Andrew and Taylor come to you from a garage in sunny California to tell you all about conferences. What should you do there? How do you handle hard questions at a talk you're giving? Why is there random car noises in the background of this episode? Get all the answers here. 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 dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science...
Mar 15, 2022•29 min•Ep. 54
Does ski wax harm the ecosystem? What can we do to create a more eco friendly solution? Ramsey and Professor Jeff Bates of the University of Utah chat about some exciting materials engineering going into ski wax. Articles Discussed: Carlson, Ski wax use contributes to environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [ LINK ] 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 s...
Feb 28, 2022•28 min•Ep. 53
How do you contain waste that remains hazardous for more than 100,000 years? For decades, the question of what to do with high-level nuclear waste has been put on the back-burner. However, as next generation reactors come online and old ones are retired, the problems of disposal become inevitable. In this episode we investigate the materials challenges of immobilizing and protecting radioactive waste for several millennia. Articles Discussed: King, Container materials for the storage and disposa...
Feb 03, 2022•Ep. 52
We all have experienced the pain of buying produce only for it to spoil before we can finish eating all of it. Apeel Sciences seeks to remedy this by creating a coating to help increase the longevity of fruit. We sit down with Lou Perez to discuss some of the science behind the company. This episode is sponsored 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 dedicate...
Jan 14, 2022•Ep. 51
A slightly different take on the podcast. Join the gang as we celebrate 50 episodes and dive back through the history of how it all started. Learn the backstories of how we all got involved and where we see it heading. Plus join us for some fun stories of the mistakes we have made along the way. Thanks to Kolobyte and Alphabot for letting us use their music in the show! If you have questions or feedback please send us emails at materialism.podcast@gmail.com or connect with us on social media: In...
Dec 20, 2021•43 min•Ep. 50
A recent report in the Wall Street Journal pointed out that building one wind turbine requires 900 tons of steel, 2,500 tons of concrete and 45 tons of plastic and a single electric vehicle will require the digging up, moving, and processing of over 500,000 pounds of raw materials! As we transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy and storage we will need to drastically increase the production and availability of metals including lithium, rare-earth elements, nickel, tin, tungsten and m...
Nov 10, 2021•32 min•Ep. 49
Did you know turbine blades operate in environments above their melting temperature? The secret is a barrier, no thicker than your fingernail, that insulates, protects, and prevents the nickel superalloy blade from melting. In this episode we discuss the materials science that makes low thermal conductivity, high compliance thermal barrier coatings possible. Towards the end we peer into what the future might hold as we push operating temperatures higher. Articles Discussed: 2019, Smil, Gas Turbi...
Oct 25, 2021•36 min•Ep. 48
Taylor and Andrew sit down with Cassie Bradley of INEOS Styrolution to talk about improving polystyrene and reducing its ecological footprint. Articles Discussed: Video overview of the depolymerization of polystyrene Link 2019 Goldsberry, Ineos Styrolution announces breakthrough in chemical recycling of polystyrene Link This episode is sponsored by INEOS Styrolution. Check them out at https://www.ineos-styrolution.com/index.html and https://styrolution-eco.com/ This episode is also sponsored by ...
Oct 08, 2021•Ep. 47
Are materials the solution to better, safer nuclear fuels? The tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particle is the product of a variety of materials innovations and is the most promising fuel form to date. Find out all about it in this episode where we cover the challenges and intricacies of designing materials for nuclear reactors! Articles Discussed: 2015 CRUD: Another Acronym Bites the Dust Link 2010 Materials challenges for nuclear systems Link 2019 Historical perspectives and current prog...
Sep 13, 2021•Ep. 46
The Space Shuttle Challengers Explosion rocked America to its core. Was this issue actually caused by engineering or was it a management mistake. Delve into the story of the Rogers Commission and their findings on Morton Thiokols Solid Rocket Boosters and O-Ring. Articles Discussed: 2006 Challenger: Reporting a Disaster's Cold, Hard Fact LINK 2019 Challenger: The shuttle disaster that changed NASA LINK 2016 A famous physicist’s simple experiment showed the inevitability of the Challenger disaste...
Aug 25, 2021•21 min•Ep. 45
Imagine mounting a pair of cameras to watch your sample as it's deformed and recovering microscale information about the strain! That is exactly what digital image correlation has to offer. In this episode we describe the technique and chat with the inventor, Dr. Sutton from Correlated Solutions Inc. Learn all about the history from DaVinci to present! Articles Discussed: Textbook written by Dr. Sutton on the technique [ LINK ] 2010 McCormick and Lord, Digital Image Correlation. Open Access prov...
Aug 12, 2021•54 min•Ep. 44
Geopolymers are a unique class of materials that may offer a solution to environmental issues in the industrial sector including cement substitutes that produce only one-ninth of the CO2 as Portland cement. In this episode we talk about how they work and what, if anything, they have to do with the ancient pyramids. Articles Discussed: 2007 Khale and Chaudhary, Mechanism of geopolymerization and factors influencing its development: a review [ LINK ] 2013 Olawale, Syntheses, Characterization and B...
Jul 15, 2021•36 min•Ep. 43
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 this episode...
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 Apparatus for ...
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 sponsored by ...
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
