The sinking of the Titanic is one of the great catastrophes of the modern era. In this latest mini-series on failure of materials, we ask the question what really caused the sinking of the Titanic? Was it unavoidable? Was it ductile to brittle transition due to the cold ocean? Was it impurities in the rivets? Tune in and learn the materials science behind this titanic materials failure. Articles Discussed: 2018 Cain, Titanic's Sinking Was Eerily Predicted by Two Books [ LINK ] 2013 Felkins and c...
Jun 18, 2021•18 min•Ep. 42
After the popular 3D printing episode the gang dives into a conversation about what 3D printing can be used for. Ranging from Aerospace to organs to edible water bottles this technology is creeping its way into every facet of our life. Learn about the technology that makes this advanced kind of 3D printing possible from the powders that line the bed to the science behind the lasers. Articles Discussed: 2020 Farber and coworkers, A review of NiTi shape memory alloy as a smart material produced by...
Jun 08, 2021•Ep. 41
Take a dive into the history of fatigue crack growth with Jared and Taylor. Featuring the history of the equations and the applications they saw in the story of the DeHaviland Comet. Articles Discussed: 2001 Withey, FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE DE HAVILLAND COMET I [ LINK ] 2014 Glancey, The crashes that changed plane designs forever [ LINK ] FAA Accident Overview [ LINK ] 2002 Pushkar, Comet’s Tale [ LINK ] This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how they can help you find the perfect mater...
May 22, 2021•20 min•Ep. 40
Taylor and Jared give a brief overview of current energy storage devices and the materials that makes them work. Then they dive into an interview with Joe Sleppy CEO of Capacitech to discuss what his company is doing to revolutionize supercapacitors and their form factor. Articles Discussed: 2021 Leif E. Asp, A Structural Battery and its Multifunctional Performance 2021 Nick Lavars, "Massless" carbon fiber battery doubles as a structural component Thanks to Capacitech for sponsoring th...
May 05, 2021•41 min•Ep. 39
Join Jared, Ramsey, and Andrew in a new type of Micro for a more laidback conversation about the silicon chip shortage plaguing the global economy. Learn about the perfect storm of factors that's lead to car and tech companies around the world halting production. Articles Discussed: 2020 Stephen Nellis, Phoenix okays development deal with TSMC for $12 billion chip factory 2021 Debby Wu, Taiwan Cuts Water Supply for Chipmakers as Drought Threatens to Dry Up Reserves This episode is sponsored by M...
Apr 27, 2021•17 min•Ep. 38
We finally get to our most requested topic, 3D-printing! This is the first episode in a two part series on 3D printing. This will cover the science and engineering that makes the various methods possible. We also look into the interesting history of companies almost creating 3d printing only to be stopped by a lack of interest. Articles Discussed: 2021 Samir Jaber, Everything about 3d-printing the ultimate guide. This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how they can help you find the pe...
Apr 06, 2021•54 min•Ep. 37
Taylor and Ramsey look into the future of refrigeration and how magnetocaloric materials will drive a more efficient system. How soon will you be replacing your fridge with these and what exactly makes them tick? Articles Discussed: 2020 E. Levin, Structural coupling and magnetic tuning in Mn2−xCoxP magnetocalorics for thermomagnetic power generation 2018 Alexander Funk, Getting magnetocaloric materials into good shape: Cold-working of La(Fe, Co, Si)13 by powder-in-tube-processing This episode i...
Mar 27, 2021•21 min•Ep. 36
A look into Spark "Plasma" Sintering and why the name is a misnomer. Follow the history as it goes from Mayan jewelry making all the way to Dr. Sparks building one in his lab at the University of Utah. Finally, dive into its current applications and possibilities in the future. Articles Discussed: 2006 Z. A. Munir, The effect of electric field and pressure on the synthesis and consolidation of materials: A review of the spark plasma sintering method. 1912 G. Weintraub, Process and Appa...
Mar 01, 2021•37 min•Ep. 35
Ramsey and Andrew take a look into the surprising science that helps make cooking as easy as can be. They explain the dangers that cooking with some of these materials can create and how to avoid it. Articles Discussed: 1993 Nese O. AK, Cutting Boards of Plastic and Wood Contaminated Experimentality with Bacteria 2005 Annett Milling, Survival of bacteria on wood and plastic particles: Dependence on wood species and environmental conditions This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how th...
Feb 24, 2021•Ep. 34
The development of photography is inextricably linked to the development of advanced materials and chemicals. In this episode, Andrew and Jared discuss the science that makes photography possible. The episode includes everything from the structure of film, to digital sensors, to radioactive elements in glass. Articles Discussed: 2018 Schneider, Rare Earth Glass Leica Lenses: A Quick and Quirky Overview [ LINK ] 1990 Ła̧czka M, Rare earth elements as components of special glasses. Journal of the ...
