Uncrackable: Scorpions and sponges inspire sustainable design

In a new study, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Professor Daniel Wagner, demonstrate how design principles from ancient creatures like scorpions and sponges can enhance the resilience of human-made materials, promoting sustainable design. Professor Wagner explains that natural materials have evolved over millions of years in resource-limited and harsh environments, inherently developing sustainable structures such as trees, plants, bones, and skeletons.

“In this respect, durability is key,” says study coauthor Dr. Israel Greenfeld. “Living organisms, for example, display a variety of specialized strategies to deal with outside forces while expending the least amount of energy – which is why there is so much to be learned from nature, as we try to develop stronger and longer-lasting materials of our own.”

Improved, efficient materials offer an important avenue toward a more sustainable future because they can lead to less waste and a reduced need for fuel. But any attempt to enhance an advantageous property of a material tends to come at the expense of another of its attributes. Increasing strength, for instance, will typically lead to increased weight or decreased flexibility.

“Nature, it turns out, finds amazing ways to optimize the balance,” Greenfeld says. One optimization feature found in a variety of tough organic substances is laminate construction: materials composed of different substances layered or interlaced together. This type of composite material often exhibits strength and resilience, while maintaining other beneficial properties, such as being lightweight and flexible.

Wagner and Greenfeld examined two natural laminates that show an exceptional degree of toughness: the outer shell, or cuticle, of a scorpion and the inner skeleton, or spicule, of a sea sponge. The researchers found that the secret of their resilience lies in grading, a specialized strategy that is rarely found in human-made materials: a gradual change in properties from one layer to another.

In both creatures, the different layers vary in thickness, and in the scorpion’s shell, they also decrease in stiffness from exterior to interior, so that the surface facing the harsh world the scorpion inhabits has greater resilience than its shell’s interior. In fact, the researchers’ study of the scorpion – which built on the work commenced at Weizmann by Dr. Israel Kellersztein, a former student on Wagner’s team – showed that the organism’s complex shell is a composite constructed from eight different structural levels.

In both the scorpion and the sponge, a subtle yet powerful “reshuffling” or rearranging of laminate layers was found to serve as a biological tradeoff between conflicting properties, helping them withstand the types of stress they are typically up against.

Thanks to grading, the scorpion’s shell and the sponge’s skeleton, while being tough and strong, are particularly good at resisting cracks. Even though they differ in terms of chemical composition and structure, both optimize this resistance using the same principle: fracture deflection. This means that in both organisms, cracks are mitigated by diverting their path. As soon as a crack starts emerging in the material, it is “encouraged” by the material’s graded structure to change course and run parallel to the surface, rather than go deeper, where it would likely cause more massive structural damage, potentially leading to catastrophic collapse.

To better understand how grading works in both organisms, the researchers adapted a model from classical fracture mechanics, the field that deals with how things break. The model showed that without grading, obtaining the same resilience in both the scorpion and the sponge would have required more wasteful measures, such as thicker components. It also showed that resilience is improved by shifting more material to structural regions that are more critical in terms of durability.

The researchers didn’t stop there. They showed how, in bioinspired materials, grading could be used in ways that nature hadn’t yet come up with. “Using this model, we were able to shift around the grading levels in ways that the scorpion and the sponge hadn’t quite ‘thought’ of,” says Greenfeld.

Greenfeld and Wagner point out that importing concepts such as grading into human-made designs is highly challenging. “For humans, such design is innovative,” says Greenfeld. “Biological structures are created bottom-up – from tiny, nano-metric building blocks, to microscopic structures, and onward to larger and larger structures – whereas in engineering, one usually doesn’t start at the molecular level.”

Still, while the scorpion’s structure is especially complex, other natural microstructures, such as that of the sea sponge, can be more readily applied in engineering. In the sponge’s skeleton, for example, apart from grading, cracks are slowed down or stopped by the fact that brittle layers are interspersed with minute amounts of softer layers. “It’s a ceramic, it’s basically made of silica, not the type of material you usually expect to display strong fracture resistance,” Wagner says.

