iPad Apps for Materials Scientists

(Image courtesy of apple.com)

A recent article in the AZo Journal of Materials Online by Ian Birkby, cleverly titled "Don't Worry, Be App'y" suggests several iPad and iPhone Apps for Materials manufacturers that can assist them in their daily activities. While several of the apps that made the list can be really useful in the ceramics engineering field, many that Ian lists offer little or no assistance except for in incredibly rare scenarios. This article will separate the wheat from the chaff as far as these engineering apps go. The first app plugged is of course Azo's own materials app, which allows the user to find suppliers and equipment and stay on top of the latest materials news. Molecules and Periodic Lite are aimed toward the chemistry aspects of the materials design field, the former allowing the user to look at complex molecule strands in 3D while being able to rotate them at the touch of a finger, with the latter being a periodic table program which gives detailed information on every element.

Some of the apps suggested, like ConvertBot and the Scientific Calculator app are used primarily for the math aspect of the design process, being able to convert units of measurement and do complex mathematics. However, these apps can be useful to anyone in any engineering field. The other apps listed seem like they are merely filler, some of those suggested are later lampooned in the same article for being non-functional. Of the Metal Detector app, Ian writes:

"Well, let's start with the positives, the graphics certainly make it look like a metal detector and it really sounds like one, giving off that excellent 'Ive found a field full or roman coins" squawk, but, the metallic content of my forehead and the office carpet appeared to be quite high, so I'm sorry to say that you're going to need something a little more sophisticated to work out if you've an 18/8 stainless on the shelf."

The rest of the apps listed: Ceracoat, findNano, Skeptical Science and iAugment either have nothing to do with engineering, or are apps developed for related sciences that (it seems) were just added to the list for the sake of length. While there are about five apps listed in this article that could certainly help a materials engineer, almost half of them are totally irrelevant to the field. If you read the Azo journal and are interested in getting some of the apps they recommend, be careful that you're not paying for something that you will really never use.

To read the article discussed, click the link:

http://www.azom.com/blog_post.asp?BlogID=105

Ceramics and Space: Keeping You Safe, Hundreds of Thousands of Miles From Home

A recent article for Materials Views by Martin Grolms discusses recent developments in ceramics technologies as it relates to thermal protection for space vehicles. While we have discussed the importance of ceramics in manned space exploration in previous posts, the material is becoming so essential to man's presence outside of our atmosphere that we believe it warrants a dedicated post. As pointed out in the article, some components of space vehicles may reach temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees Celsius, meaning that in order to keep our astronauts and their equipment safe, the highest durability of ceramics must be used:

The main concern in the design of ceramic laminates deals with the risk of decreasing the oxidation resistance. At the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, the effect on the oxidation behavior of porous and composite layers is investigated. To this purpose the microstructure and the main mechanical properties of different kinds of multilayer SiC (Silicon Carbide) are compared before and after oxidation.

The results of microscopy and several other exhaustive tests showed the presence of large pores in the composite laminate microstructure, which was not present in multilayer SiC. These pores greatly affect the mechanical behavior of components that are protected by a TPS (Thermal Protection System), which can mean the difference between the life and death of an astronaut or the loss of a multi-billion piece of technology. For these reasons it is evident why ceramics are so instrumental in our exploration of space.

To read the full article and learn more about the applications of ceramics in manned space exploration, follow the link!

http://www.materialsviews.com/details/news/691453/Thermal_Protection_for_Space_Vehicles.html

Diamonds + Ceramics = One of the Most Advanced Substances on Earth

We've discussed this topic earlier, but now that confirmation is in and prizes are being

awarded, we've decided to fill in some of the details we left out last time. In Germany, a group of scientists have successfully combined the hardest substance known to man with high-tech ceramics to create a new material that is highly durable as well as having a relatively low value of friction. The project coordinator at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig, Dr. Lothar Schafer said that by using this recently developed process, they can apply a diamond layer of up to a half-square meter in size. Schafer was quoted as saying, "There's nothing else like it in the world. Ultimately, DiaCer is of interest for all components in machine construction that need strong resistance to wear."

DiaCer is one of the most advanced substances ever created by modern man, and its applications seem to extend to all levels of industry. Though the development and implementation of this new substance is still in its relative infancy, its designers have already been commended for their discovery with the Stifterverband Award for Science, which is awarded for scientific excellence in applied research projects carried out jointly by Fraunhofer Institutes and business enterprises and/or other research organizations.

