sequestering it in a form that would prevent it from becoming greenhouse gas emissions, then burying plastic in a landfill is ideal because the material is not going to break down anytime soon. Plastic bottles and such sequester carbon for a very long time and in so doing, diminish their potential for greenhouse gas emission."

Bioceramics

2007-07-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

Azom reproduces this article from Materials Australia Magazine, Volume 40, No 3, May/June 2007 about the changing role of ceramics and nanoceramics in medical applications.

China's hunger for Africa's minerals

2007-07-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

If China's billion population want to improve their lifestyles, they have to go elsewhere for their minerals, as their own are in short supply. There is controversy, however, over the perception that China and African countries appear happy to work together regardless of their respective human rights records, and what the West may think.

Waitrose launches green packaging initiative

2007-06-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

Supermarket chain Waitrose is to start selling milk in plastic bags, following claims by green campaigners that the sale of millions of plastic milk cartons was threatening the environment. The initiative will hopefully be more successful than similar attempts over the years by Sainsbury's, Co-op and Asda.

DuPont nanotechnology product protects plastics from sunlight

2007-06-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

DuPont has announced it is ready to release a product made using nanotechnology that will protect plastics from sunlight. Light Stabilizer 210, a new titanium dioxide-based material, aims to prevent damage to components in plastic which can break down over long periods when exposed to sunlight.

Braskem develops 'green polymer' from sugarcane ethanol

2007-06-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Random sources time... the People's Daily Online reports that Brazil's Braskem announced it has succeeded in producing 'green polymer' polyethylene from ethanol made from sugarcane.

Clinton establishes plan to fight poverty in third-world mining

2007-06-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has announced a plan to fight poverty in the developing world in partnership with the mining industry, which often is accused of exploiting the poor and the environment.

Australian mining education going underground

2007-06-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

This Brisbane-based university lecturer blogs on the decline in 'useful disciplines'. His view that subjects like sociology and English literature are 'useless' may be controversial, but his contention that 'Mining-related departments in universities are shrinking at the time of the nation's biggest resources boom, with 10 geoscience schools closing or downsizing over the past 10 years and only 30 metallurgists graduating a year' makes worrying reading.

Ulster PhD student comes runner-up in IOM3 contest

2007-06-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Nanotechnology Now reports that University of Ulster PhD student Martin McMullan has 'fought off tough competition from industry and academia' to finish runner up in the UK national final of the prestigious IOM3-sponsored Young Persons' Lecture Competition.

IOM3 member's feasibility study assists C$3m gold mine financing

2007-06-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

This press release from Valencia Ventures Inc announces that it has arranged financing for its Mt Bundy Gold Project in the Northern Territory, Australia. The Mt Bundy Gold Project Feasibility Study was written by Mr Alex Mitchell, C.Eng, who is Principal Metallurgist for GBM Minerals Engineering Consultants Ltd, and an IOM3 member.

Finnish finish first in packaging competition

2007-06-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Packaging Essentials reports on the Lahti Institute of Design's impressive performance in IOM3's 2007 Student Starpack competition.

Lucknow University introduces Materials Science MSc

2007-06-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

Lucknow University is set to introduce a self-financing course MSc in Materials Science. The course would be run by the Institute of Materials Science on the new campus.

The shades that change colour to match your shirt

2007-06-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the University of Washington are developing sunglasses using smart materials which change colour and transparency when subjected to an electrical current. Each lens is coated with a polymer which changes when a switch, powered by a watch battery, sends the current through the material. In contrast to Reactolite Rapides however, which were only available in a kind of grubby brown, these can switch to a number of different colours "so that you might have a pair of sunglasses where the colour matches the colour of your shoes, or your dress, or your shirt that you're wearing at the time," say Washington.

A Consumer's Guide to MEMS & Nanotechnology

2007-06-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a press release about (i.e. not exactly an objective review of) a new book which "explores the fundamental question of 'what is nanotechnology' and then details how both of these emerging technologies are being put to use in products from appliances to yachts".

The plastic that heals itself

2007-06-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

In a significant advance toward self-healing medical implants and self-repairing materials for use in airplanes and spacecraft, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have made a polymer material modelled on human skin that can heal itself repeatedly when it cracks.

Polymer Processing Engineering 2007 conference, Bradford, 3-4 July

2007-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

Speakers at PPE07 will look at developments in micro-moulding, non-linear viscoelastic modelling, performance enhancement of polymer nanocomposites, and water-assisted injection moulding. There will also be keynote talks on subjects including sustainable technologies for innovative materials.

Materials in Bicycles conferences - IOM3 and MADE

2007-06-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

BikeBiz.co.uk has picked up on two up-and-coming IOM3-related bike conferences - De-CONSTRUCT: Re-CONSTRUCT at the RCA in Piccadilly on 3rd-5th July and Materials in Bicycles at Carlton House Terrace on 6th July.

Ontario firm saves 1m pounds of plastic from landfill

2007-06-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

A Canadian firm called Think Plastics says it has collected 1m pounds of plastic wrap used in farming which farmers can drop off at 30 sites, for conversion into baleboard.

