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Engineers create stretchable, super-tough structures
April 10th, 2015
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) have created a material made from nanofibers that can stretch up to seven times its length and still remain tougher than Kevlar®. These structures absorb up to 98 joules per gram, as opposed to Kevlar, often used to make bulletproof vests, which can absorb up […]
Kansai University and Teijin develop piezoelectric fabrics for wearables
March 6th, 2015
Kansai University, Osaka, Japan, and Teijin Ltd. have announced that Prof. Yoshiro Tajitsu, Engineering Science, Kansai University, and Teijin have developed what the company terms the world’s first polylactic acid (PLA) fiber- and carbon-fiber-based piezoelectric fabrics. The new piezoelectric fabrics combine Teijin’s polymer and textile technologies with Prof. Tajitsu’s knowledge of piezoelectric materials. Piezoelectricity is […]
The energy around us
February 7th, 2014
Researchers are making progress on energy harvesting technologies and are identifying where improvements are needed. Editor’s Note: I had a phone conversation with prominent energy harvesting researcher Dr. Shashank Priya, Virginia Tech, about the status of kinetic energy harvesting technology. My goal was to get a sense of where the research sits currently, and what […]