A better understanding of the strategies found in natural composite materials, explain the researchers, could help engineers optimize our own human-made composites, a wide family of materials that ranges from the ubiquitous cement to specialized fiber-reinforced laminates used in aerospace industries.

The scorpion cuticle is hair-thin – about 0.1mm thick, comprising some 20 layers made of many nested Bouligands. A Bouligand is a twisted helical structure consisting of about 100 nanolayers that are each 50 nanometers thick. A single nanolayer is built of 5 nanometer-thick chitin-protein fibrils, collected into fibers.

Wagner and Greenfeld, who have been working together for over a decade, come from different professional backgrounds. Wagner has long conducted basic research into the micromechanics of biological composite materials and of human-made nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. Greenfeld, meanwhile, has enjoyed a career in aviation engineering, a field where efficiency is key. He also draws from different fields of material use, from structural design to systems engineering and invention. “Coming from the world of hands-on creation, Dr. Greenfeld brings a different perspective to our lab – and we both benefit from the collaboration,” Wagner says.

“Our work is not about copying, exactly,” he adds. “It’s about being inspired by nature’s designs.”

“How to use this inspiration depends, of course, on one’s engineering goals, but it’s also about expanding the horizons of what one can do with engineering,” says Greenfeld.

For more information: Scientific Reports

Researchers develop revolutionary Diamond fabrication technology

A research team led by Professors Zhiqin Chu and Yuan Lin at the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Professors Kwai Hei Li and Qi Wang, has developed a groundbreaking method for producing ultrathin and ultra-flexible diamond membranes. These membranes are compatible with current semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing their integration into various applications, including electronic, photonic, mechanical, acoustic, and quantum devices.

The team’s innovative edge-exposed exfoliation method allows for the rapid, scalable production of free-standing diamond membranes. This technique surpasses traditional methods, which are typically expensive, time-consuming, and limited in size. Notably, the new process can produce a two-inch diamond wafer in just 10 seconds, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and scalability in the field.

These ultra-flat diamond surfaces, essential for high-precision micromanufacturing, along with the flexibility of the membranes, open up new possibilities for next-generation flexible and wearable electronic and photonic devices. The research team envisions significant industrial applications in electronics, photonics, mechanics, thermics, acoustics, and quantum technologies.

“We hope to promote the usage of the high-figure-of-merit diamond membrane in various fields, and to commercialize this cutting-edge technology and deliver premium diamond membranes, setting a new standard in the semiconductor industry. We are eager to collaborate with academic and industry partners to bring this revolutionary product to market and accelerate the arrival of the diamond era,” concluded Professor Chu.

Diamonds, renowned globally as valuable gemstones, possess exceptional versatility in various scientific and engineering applications. They are the hardest natural material, boasting unparalleled thermal conductivity at room temperature, extremely high carrier mobility, dielectric breakdown strength, an ultrawide bandgap, and optical transparency spanning from the infrared to the deep-ultraviolet spectrum. These remarkable properties make diamonds ideal for fabricating advanced high-power, high-frequency electronic devices, photonic devices, and heat spreaders to cool high-power-density electronic components, such as those in processors, semiconductor lasers, and electric vehicles. However, the inert nature and rigid crystal structure of diamonds pose significant challenges in fabrication and mass production, particularly for ultrathin and freestanding diamond membranes, thereby restricting their widespread usage.

For more information: Nature

Google’s quantum error correction has some competition

Google Quantum AI’s significant advance in quantum error correction using a surface code approach faces competition from a rival method that proponents claim offers greater efficiency and scalability. Researchers are divided on which approach will shape the future of practical quantum computing. Quantum computers, promising solutions to complex problems in materials science, chemistry, and logistics, are extremely sensitive and prone to errors, which increase as the machines scale up, making error correction crucial for practical use.

Researchers at Google Quantum AI recently demonstrated that their quantum processor, Willow, could mitigate this issue using the surface code, a mathematical framework that groups physical qubits into “logical qubits.” This grouping protects calculations from errors without negatively impacting performance.

