– credit Alexandre Debiève By instantaneously heating electronics to 3,000°C via an electrical current, scientists have found a way to extract decent grades of precious metals without creating hazardous waste. According to their analysis, relying on e-waste for a precious metals supply could be 13-times cheaper than mining them from the ground. However, previous methods … Read more
– credit Fujikawa et al. with background / SWNS If a physician needs to see what’s gone wrong inside a human body, it’s easy enough to order an ultrasound scan. But if the structural engineer wants to do the same in a block of concrete, his options are of limited effectiveness. The range of materials … Read more
J. Adam Fenster, University of Rochester via SWNS It’s been 113 years since the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic sank, and engineers still have hopes of someday creating unsinkable ships. None more so than a team at the University of Rochester that recently present a new “superhydrophobic” design that could lead to more resilient ships, floating platforms, and … Read more
The soft exoskeleton- credit, screengrab via the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) South Korean engineers have developed a soft, shirt-like exoskeleton to give individuals with degenerative muscle conditions more mobility and independence. Costing thousands less than hard, motor-driven exoskeletons, and weighing less than 2 pounds, it’s a game-changing innovation in the field of … Read more
A mock-up design of Samsung SDI’s solid-state battery – credit, Samsung, released In late October, Samsung announced that it was preparing to take its long-anticipated solid-state batteries to market with a trilateral agreement between itself, BMW, and American battery expert Solid Power. It was January of last year that industry outlets began to get some … Read more
Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, one of the world’s largest mines, and supplier of half of US copper – Eric Prado Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Below the soil of a mining concession in Utah, a recent drill survey has discovered what might be North America’s largest-known deposit of so-called “critical minerals.” Turning up evidence … Read more
– credit Unsplash Vlad A startup in the UK is recovering important manufacturing metals without energy-hungry smelting methods. Using an intense solvent at room temperature, shredded circuit boards can have plastic retaining components left behind, while metals like gold, cobalt, and copper are selectively dissolved and made available for recovery with simple magnets. It’s one … Read more