Purdue University

Glass in batteries to increase performance and safety

Professor believes using glassy solids as the electrolytes in batteries would make for safer, more powerful batteries.

Thermal metamaterial innovation

An international research team has used a "thermal metamaterial" to control the emission of radiation at high temperatures, an advance that could bring devices able to efficiently harvest waste heat from power plants and factories.

Printed graphene treated with lasers to enable paper electronics

Treating inkjet-printed, multi-layer graphene electric circuits and electrodes with a pulsed-laser process improves electrical conductivity without damaging paper, polymers or other fragile printing surfaces.

Hybrid system designed to harvest 'full spectrum' of solar energy

A new concept could bring highly efficient solar power by combining three types of technologies that convert different parts of the light spectrum and also store energy for use after sundown.

Vibrating footwear could help astronauts

Video of astronauts tripping over moon rocks can make for entertaining Internet viewing, but falls in space can jeopardize astronauts' missions and even their lives.

A thinner, flatter lens for wearables

Researchers have demonstrated the first flat — or planar — lens that works highly efficiently within the visible spectrum of light, covering the whole range of colors from red to blue.

Adaptive protein crystal could form new kind of protective material

Stretching or compressing the material in one direction causes the connected protein tiles to rotate in unison, resulting in a corresponding expansion or contraction in the opposite directions.

NextFlex America's flexible hybrid electronics manufacturing institute

NextFlex, America's Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute, has officially welcomed its founding members.

From allergens to anodes: pollen derived battery electrodes

Pollens, the bane of allergy sufferers, could represent a boon for battery makers: Recent research has suggested their potential use as anodes in lithium-ion batteries.

Harnessing the energy of small bending motions

For many applications such as biomedical, mechanical, or environmental monitoring devices, harnessing the energy of small motions could provide a small but virtually unlimited power supply.

New 3D nano-material enhances battery storage

The scientists' goal is to produce new materials for a host of uses, ranging from high-efficiency batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells and hydrogen storage devices to lightweight thermal coatings for hypersonic jets, multifunctional materials for aerospace, and more.

New partnership to develop electric motor for second season Formula E

Andretti Autosport has announced its new entity called Andretti Technologies. Working together with TE Connectivity, it will mainly be responsible for developing a new electric motor for the second season of the Formula E.

Inkjet-printed liquid metal could bring wearable tech

New research shows how inkjet-printing technology can be used to mass-produce electronic circuits made of liquid-metal alloys for "soft robots" and flexible electronics.

New technology converts packing peanuts to battery components

Researchers have shown how to convert waste packing peanuts into high-performance carbon electrodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that outperform conventional graphite electrodes, representing an environmentally friendly approach to reuse the waste.

Hybrid nanowires eyed for computers, flexible displays

A new process for coating copper nanowires with graphene - an ultrathin layer of carbon - lowers resistance and heating, suggesting potential applications in computer chips and flexible displays.

INDA - RISE & n3m 2015

INDA, the industry association for non-woven fabrics focused the keynotes of its RISE & n3m 2015 conference on emerging technologies and the way they could influence the future of non-wovens. To that end, presentations focused on the potential for innovation in fabrics and textiles and the way emerging technologies are expected to be integrated in traditional fabric technologies. Here IDTechEx provides a summary of its key learnings.

Nanoparticle network could bring fast-charging batteries

A new electrode design for lithium-ion batteries has been shown to potentially reduce the charging time from hours to minutes by replacing the conventional graphite electrode with a network of tin-oxide nanoparticles.

Seed grants for innovative energy research

Stanford University's Precourt Institute for Energy, Precourt Energy Efficiency Center and TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy have awarded eight seed grants totaling about $1.5 million for promising new research in clean technology and energy efficiency.

Nanoparticle network could bring fast-charging batteries

A new electrode design for lithium-ion batteries has been shown to potentially reduce the charging time from hours to minutes by replacing the conventional graphite electrode with a network of tin-oxide nanoparticles.

Electrically conductive plastics promising for batteries, solar cells

An emerging class of electrically conductive plastics called "radical polymers" may bring low-cost, transparent solar cells, flexible and lightweight batteries, and ultrathin antistatic coatings for consumer electronics and aircraft.