Actuators are common machine components that convert energy into movement, like the muscles in the human body, vibrators in mobile phones or electric motors. Ideal actuator materials need good ...

One of the most fascinating aspects of physics is that nature often behaves in ways that seem completely counterintuitive. A good example comes from ultrathin materials. If I take a sheet of material ...

It’s taken more than three decades, but scientists believe they have created a material that’s almost impossible to break and could rival diamond as the hardest substance on the planet. An ...

Materials are a necessity for all engineering applications. Materials science and engineering seeks to understand the fundamental physical origins of material behavior in order to optimize properties ...

Composite materials are engineered by fusing different materials, typically consisting of a matrix (a polymer, metal, or ceramic) and a reinforcement (such as fibers, particles, or flakes) that ...

Heterostructures are composed of spatially distinct zones with differing mechanical and/or physical properties. When carefully engineered, these architectures can exhibit superior performance compared ...

The class of materials known as ceramic matrix composites, or CMCs, shows considerable promise for providing fracture-toughness values similar to those for metals such as cast iron. Two kinds of ...