The Google Quantum AI team members recently made headlines when they reported that they were able to scale from a 3×3 grid to 5×5 and then to 7×7 grids of physical qubits reduced errors by a factor of two each time.

The method they used — called a surface code — has long been the dominant strategy for quantum error correction. It arranges qubits in interwoven grids, with data qubits performing calculations and ancillary qubits monitoring for errors. While effective, it requires a significant number of qubits to operate, which has limited its utility, according to New Scientist.

In 2023, IBM introduced a rival method called QLDPC (quantum low-density parity-check) code. Unlike the surface code, QLDPC connects each qubit to six others, allowing them to monitor each other’s errors. According to IBM researchers, this method could achieve the same error-correction capabilities as the surface code but with far fewer qubits. For example, on paper, where the surface code might require 4,000 qubits, QLDPC could deliver equivalent performance with just 288 qubits.

“With QLDPC, that lower qubit overhead is hard to compete with,” said Joe Fitzsimons of Horizon Quantum, a quantum computing startup.

IBM has tailored its quantum chips to support the connectivity demands of QLDPC. While adding these connections poses engineering challenges, IBM has reported that the changes do not compromise the reliability of its chips.

Oliver Dial, an IBM researcher, emphasized the importance of tailoring codes to the capabilities of specific hardware during a presentation at the Q2B conference in December.

The competition between the surface code and the theoretical QLDPC highlights a broader challenge in quantum computing: the interplay between hardware and software. Superconducting qubits, like those used by Google and IBM, are limited in how they can be connected, making some error-correction methods more practical than others.

However, alternative technologies, such as qubits made from ultracold atoms, could provide greater flexibility.

“Maybe someone somewhere is working on a type of surface code that is really great, but right now there is competition [to the surface code],” said Yuval Boger of QuEra Computing, a U.S.-based quantum startup.

The QuEra team previously worked with ultracold-atom qubits to achieve one of the largest groups of logical qubits, exploring various codes to optimize their usefulness.

Despite the excitement around QLDPC, the surface code remains a strong contender, Google’s team countered. Its theoretical framework is well understood, having been studied for more than two decades. It also offers a balance between performance and hardware requirements, making it particularly suitable for the superconducting qubits used in Google’s Willow processor.

“The surface code is well understood, with a well-studied theoretical framework. It offers a balance between performance and required qubit connectivity,” said Sergio Boixo of Google Quantum AI.

Google, however, is not resting on its laurels. Boixo confirmed that the team is exploring alternative error-correction codes alongside the surface code.

For more information: Nature

Integer completes sale of Electrochem business, focusing on medical technology

Integer Holdings Corp., Plano, Texas, announced that it has finalized the divestiture of its Electrochem business to Ultralife Corp. for $50 million in cash. The sale marks Integer’s transition to a pure-play medical technology company, allowing it to focus exclusively on the development and manufacturing of medical devices.

The proceeds from the transaction will be used to reduce the company’s outstanding debt. Joseph Dziedzic, president and chief executive officer at Integer, emphasized that this move positions the company to allocate resources toward high-growth opportunities within the medical technology sector. He also expressed gratitude to the Electrochem team for their contributions over the years and confidence in their future under Ultralife’s ownership.

The divestiture aligns with Integer’s strategic goal to concentrate on advancing its role as a leading contract development and manufacturing organization for the medical device industry.

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Fort Wayne metals introduces customizable tube for medical applications

Fort Wayne Metals, Ind., announced that it has developed HHS tube, an innovative product with a highly customizable structure designed to meet the specific functional requirements of various medical applications. This advancement is intended to address the increasing demand for versatile and reliable metal tubing in devices such as endovascular tools, minimally invasive instruments, neurological components, and urological devices.

HHS tube stands out from conventional tubing due to its ability to be tailored to precise specifications. The product can be manufactured in single, two, or three-layer stranded configurations, with customization options that include inner and outer diameters, wire count and size, pitch direction, and overall length. Inner diameters range from 80 µm to 2.2 mm, while outer diameters span 0.13 mm to 4 mm, allowing it to meet a wide variety of customer requirements.

