Autonomous labs are poised to revolutionize materials and chemistry research. Tools are both less expensive than they once were, and the techniques to use them have been developed. We chat with Andy Cooper of the University of Liverpool to learn how far we've come, what's left to do, and what we can expect going forward. This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-revie...
Aug 28, 2023•36 min•Ep. 71
Modern engineers work in environments that most metals simply can't withstand. What do you do when you need a metal to go to incredibly high temperatures? You make an alloy. We take a dive into the history of these nickel "superalloys" to understand what makes them so super and how they are being leveraged to push innovation forward. Interested in learning more? Check out these awesome resources from TMS: Superalloys: A Primer and History [ LINK ] Superalloys Proceedings Archive [ LINK...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 70
Manufacturing mistakes can be costly to both time and money but a large one can even injure or kill workers. The bets way to combat mistakes is to monitors every step of the process but when it comes to creating complex materials this isn't always so easy. Learn how the sensors used work and why they are so important to the process. This episode is sponsored by Gefran, to learn more about their products and what they can do for you click the link here . This episode is sponsored by Materials Tod...
Jul 27, 2023•54 min•Ep. 69
Learn what Thermal Spray is and how GE is leveraging it in their new projects. From the various types of ignition and feed material to new ways of bonding the coating this technology is constantly evolving at GE. This episode is sponsored by GE, a leading company in a multitude of fields. Check out their research homepage here . Take a look at jobs here This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and ex...
Jun 21, 2023•36 min•Ep. 68
Additive manufacturing is spreading to every industry and is evolving way past the stringy plastic prints of the past. Learn how GE is utilizing this technology to print some things you may not expect such as ceramic components for airplane engines. Learn how they cut down on failures for the prints that take months by leveraging new technologies and some old ones too. This episode is sponsored by GE, a leading company in a multitude of fields. Check out their research homepage here . Take a loo...
May 30, 2023•56 min•Ep. 67
Ceramics are an incredibly useful yet notoriously difficult material to work with. Learn how the researches at GE are utilizing CMCs to help increase the usability and applications of ceramics while still keeping many of the beneficial properties. This episode is sponsored by GE, a leading company in a multitude of fields. Check out their research homepage here . Take a look at jobs here This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of...
May 03, 2023•38 min•Ep. 66
In light of the recent breakthrough we sit down to discuss the state of fusion as it relates to the materials that makes it possible. From the harsh environments of the reactor the irradiated byproducts they produce materials are in every aspect of the process and drive forward the path to cleaner energy. Later we are joined by Claire Saunders from Helion Energy to discuss her experience working in the industry as a fusion nuclear materials scientist. References: First principles review of optio...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 65
Andrew and Jared are back! After inspiration from the documentary known as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight Trilogy we are taking a look at materials that are used to stop ballistic impacts. From the race tire material we wear as vests to the futuristic magnetorheological fluid soaked fabrics. Sources: Body Armor Materials Overview How Stuff Works: Liquid Body Armor Ballistic Performance of Natural Fiber Based Soft and Hard Body Armour- A Mini Review A Review on Synthetic Fibers for Polyme...
Mar 10, 2023•35 min•Ep. 64
We partnered with the CalNano to revisit Spark Plasma Sintering. How has the industry changed since we last discussed it? What is CalNano doing specifically to fuel that change? Take a listen and find out. Articles: A general method to synthesize and sinter bulk ceramics in seconds This episode is sponsored by CalNano. Check out their homepage here . This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and exper...
Feb 06, 2023•39 min•Ep. 63
In this special out of studio episode, Taylor sits down with Marlene Silva(publisher for Materials Today) and Susan Sinnott(department head and professor of Materials Science at Penn State) to discuss all the ins and outs of publishing. What are some good tips for first time publishers? What is an impact factor and is it even that useful? Take a listen and find out. This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science kno...
Jan 18, 2023•48 min•Ep. 62
We partnered with the Toyota Research Institute to take a dive into the science behind catalysis with researcher Joseph Montoya. Learn how catalytic converters drastically change the makeup of your car's exhaust and help create cleaner air for us all. Articles: The tough calculus of emissions and the future of EVs MOF-derived carbonaceous materials enriched with nitrogen: Preparation and applications in adsorption and catalysis Single atom is not alone: Metal–support interactions in single-atom ...
Nov 28, 2022•56 min•Ep. 61
At a time where longevity and product life cycle is becoming increasingly important, learn how materials life can be modeled well before the production line. In this episode of our GE sponsored series we explore materials modeling and using tools such as Finite Element Analysis to save both money and materials. This episode is sponsored by GE, a leading company in a multitude of fields. Check out their research homepage here . Take a look at jobs here This episode is sponsored by Materials Today...
Oct 03, 2022•47 min•Ep. 60
We all know that solar panels take heat from the sun and turn it into energy/ What you may not know is the science behind that process and the materials that make it possible. Taylor sits down with his adventure buddy/photovoltaics expert Mike Scarpulla from the University of Utah. This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences, educ...
Aug 29, 2022•Ep. 59
How does a company like GE use machine learning to further their research into new materials and technology? Find out in the first episode of our General Electric sponsored series where we sit down with two experts at GE Andrew Detor and Kareem Aggour. This episode is sponsored by GE, a leading company in a multitude of fields. Check out their research homepage here . Take a look at jobs here This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and shari...
Jul 15, 2022•50 min•Ep. 58
In this bonus episode Taylor is interviewed by the "Breaking Math" podcast about why he is so passionate about the study of materials. You can find more about them here: Breaking Math Podcast 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 [email protected] or connect with us on social media: Instagram , Twitter ....
Jun 13, 2022•55 min
Papers future is not written in stone. Taylor sits down with Phil Wild of James Cropper to discuss the past of the company as well as the future and in turn of paper. Learn all of the science that goes into nailing the perfect color as well as the expansion into other areas of the market. This episode is sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-reviewed journals, academic conference...
May 26, 2022•44 min•Ep. 57
Taylor and Ramsey take you on a journey through the world of modern dentistry. Learn how we evolved from honey to complex composites for teeth repair. Also get a glimpse into the research Ramsey is doing in pursuit of his PHD. This episode is also sponsored by Materials Today , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences, educational webinars, and more. Thanks to Kolobyte and ...
May 03, 2022•32 min•Ep. 56
Anyone who has worked with ceramics knows that they are notoriously difficult to work with and gain data on. We sit down with Daniele Paganelli to discuss their current measurement devices and how they work. We also look to the future as Daniele explains their plans for a new online ceramics database and marketplace. This episode is sponsored by Expert Lab Service , if you need devices to get real time data on Ceramics, consultation on how to run tests, or someone to run the tests for you consid...
Apr 11, 2022•39 min•Ep. 55
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 [email protected] 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
