Short Sharp Science: China sparks concern over rare earth metal supply

Short Sharp Science: China sparks concern over rare earth metal supply China currently provides 97 per cent of the world's rare earth elements (REEs), but it has been imposing export quotas for some time. Last July, it slashed the quotas for REEs and recently made plans for further dramatic cuts, according to the China Daily newspaper. Please remember that these Rare elements are an essential component of gadgets in your home, from iPods to LCD TVs.

New materials could replace costly gold in electrical applications

New materials could replace costly gold in electrical applications ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2010) — Researchers at the University of Connecticut, partnering with United Technologies Research Center engineers, have modeled and developed new classes of alloy materials for use in electronic applications that will reduce reliance on costly gold and other precious metals.

Rare Earths: Elemental Needs of the Clean-Energy Economy: Scientific American

Rare Earths: Elemental Needs of the Clean-Energy Economy: Scientific American A massive wind turbine—capable of turning the breeze into two million watts of power—has 40-meter-long blades made from fiberglass, towers 90 meters above the ground, weighs hundreds of metric tons, and fundamentally relies on roughly 300 kilograms of a soft, silvery metal known as neodymium—a so-called rare earth.

Titanium foams replace injured bones

Titanium foams replace injured bones ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2010) — Flexible yet rigid like a human bone, and immediately capable of bearing loads: A new kind of implant, made of titanium foam, resembles the inside of a bone in terms of its structural configuration. Not only does this make it less stiff than conventional massive implants. It also promotes ingrowth into surrounding bones

Short Sharp Science: Is this the start of the element wars?

Short Sharp Science: Is this the start of the element wars? Chinese customs officials are blocking shipments to Japan of rare earth elements (REEs) and companies have been informally told not to export them, says The New York Times.

Titanium foam builds Wolverine bones - health - 23 September 2010 - New Scientist

Titanium foam builds Wolverine bones - health - 23 September 2010 - New Scientist Bone implants are typically made of solid metal – usually titanium. Though well tolerated by the body, such implants are significantly stiffer than bone.Now Prof.Quadbeck and colleagues have created a titanium implant with a foam-like structure, inspired by the spongy nature of bone. The titanium foam does a better job than solid metal when it comes to matching the mechanical properties of bone, such as flexibility, and this encourages more effective bone regrowth.

Elements by Tom Lehrer

Nanostructures give alloy super strength

Nanostructures give alloy super strength

Space Colonists Could Use Bacteria to Mine Minerals on Mars and the Moon: Scientific American

Space Colonists Could Use Bacteria to Mine Minerals on Mars and the Moon: Scientific American Microbes currently are used in mining to help recover metals such as gold, copper and uranium. Now researchers suggest bacteria could be enlisted for "bio-mining" in space, to extract oxygen, nutrients and minerals from extraterrestrial bodies such as the moon and Mars for use by future colonists there.

Vizag steel plnt sets record

09.09.2010:Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant) produced 2.52 lakh tonnes of saleable steel during August this year, recording a growth of 9 per cent over August-2009.During the five months of April-August 2010, VSP produced 12.23 lakh tonnes of saleable steel which is also higher compared to corresponding period last year.WelCome to Steel Group

CO₂-free method of producing Iron

CO₂-free method of producing Iron: "George Washington University Professor Stuart Licht has developed a revolutionary CO₂-free method of producing iron that could provide a breakthrough for an industry that has been using the same polluting process of iron smelting for more than three thousand years."

Materials science-the big winner in R&D awards

TMS - The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society Group News | LinkedIn Materials science was big winner in the 2010 R&D 100 Awards, announced in July by R&D Magazine. Considered the “Oscars of invention”, the awards recognize the top 100 scientific and technological innovations of the past year as judged by a team of independent experts and the editors of R&D Magazine.

First gold-iron alloy shows power of magnetic attraction - tech - 19 August 2010 - New Scientist

First gold-iron alloy shows power of magnetic attraction - tech - 19 August 2010 - New Scientist: "GOLD readily forms alloys with the precious metals silver and palladium, but it normally blends with cheap iron about as well as oil mixes with water. That has now changed, with the creation of a gold-iron alloy that is held together by magnetism."

Transformers: More than meets the eye

Transformers: More than meets the eye

UWM researchers deliver stronger, lighter, cheaper alloys

UWM researchers deliver stronger, lighter, cheaper alloys: "Cast metal matrix composites (MMCs), they are cheaper, lighter and stronger than their original alloys. In fact, an aluminum-based MMC developed at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) can replace iron-based alloys."

Lithium's Role as a Green Power Material , Green Tech - weSRCH

Lithium's Role as a Green Power Material , Green Tech - weSRCH

Waste steel in the Gulf of Mexico

Waste steel in the Gulf of Mexico: "ScienceDaily (June 10, 2010) — The huge tonnages of waste steel from decommissioned offshore oil and gas structures represents a serious problem for operators looking to recoup losses and avoid environmental harm."

Self-healing concrete: Research yields cost-effective system to extend life of structures

Self-healing concrete: Research yields cost-effective system to extend life of structures: "ScienceDaily (May 25, 2010) — Efforts to extend the life of structures and reduce repair costs have led engineers to develop 'smart materials' that have self-healing properties, but many of these new materials are difficult to commercialize. A new self-healing concrete developed and tested by a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, however, may prove to be cost-effective."

Nondestructive methods for evaluating ancient coins could be worth their weight in gold

Nondestructive methods for evaluating ancient coins could be worth their weight in gold: "Scientists have shown that sensitive nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques can be used to determine the elemental composition of ancient coins, even coins that generally have been considered too corroded for such methods."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : NIST scientists gain new ‘core’ understanding of nanopartic...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : NIST scientists gain new ‘core’ understanding of nanopartic...: "While attempting to solve one mystery about iron oxide-based nanoparticles, a research team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) stumbled upon another one. But once its implications are understood, their discovery* may give nanotechnologists a new and useful tool."