The future could be very bright in the field of ceramics manufacturing. Currently, the heat shields on American space shuttles are made of highly advanced ceramics. Manufacturers who get on the ground floor with DiaCer might find themselves making new, advanced barriers for the next generation of manned space vehicles. If diamonds truly are forever, then DiaCer is easily the future of ceramics manufacturing.

To read more about this discovery, visit:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/New-Material-Combines-Diamonds-and-Ceramics-142465.shtml

New Zirconia Crowns May Replace The Metal Standard in Dentistry...

Recent developments in dental science suggest that the metal that oral surgeons have relied upon for decades for their crowns may be on the way out the door. A recent study sponsored by Noritake Dental Supply, Limited in Japan tested the durability of porcelain-fused-to-Zirconia (PFZ) versus the industry standard, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM). Durability tests were conducted from 2 months to 57 months and involved over two thousand patients and 22 dentists.

The study showed that after the mean survival time for posterior crowns (52 months), the probability for a PFZ crown to remain intact was 98.1%, where as the survival rate was only 95.8% for PFM crowns. This may not seem like a major difference, but ceramics manufacturers who specialize in Zirconia might see a boon to their businesses in the coming years as the Dental industry decides whether or not it will migrate to this new technology or stay with the PFM crowns that have served the profession for years.

The 22 practitioners were able to replicate these findings in different environments across three continents, and the results were the same regardless of oral location, whether molar or premolar. A total of 2,635 premolar and molar crowns were tested, and with the exception of the 1.9% of the PFZ crowns that failed, the results were almost unanimous: While the difference in the survival rate seems negligible, porcelain-fused-to-Zirconia crowns were superior to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. As medical technology continues to evolve, the demand for high-durability ceramics will continue to grow. Opportunities for expansion are on the horizon.

Diamonds Are An... Engineer's Best Friend?

Zirconia is a common tool in the ceramic engineer's toolbox, but have you ever heard of using diamonds? That's just what some researches are trying to use. Engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig, Germany have created a material they've dubbed 'DiaCer,' which looks to offer superior wear-resistance and a low coefficient of friction.

Combining technical ceramics with diamonds makes sense since diamonds are incredibly hard, conduct heat well, and are mostly inert to chemical substances. By combining them with ceramics, there results an unsurpassed material resistant to heat, wear, corrosion, and chemicals. Researchers have found that adding a diamond coating to a ceramic pump extends the part's durability by a factor of 4 to 1,000. After being used to create several tons of wire, the test parts were barely worn at all.

Dr. Lothar Schäfer of the Fraunhofer Institute is confident. He's said,

“Using our process, we can apply a diamond layer of up to a half square meter in size. There‘s nothing else like it in the world. Ultimately, DiaCer is of interest for all components in machine construction that need strong resistance to wear."

The iPhone 4 To Use Advanced Ceramics?

It's looking more and more like there will be an update to Apple's venerable iPhone product. There are now scads of photos of the new phone--whether it's still in prototype stage or not is debatable--and it definitely looks different, as you can see from the photo above. Many tech pundits have pointed to a 2006 Apple patent filing,

A portable computing device capable of wireless communications, the portable computing device comprising: an enclosure that surrounds and protects the internal operational components of the portable computing device, the enclosure including a structural wall formed from a ceramic material that permits wireless communications through.

which indicates the company is at least looking at using a zirconia ceramic material for the backing. This move makes a lot of sense, since it a ceramic material can, of course, be made to be extremely strong and heat-resistant. And its structural nature allows for it to be much more conducive to being a phone body component than metal, which can interfere with radio waves.

It could be another high-profile coup for the technical ceramics industry if the great minds at Apple chose to use zirconia ceramics in its flagship device. I guess we can only wait and see!

Some Good Signs for the Ceramics Industry

There is some good economic news for the ceramics industry. News out of the United Arab Emirates says that the world' largest ceramic tile manufacturer, RAK Ceramics, is reporting a more than 20% increase in its net profits for 2009.

In a recent shareholder meeting, the company said that 2009 was a banner year for it, despite the slumping economy. In fact, its annual revenue topped, for the first time, $1 billion (USD). RAK Ceramics sold more than 100.7 million square meters of ceramic tiles in 2009. It exports ceramic products to more than 150 countries.

Hopefully this is just one of many economic developments that signals a turnaround in the global economy--and especially the global ceramic economy.