Materials science and engineering

A team of researchers at MIT, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the University of California at Berkeley hope to close the materials-science automation gap, with a new artificial-intelligence system that would pore through research papers to deduce “recipes” for producing particular materials.

Artificial intelligence aids materials fabrication

System could pore through millions of research papers to extract “recipes” for producing materials.

November 5, 2017

New tools for brain exploration: Class of 1942 Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering Polina Anikeeva and colleagues developed soft polymer-based devices to stimulate and record activity of brain and spinal cord tissue.

Interdisciplinary materials science a key to progress

Bringing together researchers from different science and engineering fields for Materials Day Symposium promises solutions to energy, health, and other needs.

November 5, 2017

“Our technology takes plastic out of the landfill, locks it up in concrete, and also uses less cement to make the concrete, which makes fewer carbon dioxide emissions,” says assistant professor Michael Short.

MIT students fortify concrete by adding recycled plastic

Adding bits of irradiated plastic water bottles could cut cement industry’s carbon emissions.

October 25, 2017

The sliding of a perfect twin boundary, with mirrored crystal lattices on both sides, was long considered to be impossible at room temperature in metals. Here, authors show that it is possible when a nanoscale twin boundary within a copper nanopillar is compressed along certain orientations, through in-situ transmission electron microscopy (left) and molecular dynamics simulation (right).

New property found in unusual crystalline materials

Materials with a special kind of boundary between crystal grains can deform in unexpected ways.

October 25, 2017

The winning team, named A Salt Solution, won $10,000 for a prototype of a simple, low-cost hydrogel that can be incorporated into water desalination plants or placed directly into bodies of water to collect uranium. The team members are: (left to right) Jasmine Harris, Cynthia Lo, and William “Robin” Lindemann.

Hydrogel that extracts uranium from water wins MADMEC

Teams developing materials solutions for ships and buildings split second and third prizes.

October 13, 2017

A new analysis indicates that, without proper planning, there could be short-term bottlenecks in the supplies of some metals, particularly lithium and cobalt, that could cause temporary slowdowns in lithium-ion battery production. This map shows today’s trade flows of key ingredients for battery production, with exports from each country shown in red and imports in green.

Will metal supplies limit battery expansion?

Rise of electric vehicles and grid storage may cause bottlenecks, but no showstoppers, analysis suggests.

October 11, 2017

MIT researchers have developed an “air-breathing” battery that could store electricity for very long durations for about a third the price of current technologies, with minimal location restraints and zero emissions.

Making renewable power more viable for the grid

“Air-breathing” battery can store electricity for months, for about a fifth the cost of current technologies.

October 11, 2017

The new MIT Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) will streamline the organization of materials research on campus and enhance collaboration, Vice President for Research Maria Zuber (center) says. To Zuber’s left is MRL Director Carl Thompson, the Stavros Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. They are joined by newly named MRL Co-Director Geoffrey Beach, who is an associate pro...

Introducing the Materials Research Laboratory at MIT

Materials Processing Center, Center for Materials Science and Engineering merger brings together formidable resources for advancing next-generation materials.

October 10, 2017

A new paper describes the importance of doing detailed economic analysis and having in-depth conversations with people using the technology that a research project is focused on.

Why researchers should step out of the lab

Project reveals benefits of communicating with industry when conducting research.

October 4, 2017

Stephanie Bauman, an intern in the Materials Process Center and Center for Materials Science and Engineering's 2017 Summer Scholar program, holds a sample of manganese gallium, a new material known as an antiferromagnet, that can serve as the basis for long lasting, spintronic computer memory devices. She worked in the lab of assistant professor of electrical engineering Luqiao Liu.

Developing new magnetic device materials

Summer Scholar Stephanie Bauman interns in Luqiao Liu lab synthesizing and testing manganese gallium samples for spintronic applications.

October 2, 2017

Fast-moving magnetic particles could enable new form of data storage

Recently discovered phenomenon could provide a way to bypass the limits to Moore’s Law.

October 2, 2017

A new MIT study finds cement’s microscopic properties are key to stronger, more sustainable buildings and bridges.

A concrete solution

Insight into cement’s microscopic properties may lead to stronger, more sustainable concrete.

September 29, 2017

The aim of their new wristband is to make “temperature personal,” says Embr Labs co-founder David Cohen-Tanugi PhD ’15. “We want people who are often uncomfortable and have little control over temperature to have more control and more relief in everyday life,” he says.

“Personal thermostat” startup heats up for commercialization

MIT spinout prepares to launch line of wristbands that keep wearers thermally comfortable.

September 27, 2017

Christine Wang holds her American Association for Crystal Growth Award. Light catches the award, a synthetic ruby inset with a plaque describing the honor.

Christine Wang receives American Association for Crystal Growth Award

Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of crystal growth and epitaxy, the development of crystals for use in photonics, microelectronics, and more.

September 25, 2017

Erica James, associate professor of medical anthropology and urban studies in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, co-presents with Dennis McLaughlin, H.M. King Bhumibol Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (not pictured) on the results of their research project, Leverage Points: Opportunities for Increasing Food Production in Developing Countries, funded by ...

Projects make inroads on global food and water challenges

MIT researchers supported by J-WAFS present results of their work on food and water security.

September 21, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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