The versatility of HHS tube makes it suitable for a broad range of applications. For example, neurological stimulation devices require thin, flexible filaments to navigate small and complex areas, while vascular tools demand elongation and compressive strength to deliver instruments to targeted sites. Endoscopy devices benefit from the tube’s ability to provide rotational control in navigating the body. Each configuration of the HHS tube is engineered to meet the specific functional demands of the application.

Fort Wayne Metals also offers custom finishing options to streamline the supply chain for its customers. These include custom fittings, terminations, Nitinol coatings, and specialized parts to support seamless integration into final medical device assemblies. This capability underscores the company’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the medical sector.

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Norman Noble enhances laser welding capabilities for medical device manufacturing

Norman Noble, Highland Heights, Ohio, announced advancements in its laser welding technology to support the precise manufacturing needs of next-generation medical implants and devices. The company’s state-of-the-art fiber laser systems are engineered to deliver exceptional power and positioning accuracy, resulting in highly precise and repeatable welds.

The enhanced laser welding capabilities enable superior joint integrity for complex geometries, with optimized parameters for weld penetration, width, and positioning. These processes are rigorously developed and tested to meet stringent tensile and fatigue requirements for thin-walled and miniature components, while minimizing visual imperfections in the welds.

Jeff Miller, laser process development manager at Norman Noble, emphasized the company’s ability to weld various materials in intricate applications, such as Nitinol-to-Nitinol joints in orthopedic implants and platinum marker welding for stent-like devices. He highlighted the team’s expertise in creating custom solutions tailored to complex medical device manufacturing.

Norman Noble’s ongoing investment in laser technology, including custom fixturing to ensure alignment and repeatability, reinforces its position as a trusted partner for original equipment manufacturers requiring high-quality components in the medical sector.

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Furukuwa opens new laser processing laboratory in Aichi prefecture to advance industrial solutions

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, and Nichia Corp., Tokushima, Japan, announced that they have jointly opened the Cutting-Edge Laser Processing Solution Laboratory (CELL) in Kariya City, Aichi Prefecture. Located in a key hub of the automotive industry, the new facility is designed to accelerate the development of laser processing technologies and provide innovative solutions to industrial challenges.

The laboratory is equipped with Furukawa Electric’s advanced industrial lasers, including the newly developed 5kW blue laser (BR5000), which delivers world-leading brightness through optical fiber. Plans are in place to install the full range of Furukawa Electric’s industrial lasers, including the BRACE Series of Blue-IR hybrid lasers, enabling the lab to meet diverse customer requirements and expedite process testing and evaluations.

CELL is a collaborative effort between Furukawa Electric and Nichia, facilitating activities that span laser processing and light source development. This partnership will enable the two companies to propose next-generation laser solutions tailored to specific customer needs, with a particular focus on addressing the demands of copper processing for the electrification of mobility.

Both companies are committed to advancing laser technology and supporting the development of innovative production methods, contributing to the evolution of the automotive and related industries.

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Scientists discover a way to shrink quantum computer components by 1,000X

Researchers have discovered a method to make quantum computing more compact, potentially shrinking essential components by 1,000 times and requiring less equipment. Current quantum computers rely on entangled photons produced by shining a laser on millimeter-thick crystals, but this setup is too large for integration into a computer chip.

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have addressed this issue by producing entangled photon pairs using much thinner materials, just 1.2 micrometers thick, without needing additional optical gear to maintain the link, thereby simplifying the overall setup.

“Our novel method to create entangled photon pairs paves the way for making quantum optical entanglement sources much smaller, which will be critical for applications in quantum information and photonic quantum computing,” said NTU’s Professor Gao Weibo who led the researchers.

He added that the method could scale down the size of devices for quantum applications because many of these devices currently need large and bulky optical equipment, which are cumbersome to align, before they can work.

Quantum computers are expected to revolutionize the approach to many challenges, from helping us better understand climate change to finding new drugs faster by completing complex computations and quickly finding patterns in large data sets. For instance, calculations that would take supercomputers today millions of years to resolve could be done within minutes by quantum computers.