Working Party on Nanotechnology meets for first time

2007-06-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

A report on the first official meeting of the Working Party on Nanotechnology, held May 8-9 in Leuven, Belgium, which addressed research cooperation, technology impacts, policy dialogues and public outreach.

IOM3 member's data informs Columbia mine feasibility study

2007-06-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

This press release gives information on a feasibility study confirming gold reserves and resources for Quintana Mine in Colombia. The details are based on data reviewed by Colin J. Andrew, BSc ARSM MIMMM FGS CEng, Managing Director for Cambridge Mineral Resources plc, a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining.

Growth in UK plastic bottle recycling rate

2007-06-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

A new study of local authority programmes has found that collection of plastic bottles for recycling in the UK has reached a 25% rate, equivalent to 3.3bn bottles, with 92% of local authorities now offering facilities.

Plastics from potatoes?

2007-06-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Researchers, environmentalists and industry representatives claim that turning potatoes into plastics is not only technologically feasible, it’s also economically viable for both manufacturers and Maine potato growers.

Russia pouring money into nanotechnology

2007-06-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Russia is budgeting billions of dollars to spend on nanotechnologies in a bid to catch up with the West, says this article, but experts say development of the sector is still held back by a wary business community.

SMART Group seminar on polymers in electronics - 4th July

2007-06-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

This seminar looks at many leading-edge aspects of the use of polymers in electronics manufacturing. There's a PDF of info here.

Kent firm dumps recycled waste in landfill

2007-06-06T08:57:00.001-07:00

The Sunday Times reports on one of a growing number of landfill companies working on behalf of councils which dump packaging, plastic and other materials put out by householders for recycling.

Daryl Hannah weighs in to Amazon oil protest

2007-06-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Daryl Hannah, the actress turned environmentalist, is adding her voice to a campaign demanding redress for the inhabitants of Ecuador's Amazon region, which has been blighted by 30 years of oil exploration by Texaco.

New issue of Materials World out now

2007-06-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

The June 2007 issue of Materials World explores corrosion, with three experts offering advice for keeping structures and buildings safe and rust-free. Features include Keith Parker of Morgan Technical Ceramics highlighting the cost savings that technical ceramics can provide for aerospace applications, while the uranium prospects of a mining project in Alaska are examined. The news section investigates environmental innovations including an improved 3D solar cell and methods for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment, while Wilfred Haensel of PlasticsEurope talks about his sustainability agenda for the plastics industry.

Plastics Industry Awards set for biggest ever attendance

2007-06-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Some 700 people will attend the Plastics Industry Awards on Friday 15 June in London, making it the largest ever audience in the event's 7-year history. IOM3 is among leading UK industrial bodies which are backing the event.

General Motors develops smart materials technology

2007-06-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

General Motors announced in May new breakthroughs in applications of smart materials including an adaptive interior grab handle that automatically presents itself from a folded position to make for an easier, more intuitive entry into the vehicle, and active vehicle surfaces such as air dams that adjust to govern airflow, improving aerodynamics and performance.

Nanoscale imaging and high-temperature superconductors

2007-06-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

A team from Princeton has discovered that traces of superconductivity remain present inside ceramic materials even when they are warmed up above the critical temperature where they lose their resistance. Though the entire sample is too warm to exhibit superconductivity, disconnected regions within it possess 'Cooper pairs' which previously were only known to appear below the critical temperature at which a material superconducts.

Packaging that contains antimicrobial agent

2007-06-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

BASF has announced that it would develop a line of styrene copolymers using silver-based antimicrobial ingredients from Agion Technologies in its new line of packaging designed to help maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of food products.

The environmentally friendly plastic that doesn't burn

2007-05-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

This item on AZom reports that University of Massachusetts Amherst scientists have created a synthetic polymer that doesn’t burn, raising the bar for applications in areas such as aircraft cabins. Forty percent of passengers who survive the impact of an aircraft accident die in the fire that follows.

'Carbon footprint' labelling on everything?

2007-05-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Government has begun a 'carbon footprint' project to work out how to count emissions from everything from crisps to flights, reports the Independent. The scheme will be used on packaging to allow consumers to weigh up the climate change impact of different products.

Conductive plastics made from soybeans

2007-05-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

'Polymer matrix composites with carbon black are very interesting materials,' reports this piece from Innovations Report. 'This is because the carbon black can be used as filler material and can beneficially modify the electrical and mechanical properties of the used matrixes. The polymer components of these composites are traditionally made using oleo-polymers; however, an alternative is to use natural and renewable sources as soybean oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil...'

Nanocomposites from bubbles

2007-05-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Scientists at Harvard University have found an efficient new way to add nanowires or nanotubes into polymer films. Unlike other techniques which generally give films of nanoparticle clumps, the resulting material has nanoparticles evenly aligned and distributed through the film.

Intelligent robots 'no longer the stuff of science fiction'

2007-05-30T05:44:00.001-07:00

Today's Independent has this overview of '10 mechanical marvels' including South Korea's Robocop-like Talon, the Japanese PaPeRo which looks after your kids and the somewhat misnamed Robo-nurse which is programmed to clear up spillages in hospitals.