Materials science

Kord Smith brings 30 years of simulation insight to NSE

Printing off the paperMIT research continues to push the boundaries of the burgeoning technology of 3-D printing.

‘I speak MISTI’MIT program sends students abroad for experiences tailor-made for their academic and professional interests.

Improved buildings could make a big dent in climate changeNew MIT report on concrete buildings shows many areas for major reductions in their lifetime carbon footprint.

Paving the way to greenhouse gas reductionsNew MIT report on concrete roadways shows opportunities for significant carbon-footprint cuts.

A new approach to scratch resistanceAnalysis by MIT researchers could lead to improved coatings using polymer-based nanocomposite materials.

Forecasting pipe fracturesMIT simulation accurately reconstructs pipe fractures formed in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident.

A systematic way to find battery materialsNew understanding of high-performing cathode compound could facilitate rapid evaluation of improved alternatives.

Disease-causing tangle could spawn new materialsAmyloids, associated with Alzheimer’s and other diseases, could be inspiration for tough synthetic polymers.

Revealing water’s secretsExperiments support controversial theory about how water behaves in confined spaces, providing insights for biology and manufacturing.

Research update: Improving batteries’ energy storageNew method allows a dramatic boost in capacity for a given weight.

How to grow wires and tiny platesLiquid processing method developed at MIT can control the shapes of nanowires and produce complete electronic devices.

Research update: New way to store sun’s heatModified carbon nanotubes can store solar energy indefinitely, then be recharged by exposure to the sun.

While you’re up, print me a solar cellNew MIT-developed materials make it possible to produce photovoltaic cells on paper or fabric, nearly as simply as printing a document.

A new way to build nanostructuresCombining top-down and bottom-up approaches, new low-cost method could be a boon to research with a variety of applications.

A ‘sensing skin’ for concreteNew type of sensor could immediately detect tiny cracks in structures and relay their exact location.

Bilge Yildiz: New insights into material surfaces advance energy conversion technologies

Layer upon layerMethod holds promise for making two- or three-tier graphene films that could be used for new electronic devices.

CEE's Buyukozturk receives lifetime achievement award from Swiss Federal LabsAward honors his contributions to materials science and engineering in the domain of civil engineering.

Moving inventions to the marketplaceMIT/Harvard symposium seeks commercial opportunities for emerging technologies.

How to choose a catalystMIT researchers provide a simple principle to predict which materials will perform best in fuel cells and metal air batteries.

‘Artificial leaf’ moves closer to realityMIT researchers develop a device that combines a solar cell with a catalyst to split water molecules and generate energy.

New battery design could give electric vehicles a joltSignificant advance in battery architecture could be breakthrough for electric vehicles and grid storage.

MIT’s Ronald Ballinger investigates Boston area water-main break

Making materials to orderNew method of forming composites allows fine-tuning of mechanical, electrical, thermal and other properties.

Teaching algae to make fuelNew process could lead to production of hydrogen using bioengineered microorganisms.

Spinning new materials in a threadNew technique could enable creation of a variety of fiber-based electronic and photonic devices.

When is it worth remanufacturing?MIT study shows sometimes it saves energy, sometimes it doesn’t — and sometimes it makes things worse.

New method found for controlling conductivityReversible control of electrical and thermal properties could find uses in storage systems.

Out of thick airMIT graduate student is working to make water available for the world’s poor by refining the tools and techniques of fog harvesting.