This is expected to happen because quantum computers perform many computations simultaneously instead of doing them one at a time like standard computers.

Quantum computers can do so as they perform calculations using tiny switches called quantum bits, or qubits, that can be in both the on and off position simultaneously. It is akin to flipping a coin in the air, with the spinning coin in a state between heads and tails. In contrast, standard computers use switches that can be on or off at any time, but not both.

Photons can be used as qubits for quantum computers to perform faster calculations as they can have on and off states at the same time. But being in two states simultaneously only happens if the photons are produced in a pair, with one photon linked, or entangled, to the other. An important condition for entanglement is that the paired photons need to vibrate in sync.

One advantage of using photons as qubits is that they can be produced and entangled at room temperature. Relying on photons can thus be easier, cheaper, and more practical than using other particles like electrons that need ultra-low temperatures close to the coldness of outer space before they can be used for quantum computing.

Researchers have been trying to find thinner materials to produce linked pairs of photons so that they can be worked into computer chips. However, one challenge is that when materials get thinner, they produce photons at a much lower rate, which is impractical for computing.

Recent advances showed that a promising new crystalline material called niobium oxide dichloride, which has unique optical and electronic properties, can produce pairs of photons efficiently despite its thinness. But these photon pairs are useless for quantum computers because they are not entangled when produced.

A solution was found by NTU scientists led by Professor Gao, from the University’s School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Liu Zheng from the School of Materials Science & Engineering.

Professor Gao’s solution was inspired by an established method to create entangled pairs of photons with thicker and bulkier crystalline materials, which was published in 1999. It involves stacking two flakes of thick crystals together and positioning the crystalline grains of each flake perpendicularly to each other.

However, the vibrations of photons produced in a pair can still be out of sync due to how they travel within the thick crystals after they are created. Additional optical equipment is therefore needed to synchronize the photon pairs to maintain the link between the light particles.

Professor Gao theorized that a similar two-crystal set-up could be used with two thin crystal flakes of niobium oxide dichloride, with a combined thickness of 1.2 micrometers, to produce the linked photons without requiring extra optical instruments.

He expected this to happen because the flakes used are much thinner than the bulkier crystals from earlier studies. As a result, the pairs of photons produced travel a smaller distance within the niobium oxide dichloride flakes, so the light particles remain in sync with each other. Experiments by the NTU Singapore team proved that his hunch was correct.

Professor Sun Zhipei from Finland’s Aalto University, who specializes in photonics and was not involved in NTU’s research, said that entangled photons are like synchronized clocks that show the same time no matter how far apart they are and can thus enable instant communication.

He added that the NTU team’s method for generating quantum entangled photons “is a major advancement, potentially enabling the miniaturization and integration of quantum technologies.”

“This development has potential in advancing quantum computing and secure communication, as it allows for more compact, scalable, and efficient quantum systems,” said Professor Sun, a co-principal investigator at the Research Council of Finland’s Center of Excellence in Quantum Technology.

The NTU team plans to further optimize the design of their setup to generate even more linked pairs of photons than are currently possible.

Some ideas include exploring whether introducing tiny patterns and grooves on the surface of niobium oxide dichloride flakes can increase the number of photon pairs produced. Another one will examine whether stacking the niobium oxide dichloride flakes with other materials can boost photon production.

For more information: Nature Photonics

Image: PhD student Leevi Kallioniemi from NTU Singapore’s School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences with a blue laser set-up for generating entangled photon pairs. Credit: NTU Singapore

Researchers develop new semiconductor materials that change color

A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Nripan Mathews from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering has successfully synthesized four groundbreaking types of perovskites, with Dr. Ayan Zhumekenov pioneering a unique method by incorporating dimethyl carbonate—a non-toxic solvent—into methylammonium-based perovskite crystals.

By examining the new crystal structures, the researchers found they could modify the band gap, which determines the material’s color and represents the energy needed for an electron to escape its bound state and achieve conductivity, by varying the proportions of methylammonium and dimethyl carbonate within the materials.

