Materials Science Harvesting energy from vibrations for powering small electronics. Here's a paper I wrote examining piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters. Enjoy! Further reading (papers I didn't have time to read before turning this assignment in but
Materials Science Atomic force microscopy for studying surface topology. Ever wonder what a surface looks like at the microscale? Atomic force microscopy is commonly used in materials science to visualize surface topology. While it is often considered to be quite slow, it is often a useful materials characterization technique. Image credit [http://staff.
Materials Science Ductile to brittle transitions in materials. Understanding of fracture behavior is useful in selecting materials for product designs, and it is incredibly valuable to know if a material will experience a ductile-brittle transition and what temperature this transition occurs. Knowledge of a material's ductile-brittle transition temperature can prevent
Materials Science What is x-ray diffraction? X-ray diffraction is a common materials characterization technique that allows for identification of crystal orientations and interatomic spacing. X-rays are used for this because the wavelength is on the same length scale as interatomic spacing and lattice parameter values. What's going on?
Materials Science How does scanning electron microscopy work? Ever wonder how we can see things so small, the human eye doesn't even know it exists? Today I'll be writing about how scanning electron microscopes allow us to see far beyond what traditional microscopes can provide. You see, optical
Materials Science The lotus leaf: how nature makes water-repellent materials. Ever wonder what makes a material water-repellent? Hydrophobic materials can be useful in a myriad of applications, basically anywhere where you don't want your things to get wet.
