Showing posts with label materials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label materials. Show all posts
October 11, 2015
June 27, 2009
What's the Top 10 most unusual materials?
Dr. Mark Miodownik is an engineer and scientist. He received his Ph.D in turbine jet engine alloys from Oxford University in 1996. Here is a list of his top 10 most unusual materials.
Top Ten Most Unusual Materials
1. Aerogel- lightest solid on earth
2. Aluminium Nitride Wafer - cuts ice like butter
3. Bioglass Scaffold - cells turn into bone on contact
4. Rapid Prototpye Nylon Chainmail - the ultimate in machine art
5. Silicon Nitride Ball Bearing - smashes concrete without a scratch
6. Ferro fluid - a liquid that is not a liquid
7. Thermochromic Paper - a retake on the colour of heat
8. Tin Stick - a metal that cries
9. Shape Memory Alloy - metal that remember its shape
10. TV Rock - a natural version of transparent concrete
More unusual materials here : Materials Library
Find out why Dr. Mark Miodownik is heading toward northern Bosnia-Herzegovina.
June 7, 2009
What's stronger than steel and lighter than air?
Demonstrate Strength: A 2.5 kg brick is supported by a piece of aerogel weighing only 2 grams.
Demonstrate Insulation:
The Stardust dust collector with aerogel blocks. (NASA)
Aerogel! In a nutshell Aerogel is a man made material with the lowest known density of any solid. Could Aerogel be making a come back? The Aerogel was first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931, as a result of a bet with Charles Learned over who could replace the liquid inside of a jam jar with gas without causing shrinkage.
Applications:
- Skylight Insulation
- Help thicken paints
- Cosmetic
- Reinforcing structures
- NASA use to trap space dust
- US NAVY use for thermal protection for divers
Aerogel FAQs
- How is aerogel made?
- What is it used for?
- What does it feel like?
- Why is it blue?
- Where can I get some aerogel?
- How much does aerogel cost?
- What makes aerogel so special?
- Who invented aerogel?
- Why is it called a gel?
- Is it solid?
- What happens if I touch it?
- Is aerogel such a good insulator because the air within is trapped and immobile? And, is this why it doesn't melt?
- Would it be possible to create aerogel lighter than air by using helium instead of air?
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