The capability to manipulate the width of the band gap is crucial for the diverse uses of perovskites. The newly developed 2D halide perovskites also demonstrate a dynamic “switchable” property.

The researchers discovered that one of the perovskites can alternate between two color states, transitioning from orange to red when subjected to a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius and returning to its initial color upon cooling back to room temperature.

The scientists showed that this color-changing reaction could be repeated for up to 25 cycles. This thermochromic switching phenomenon presents opportunities for applications such as smart coatings and heat-sensitive inks that alter color at varying temperatures.

The researchers are optimistic that their breakthrough will lead to technological advancements involving 2D halide perovskites in optoelectronics and other fields.

For more information: Journal of the American Chemical Society

Image: NTU’s novel perovskites. Credit: NTU.

 

Scientists grow stronger materials using cyanobacteria

Researchers have successfully grown bacterial cells within sand-based construction materials, marking a significant advance in biodesign, which combines biological and architectural innovations to create more sustainable building materials. By integrating living organisms into construction, this approach aims to transform how structures are designed and built. Cyanobacteria, known for their unique biological properties, have the potential to solidify inorganic materials like CO2, highlighting the immense value of incorporating living systems into industrial processes, particularly in the construction sector.

The process explored involves the biological deposition of bacteria – such as cyanobacterial calcium carbonate precipitation – and its integration with a robotic deposition, namely a sand-based biomixture, within an architectural biofabrication workflow.

After successfully growing two bacterial strains in potential sand-based construction materials, the researchers used microbiological protocols, such as optical density and fluorescence measurements, to follow bacterial growth and activity. This was done with the larger goal of harvesting light through photosynthesis and harnessing it to CO2 deposition and the sedimentation of calcium carbonate for strengthening sand-based construction components.

Ultimately, the researchers managed to outline a robotic deposition system for sand-based mixtures.

The paper was co-authored by researchers at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel, in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning and the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering.

For more information: Research Directions: Biotechnology Design

Image: Scientists are revolutionizing construction by incorporating cyanobacteria into sand-based materials. This biodesign approach enhances sustainability and structural strength while introducing eco-friendly innovations. 

Nanostructures pave the way for advanced robotics

Researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have made a significant advance in molecular robotics by developing custom-designed and programmable nanostructures using DNA origami, an innovative method that leverages the natural folding power of DNA to create new and useful biological structures. This approach has potential applications in targeted drug delivery systems, responsive materials, and energy-efficient optical signal processing. As a proof-of-concept, the researchers created over 50 nanoscale objects, including a “nano-dinosaur,” a “dancing robot,” and a mini-Australia that is 150 nanometers wide, a thousand times narrower than a human hair.

The research, led by first author Dr. Minh Tri Luu and research team leader Dr. Shelley Wickham, focuses on the creation of modular DNA origami “voxels” that can be assembled into complex three-dimensional structures. (Where a pixel is two-dimensional, a voxel is realized in 3D.)

These programmable nanostructures can be tailored for specific functions, allowing for rapid prototyping of diverse configurations. This flexibility is crucial for developing nanoscale robotic systems that can perform tasks in synthetic biology, nanomedicine and materials science.

Dr. Wickham, who holds a joint position with the Schools of Chemistry and Physics in the Faculty of Science, said, “The results are a bit like using Meccano, the children’s engineering toy, or building a chain-like cat’s cradle. But instead of macroscale metal or string, we use nanoscale biology to build robots with huge potential.”

Dr. Luu said, “We’ve created a new class of nanomaterials with adjustable properties, enabling diverse applications—from adaptive materials that change optical properties in response to the environment to autonomous nanorobots designed to seek out and destroy cancer cells.”

To assemble the voxels, the team incorporate additional DNA strands on to the exterior of the nanostructures, with the new strands acting as programmable binding sites.

Dr. Luu said, “These sites act like Velcro with different colors—designed so that only strands with matching ‘colors’ (in fact, complementary DNA sequences) can connect.”

