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Materials

Magna Introduces 100% Melt-Recyclable Foam for Seating

Magna last week announced the development of EcoSphere, which it calls an industry-first product that will prevent one category of material — seat foam padding and trim covers —...

Articles

Nanotechnology

Metamaterials R&D Targets NVH Abatement

Acoustics engineers have a broad variety of materials from which to choose for reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in vehicles. But their selection often comes with a measurable downside:...

Technology Report

Green Design & Manufacturing

Ford’s Mielewski Envisions Broad Portfolio of Renewable Materials

A broad portfolio of renewable materials is available now that can help the automotive industry reduce its carbon footprint. Many of these new materials exceed the...

Articles

Nanotechnology

Stuck on Structural Adhesives

A funny thing happened on the way to the total-vehicle lightweighting that’s now a common engineering dictate for nearly every new vehicle: structural adhesives—which entered low-volume automotive use in...

News

Materials

Citroen C4 Cactus

Its birth may have been way back in 1955, but any mention among auto-industry technology aficionados of Citroën’s then startlingly radical DS will generate a sigh of admiration that echoes the sighs of the car's radical...

Briefs

Materials

Processing and Characterization of Lightweight Syntactic Materials

Conventional composite materials, in which a matrix material is reinforced by particulates, whiskers, and/or continuous fibers, have long been of interest as potential materials...

Briefs

Aerospace

Experimental Setup to Assess Blast and Penetration- Induced Secondary Debris in a Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Environment

As part of Project Agreement on Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), the US Army Research...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Advanced Multifunctional Materials for High Speed Combatant Hulls

Currently small boat combatant design focuses primarily on speed and maneuverability. It would be advantageous to expand these capabilities to include reduced radar...

Articles

Defense

Sandwich Cores for the Future

The search for lighter weight, stronger materials to construct airplanes and spacecraft remains as important as ever. But it takes a long time for new materials in aerospace structures to make their way into...

Technology Update

Test & Measurement

Enabling high-strength composites to reach their full potential

The use of composite materials for construction of aerospace components began in the early 1980s and is now the material of choice for commercial and military airframe designers....

Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Modeling Supports Energy-Saving Microwave Technologies

During the Apollo Program, astronauts on the Moon encountered a small menace that created big problems: lunar dust. Similar to how tiny bits of Styrofoam behave on Earth — adhering to...

Articles

Aerospace

Advances in High-Frequency PCB Materials

Traditionally, RF/microwave printed circuit board applications were developed based on the needs that came out of the military market. Applications like radar and guidance systems were operating at...

Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Outdoor Synthetic Aperture Acoustic Ground Target Measurements

A novel outdoor synthetic aperture acoustic (SAA) system consists of a microphone and loudspeaker traveling along a 6.3-meter rail system. This is an extension of a prior indoor...

Briefs

Physical Sciences

Fluid Helmet Liner for Protection Against Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury

An Advanced Combat Helmet liner design uses the novel idea of including filler materials inside channels in the liner. An energy-absorbing foam was selected for the main liner structure, and several filler material candidates of widely varying properties are being...

Briefs

Materials

Polymer Matrix Composite Materials for a Structural Multifunctional Fuel Cell

A structural multifunctional fuel cell design enables material elements participating in power or energy processes to also carry significant structural loads. Power...