Hybrid Design for Efficient Solar Power

Automated System to Detect Cracks in Nuclear Power Plants

A new automated system detects cracks in the steel components of nuclear power plants and has been shown to be more accurate than other automated systems. more

Levitating Nanodiamond Research

Researchers have demonstrated how to control the “electron spin” of a nanodiamond while it is levitated with lasers in a vacuum, an advance that could find applications in quantum information processing, sensors and studies into the fundamental physics of quantum mechanics. more

2D Nanomaterial MXene: the Perfect Lubricant

You can lubricate a bicycle chain with oil, but what do you do with a Mars rover or a red-hot conveyor belt in the steel industry? Very special nanomaterials have now been studied by the TU Wien together with research groups from Saarbrücken (Germany), Purdue University in the USA and the U ... more

Microwaves power new technology for batteries, energy

Purdue University researchers created a technique to turn waste polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most recyclable polymers, into components of batteries. "We use an ultrafast microwave irradiation process to turn PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, flakes into disodium terephthalate, a ... more

'Nanochains' could increase battery capacity, cut charging time

How long the battery of your phone or computer lasts depends on how many lithium ions can be stored in the battery's negative electrode material. If the battery runs out of these ions, it can't generate an electrical current to run a device and ultimately fails. Materials with a higher lith ... more