He said this innovative approach allows precise control over how voxels bind to each other, enabling the creation of customizable, highly specific architectures.

One of the most exciting applications of this technology is its potential to create nanoscale robotic boxes capable of delivering drugs directly to targeted areas within the body.

By using DNA origami, researchers can design these nanobots to respond to specific biological signals, ensuring medications are released only when and where they are needed. This targeted approach could enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatments while minimizing side effects.

In addition to drug delivery, the researchers are exploring the development of new materials that can change properties in response to environmental stimuli. For instance, these materials could be engineered to be responsive to higher loads or alter their structural characteristics based on changes in temperature or acidic (pH) levels.

Such responsive materials have the potential to transform medical, computing and electronics industries.

For more information: Science Robotics

Image: Dr. Minh Luu aligning and focusing an image on the Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis transmission electron microscope to view a DNA origami nanostructure. Credit: Stefanie Zingsheim/University of Sydney

Raith acquires Xnovo Technology

Raith, Denmark, a developer of maskless nanofabrication systems and characterization solutions, acquired Xnovo Technology ApS, a dynamic and innovative technology development company in Denmark specializing in advanced imaging methods and materials characterization.

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TESCAN Group acquires EXpressLO LLC

TESCAN Group, a.s, Czech Republic, a leading global manufacturer of electron microscopes and advanced scientific instruments, has acquired EXpressLO LLC, Lehigh Acres, Fla., a provider of innovative FIB lift-out solutions for specimen preparation in STEM and other analytical techniques.

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Seco/Warwick to supply Jetcaster technology to Turkish aviation company

Seco/Warwick, Meadville, Pa, announced that it will deliver a JetCaster induction vacuum furnace to a Turkish aviation company. The advanced furnace is designed for producing castings using directional solidification, single crystal, and equiaxed structure methods, as well as gas-cooled crystallization. The technology addresses the precision and quality requirements of aviation component manufacturing.

The JetCaster VIM50 DS/SC/EQ furnace, with a maximum load capacity of 50 kilograms, supports various crystallization techniques, offering flexibility and high performance. Its innovative Engineered Gas Cooling (DGCC) system shortens processing times while maintaining superior product quality, making it particularly suited to the stringent demands of the aviation sector.

Seco/Warwick’s CEO, Sławomir Woźniak, highlighted the increasing demand for the company’s vacuum metallurgy solutions within the aviation industry, noting its critical role in producing components for both civil and military aircraft. He emphasized the company’s collaboration with leading corporations globally to meet the sector’s high-quality standards.

This marks the first order of a melting furnace from this specific partner. Seco/Warwick customized the furnace design to accommodate future modifications, such as the addition of feeders for bulk materials or briquettes, ensuring adaptability to evolving production needs. The solution aims to enhance the partner’s production efficiency and innovation, solidifying its contribution to the aviation industry.

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One Minute Mentor: Distortion of Corrosion-Resistant Plastic Mold Steels

Corrosion-resistant plastic mold steels are usually tempered at lower tempering temperatures than hot-work, high-alloyed cold-work, or high-speed steels. A comparison of different types of corrosion-resistant plastic mold steels with the widely used cold-work tool steel D2 with the same dimensions as in the previous example for cold-work tool steels for such heat treatment conditions can be seen in the figure and shows that all steels show a similar low dimension change in width. Regarding the thickness of the plates there is a significantly higher increase for the ledeburitic cold-work tool steel. Vacuum heat treatment with high-pressure gas quenching leads to a similar amount of distortion as salt bath heat treatments but again shows significant scatter.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 13. R Schneider; R. Mesquita; W Schützenhöfer, Distortion in Tool Steels, ASM International, 2014  https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005980

Centorr Vacuum names Sean P. Murphy as product manager for laboratory and r&d furnaces

Centorr Vacuum, Nashua, NH, announced that Sean P. Murphy has been appointed as the product manager for its laboratory and R&D furnace product lines. Murphy will oversee more than 30 vacuum furnace lines that cater to laboratory applications across the metals, ceramics, and carbon/graphite/composites industries. His client base includes national laboratories, universities, and industrial customers worldwide who require compact laboratory and R&D equipment.

