Mother-of-pearl, the iridescent layer in the shells of some mollusks, inspired a Rice University study that will help scientists and engineers judge the ultimate strength, stiffness and toughness of ...

Scientists have discovered the surprising strength of a sheet of nanoparticles that measures just 50 atoms in thickness. "It's an amazing little marvel," said one of the researchers. "This is not a ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A new featherweight, flame-resistant and super-elastic “metamaterial” has been shown to combine high strength with electrical conductivity and thermal insulation, suggesting ...

What is Hall-Petch Strengthening? Hall-Petch strengthening is a phenomenon where decreasing the average grain size of a material leads to increased yield strength and hardness. This effect is ...

In my January 2019 column, I discussed methods to determine whether properties obtained from mechanical testing of composites are correct — or even reasonable. One of the methods focused on comparing ...