Scripps Research Institute, a premier facility for research and development in biomedical sciences, has been awarded a patent on a procedure that promises to usher in a whole new type of chemistry. The patented process is based on the use of copper to catalyze components from two large chemical groups, azides and alkynes, enabling the formation of an enormous array of new molecules. Some of the substances will find use in surface technologies, including anti-bacterial and non-immunogenic coatings for medical implants, and coatings for semiconductors.

By modifying a piezoelectric polypropylene foam with silicone rubber, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a material completely unlike conventional brittle piezoelectric materials. Unique because its piezoelectric and physical properties can be controlled separately, a rubberized plastic may pave the way for novel applications, among them: wallpaper speakers, lightweight energy-scavenging devices, and foldable speakers.

Sintering may well lead the way among additive processes in turning 3D models into production parts and not just prototypes. Requiring no tooling, sintering is practical for making one-of-a-kind objects, such as dental prostheses and hip replacements. The process can also produce several dissimilar objects simultaneously — as many as the designer can fit onto the build platform. Still another plus: sintering can produce complex shapes with little or no machining.

Industrial designers and engineers working with plastics could get a productivity boost from new version 6.2 of Moldflow Plastics Insight. Users report that they are able to work faster on larger models and interface to more applications, since the tool supports 64-bit architecture. You can also customize the new user interface, based on your job function, skill set, and experience, a feature that promises to speed implementation and cut support costs.

Significant inroads are being made in automotive assembly with crash-durable adhesives in a myriad of new car models. The breakthrough structural adhesive that makes much lighter cars possible overcomes previous brittleness at cold temperatures by incorporating nanometer-sized toughened particles created by "synergistic rubber toughening," according to Design News. The two-stage process also allows thinner steel sheet.

Due to the flexibility of plastic and rubber, electrical circuits may bend, fold, and wrap around any surface. Researchers have developed silicon-based circuits measuring 1.5 microns thick that may either bend or stretch, depending on whether the circuits attach to unstrained plastic sheets or pre-stretched rubber, respectively.

Researchers at the Hohenstein Institutes have discovered that microcapsules play a key role in drug and cosmetic delivery systems designed to transfer substances from textiles onto and into the skin. Various microcapsule depot structures were examined with regard to their mechanical strength, capacity to release substances, and resistance to washing.

Research in the UK may one day help the body repair or replace worn and broken bones. The scientists have been experimenting with special glass templates which release calcium and silica ions as they dissolve in the body. These materials, in turn, activate genes that stimulate bone growth, resulting in a bone-for-glass replacement process.

Once upon a time, a company making products for the electronics industry hired three hardware engineers for every software counterpart. Today's ratio is more like 10 to one in the other direction, and that doesn't count companies developing only software. Unfortunately, the pool of available software talent cannot keep up with the demand. How will we create high-quality software to power tomorrow's products? This piece from BBC News examines the challenge.

Swimsuit's Secret to Success

Development of the record-shattering swimsuit, the Speedo® LZR Racer®, took a global effort involving the collaboration of companies and organizations in the UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. But key to its success is an ultra lightweight, high-tech fabric produced by Italy's Mectex, employing its new Plasmaterial™ technology. The eco-friendly nanotechnology uses the energy of cold plasma to permanently modify the fabric's surface.

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"Plastics" Wants to be Your Friend...

A planned $5 million campaign to showcase the benefits of plastics has many wondering: Are "virtual friends" worth the time and money? What do you make of new media initiatives?