Murphy brings a wealth of experience to Centorr, having previously served as senior manufacturing manager at Osram Sylvania’s Exeter, NH location, where he focused on micro-LED ceramic automotive products. His expertise spans hydrogen sintering, spark plasma sintering, and annealing, among other manufacturing processes. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in materials science from Alfred University and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and is actively involved in the American Ceramic Society, ASM Heat Treat Society, and Society of Automotive Engineers.

Centorr Vacuum Industries, established in 1954 and currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, is known for its high-temperature vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnaces, with over 7,000 units installed globally. The company’s Nashua headquarters includes a dedicated aftermarket field service team and an Applied Technology Center that provides R&D support and toll production services.

For more information please visit www.centorr.com

Aalberts Surface Technologies publishes new white paper on bainitic bearings

Aalberts Surface Technologies, Livonia, Mich., announced the release of a new white paper focused on bainitic bearings, authored by Jeremy Lipshaw, Kathy Hayrynen, and Steve Metz. This white paper complements the company’s recent ASTM publication, “A Review of Austempering for Bainitic Bearings,” providing an in-depth look at innovative techniques and advancements in the field of bainitic bearings.

In this latest work, Aalberts experts explore the applications, benefits, and advancements in materials science related to bainitic bearings, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to excellence in surface technologies and precision engineering. The white paper expands on research presented in the conference paper, “A Review of Austempering for Bearing Applications,” which appears in the ASTM International book Bearing and Transmission Steels Technology.

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Solar atmospheres South Carolina facility earns approval from Parker Aerospace

Solar Atmospheres, Greenville, SC, announced that its facility has received approval from Parker Aerospace, further expanding the company’s capabilities to meet aerospace industry demands. With this new certification, Solar Atmospheres now operates five locations capable of fulfilling Parker Aerospace’s specific thermal processing requirements.

Steve Prout, president of Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville site, highlighted the value this approval brings to customers in the Southeastern U.S., providing them with a local, efficient option for aerospace and defense thermal processing services. He noted that this addition will help customers reduce costs and lead times while ensuring the high quality that Solar Atmospheres consistently delivers. Solar Atmospheres offers comprehensive vacuum thermal processing services, handling loads up to 50,000 pounds and temperatures reaching 2400°F. With AS9100 and Nadcap accreditations, the company maintains rigorous standards to ensure reliable and precise heat treatments, meeting the exacting requirements of the aerospace sector.

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Constellium honored with supplier of the year award from stellantis for csr excellence

Constellium, Paris, announced that it has been awarded the Supplier of the Year Award by Stellantis, recognizing the company’s strong commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This honor reflects Constellium’s dedication to high CSR standards in both its operations and supply chain, which has earned positive ratings from several international rating agencies. A long-standing supplier for Stellantis brands, Constellium provides aluminum body sheet products and extrusion-based structural solutions for various vehicle platforms across Europe and the U.S.

Constellium’s approach to sustainability has been acknowledged by independent organizations, including EcoVadis, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), MSCI ESG Ratings, and ISS-Oekom. As a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), Constellium recently achieved ASI Performance Standard Certification for all global operations.

Ingrid Joerg, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Constellium, expressed pride in the award from Stellantis, noting that it underscores the company’s dedication to responsible purchasing and sustainable solutions. The award was presented at Stellantis’s annual event in Turin, Italy, where Maxime Picat, stellantis chief purchasing and supply chain officer, emphasized the critical role of suppliers in supporting Stellantis’s growth through their commitment to quality and collaboration. Constellium, dedicated to delivering sustainable aluminum products, publishes annual sustainability reports to highlight its progress and results in this area

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Failure and collapse of the Arecibo Observatory telescope assessed by new report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, D.C., analyzes the causes of the 2020 collapse of the National Science Foundation’s telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, where NSF maintained research operations for its National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, and draws lessons learned for other unique, critical science facilities.

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