Feb 01, 2021•Ep. 33
A review of the book "Scientific Freedom: The Elixir of Civilization" by Donald Braben. Taylor and Andrew dive into the radical ideas Braben implemented in his role as Director of Venture Research at BP. They examine the principles behind Venture Research and the potential for this approach to revolutionize scientific discovery by increasing freedom and creativity. Who knows? Maybe this approach would discover this century's Einsteins, Plancks, Rutherfords and more! This episode is spo...
Jan 16, 2021•18 min•Ep. 32
Diffusion is when atoms move through a material in response to a concentration gradient. However, some ions can move through a material in response to an electric field and can do so very quickly! Even more remarkable, the motion of ions can be restricted to ions of a certain type such as O2-, H+, Na+, Li+ etc. What is required of a material in order for it to be an ionic conductor? What technologies do ionic conductors make possible? Why are they necessary for batteries, fuel cells, sensors, el...
Jan 04, 2021•Ep. 31
Skateboards have some cutting edge polymers, ceramics, metals, & composites. Wood vs carbon-fiber composite lay-ups? Silicon nitride vs steel ball bearings? Titanium vs magnesium light-weight metal alloy trucks? High hardness vs soft & grippy urethane wheels? In this episode, we chat with Norman Woods, a professional skateboarder who helps us figure out if all the advanced materials translate to dramatically improved performance. This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how they...
Dec 18, 2020•18 min•Ep. 30
Few topics have captivated the imagination of scientists like superconductivity. In this episode, we cover the history of superconductors starting with the Gentleman of Zero Kelvin himself. We discuss applications of superconductors for high-speed trains and more and even chat about the recent discovery of the first-ever room-temperature superconductor! Articles Discussed: 2007, April 1911: Onnes Begins work on Superconductivity [ LINK ] 22010 van Delft, The discovery of superconductivity [ LINK...
Dec 07, 2020•Ep. 29
Every new startup requires capital, but most venture capital groups are very cautious about investing in materials companies due to the typically long timeframe for development. In this episode we talk to a Matt Cohen, Director of Technology at Pangaea Ventures. Matt talks about why their company dares to invest primarily in materials companies. We discuss how you can launch your own startup and recommend some books to get you started. Articles Discussed: 2014 Thiel and Masters, Zero to One: Not...
Nov 23, 2020•Ep. 28
Halloween is right around the corner and like many of you, we’ve been hard at work on our spooky costumes! If you’ve ever been to Comic-Con you’ve seen the incredible costumes that cosplay artists can create. Giant suits of armor and weapons crafted out of EVA foam, Mandalorian suits with Worbla or Sintra armor plates, life-like silicone and latex masks, monsters built from Papier-mâché, Styrofoam, Plastidip, and PVC. This episode is dedicated to all the incredible material science & enginee...
Oct 29, 2020•53 min•Ep. 27
When you hear of massive wildfires you probably think of the usual suspects: lightning, a campfire carelessly left unattended, maybe a cigarette butt thrown from a vehicle? What you probably don't think of is materials fatigue of a steel hook. This micro episode centers on the story of the Camp Fire in Butte County, California that took 85 lives, decimated the land, and was the biggest insured disaster that year. A look at what mistakes PG&E made ranging from their lack of records keeping to...
Oct 19, 2020•13 min•Ep. 26
Can art make you a better scientist? Can an understanding of materials science make you a better artist? We think so! So does Darryl Butt, dean of the College of Mines at the University of Utah. We interview him for this episode and discuss tons of interesting aspects of materials science and art. For example, he explains how ancient artists like Da Vinci had an understanding of atmospheric light and used it in their art. We also discuss how modern materials science characterization tools like m...
Oct 05, 2020•36 min•Ep. 25
In our pursuit of materials design, who better to imitate than Mother Nature? Biomimetic, or bioinspired materials are making huge strides in materials design! In this episode, Andrew chats with Dr. Steven Naleway from the University of Utah to talk about his research in this exciting field. This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how they can help you find the perfect material for your next engineering project! This episode is also sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community ...
Sep 18, 2020•21 min•Ep. 24
Printing human organs? Replacing worn-out body parts with fresh, newly printed ones? This sounds like science fiction but in some ways, it's already here! From kidneys to bladders and even more complex organs the bizarre future of 3D-bioprinting is here! In this micro-materialism episode, we introduce a new producer, Ramsey Issa, to help separate fact from fiction when it comes to the materials science of bioprinting. Articles Discussed: 2014 Chua and Yeong, Bioprinting: Principles and Applicati...
