Alcoa, Pittsburgh, and Rusnano, Russia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to produce oil and gas aluminum drill pipe finished with a nanotechnology-based antiwear coating. The coating is expected to extend the life of the aluminum pipe by approximately 30% to 40% in aggressive and corrosive drilling environments compared to uncoated aluminum pipe.
Fort Wayne Metals, Fort Wayne, Ind., manufactures premium medical grade Nitinol ASTM F2063 cold drawn coil into finished discrete lengths of superelastic bar typically 6 ft. long. Diameters range from 2.28 to 4.75 mm with either a natural forming oxide, or centerless ground and polished surface. Its Nitinol chemistry exceeds the governing standard. Each medical grade of Nitinol material is comprised of near-equal atomic weight percentage of nickel and titanium.
FEI Company, Hillsboro, Ore., introduced in July 2013, two new DualBeam systems that feature innovative detection suites that provide high-quality imaging and fast analysis over the broadest range of samples. The new Scios DualBeam is specifically positioned for fast two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) characterization. The Helios NanoLab 660 DualBeam adds capabilities for specialized applications, such as the fabrication of prototypes for nanometer-scale devices.
Alloy Heat Treatment Limited, UK, which says that it is the largest subcontractor for aluminum heat treatments in the country, announces that it has received its first order from South Korea. The order is one of several export orders within the past six months, from new customers in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
Using a few tiny liquid bubbles to bend light beams could open the doors for next-generation, high-speed circuits and displays, according to new research at Penn State, State College. To combine the speed of optical communication with the portability of electronic circuitry, researchers use nanoplasmonics-devices that use short electromagnetic waves to modulate light on the nanometer scale, where conventional optics do not work.
