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Highlights

Apr 20, 2015

A New Liquid-Based Technology for Scalable Fabrication of Polymer Nanofibers

NSF support has enabled the team to introduce a novel method for formation of a broad range of polymer nanofibers and nanomaterials. The patented technique, illustrated in the Figure (left), is based on shearing of polymer solution inside viscous medium. It is extremely simple, efficient and readily scalable and can be applied to the fabrication of nanofibers from most types of commercial and special use polymers.  The team has scaled up the process to a continuous production of polymer nanofibers at rates of kgs/hour
Apr 17, 2015

Lens of the Market Research2Innovation Workshop

In October 2014, RT-MRSEC co-sponsored a “Research2Innovation” one-day workshop at Duke University, as part of Lens of the Market, a three-stage training program to provide scientists and engineers with the full range of knowledge required for successful translation of their research into commercial ventures.
Apr 15, 2015

Shape-Shifting Liquid Metal Becomes a Reality

Terminator 2 is widely remembered for its metal shape-shifting villain. Impervious to bullets, explosives, and fire, the T-1000 robot was capable of changing shape at will. Researchers at the North Carolina State University have taken a step towards making science fiction a reality by developing a technique for controlling the surface tension of liquid metals using very low voltages. This technology paves the way for shape-reconfigurable metal components in
Apr 15, 2015

Phase Transformations in Binary Colloidal Monolayers

Diffusionless martensitic transformations are a class of solid–solid phase transitions in which the crystal unit cell changes shape and internal structure, while keeping its stoichiometry constant. Because these transformations do not require long-range diffusion, they are fast and repeatable, and thus have been exploited in a number of engineeringapplications.