Aug 21, 2020•15 min•Ep. 23
We usually take modern rubber for granted, but in this episode, Jared and Andrew dive into the incredible history of this miracle material. They discuss the discovery of the vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear all the way through Ford's abandoned corporate towns in the jungle to the present. Articles Discussed: 2014 Kohjiya & Ikeda. Chemistry, manufacture and applications of natural rubber [ LINK ] 1994 Science & Technology of Rubber [ LINK ] 1939 Fisher, Vulcanization of rubber vu...
Aug 03, 2020•26 min•Ep. 22
This episode covers a fascinating class of materials called auxetics. Experience tells us that when we pull a material in tension, it should shrink; auxetics do the opposite. By shifting, winding, or rotating, these materials get wider when stretched and thinner when compressed. Articles Discussed: Lakes R. Foam structures with a negative Poisson's ratio. [ LINK ] 2004 Evans, Auxetic polymers: a new range of materials [ LINK ] 2016 Saxena et al Three Decades of Auxetics Research − Materials with...
Jul 22, 2020•14 min•Ep. 21
Materials Informatics is the application of data science tools and techniques to materials research. In this episode, we examine how the uses of machine learning are applied to materials science. We try to give an honest appraisal of the pros and cons of this emerging field to separate the hype from reality and even provide some tips on how to get started in the field. Articles Discussed: Excellent YouTube tutorial for Materials Informatics from Dr. Sparks [ LINK ] 2020 Wang and coworkers Best P...
Jul 06, 2020•54 min•Ep. 20
How do N95 masks work? In this episode we dive into the science of diffusion and the materials that are used to control it. With the lingering threat of airborne COVID-19 it might be a good idea to learn about the materials that can protect you from it. This episode is sponsored by Matmatch . Check out how they can help you find the perfect material for your next engineering project! Thanks to Kolobyte and Alphabot for letting us use their music in the show! If you have questions or feedback ple...
Jun 15, 2020•12 min•Ep. 19
Diamonds aren't forever. They are a metastable phase of carbon that is slowly reverting to graphite. But before that happens it has proven an invaluable tool in industry for cutting through metals and boring miles into the earth. In this episode, we sit down with Colton Fox, a research engineer at US Synthetic, and discuss the process of manufacturing artificial, polycrystalline diamonds for drilling applications. From their dramatic history to present challenges, this episode is a great primer ...
Jun 01, 2020•40 min•Ep. 18
Making a polymer sample is one thing, but churning out large batches of consistent product brings a host of challenges. In this episode we interview Alex Reed, CEO of Fluence Analytics, a company specializing in polymer processing data. By leveraging real-time characterization and data analysis, we can optimize materials production to reduce waste and increase output. Learn how Fluence Analytics is tackling these challenges and more! Articles for Further Reading: Manivannan, G. (1997). UV-vis sp...
May 04, 2020•48 min•Ep. 17
Soap wasn't always a household item. In this episode we dive into the history of soap, who developed it, and the materials used to make it. Throughout its history, soap underwent several changes in application and chemical formula in order to address changing purposes and environmental concerns. Today, as we are in the throws of a global pandemic, soap is getting more attention than ever before, but how effective is it against a virus? Referenced Articles: A Historical Review of Surfactants in C...
Apr 06, 2020•26 min•Ep. 16
In this episode we dive into the science behind ultrasound characterization for flaw internal, non-destructive flaw detection. Piezoelectric materials generate electricity in response to an applied stress. Through careful tuning, these materials can detect differences in ultrasonic vibrations that allow us to identify flaws deep within materials. At the end of the episode we sit down with Dr. Jeff Bates and discuss his work on hydrogels in ultrasound applications and his experience in materials ...
Mar 02, 2020•40 min•Ep. 15
What if materials could heal like we do? In this episode, we dive in to the science behind self-healing polymer materials, explore different approaches to polymers design, and peer into what the future may hold. Whether you are interested in soft-robotics, re-useable textiles, or just curious how a material could repair itself - this is the episode for you! Articles Discussed: 2008 Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles [ LINK ] 2012 Chen and coworkers UC Irvine [ LINK ] 2013 Rahma...
Feb 03, 2020•35 min•Ep. 14
Have you ever watched a blacksmith work an old railroad tie into an elaborate metal trinket and wonder "How do they do that?" or "Why are doing it that way" or "What is the purpose of that step?" In this episode, we dive into the science behind those exact questions. We talk about metal deformation, heat treatments, fracture, different steel types, and wrap up the episode interviewing Alexander Wickstrom an undergraduate in the Materials Science & Engineering De...
Jan 06, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 13
