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Corrosion on the International Space Station
Sasha Viasasha EngineeringSpace: the final frontier — for corrosion engineering. Keeping individuals alive and functional on board the International Space Station (ISS) requires an incredibly complex system of life-support machinery and equipment monitoring.
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Plastics in construction: A vision of the future
Adolfo Benedito Construction & Building MaterialsPlastics and their technology are youthful. We must remember the short history of plastic materials — which began in the late 19th century and grew throughout the 20th century — in relation to the wide experience of materials traditionally used in construction.
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Ceramic coatings for cooking equipment prove durable, save money
Richard Stratton Construction & Building MaterialsMaterials in food processing plants must meet high standards for sanitation and durability. Even periodic wash downs on noncontact food-cooking equipment like rotary sterilizers will cause traditional insulation to fail from water contact.
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New applied automotive weight-saving process technologies
Don Rosato ManufacturingThe average car contains 400 pounds of plastics or approximately 14 percent of its total weight, and it is accelerating in car manufacturing. Experts predict that these uses will more than double over the next five years. For example, Mazda has shaved 220 pounds from the curb weight of its Mazda2 over the previous model through material replacement and engineering, plastic process technology refinement, redesigning features and shrinking parts dimensions.
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Controlling and preventing corrosion in aircraft
Heather Rhoades Transportation Technology & AutomotiveSimilar to any other metal objects, aircraft are prone to corrosion. In only a few years, this problem can render a plane "unairworthy." As a general preventive measure, therefore, corrosion inhibitors are often applied on the surfaces of the metals used in building aircraft before assembly.
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Women in oil and gas: Why the US may be lagging behind
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesNumerous studies reaffirm the contribution of women to the workplace across all industries. But in the oil and gas sector — an industry with a lingering reputation of an "old boys' club" — it somehow still seems more of an uphill struggle to achieve meaningful participation by women.
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Proven corrosion control technologies enhanced by new research
Denise Gabbard Construction & Building MaterialsThree technologies used to control corrosion — hot-dip galvanizing, anodic protection and nanotechnology — are successfully combating harsh environmental conditions and leading to longer usable service lives and increased safety.
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Automotive lightweighting — Flash-forward material highlights
Don Rosato ManufacturingAutomotive lightweighting with alternative plastic materials will remain an important technology trend into the foreseeable 2020-2025 time period. The lightweighting potential of every vehicle component is under investigation, and advanced plastics and plastic composites offer significant lightweighting potential.
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Are electric cars an efficient renewable energy policy?
Stefanie Heerwig Natural ResourcesIn his 2011 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal — for the United States to become the first country in the world with 1 million electric cars on its roads by 2015. In fact, the U.S. currently has the largest electric car fleet in the world.
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Programs across the nation boosting interest in STEM fields
Bambi Majumdar EducationThere seems to a dichotomy between the STEM crisis and STEM demand in recent years. Conflicting reports claim that there are more STEM graduates than jobs available, while others claim that a lack of STEM graduates is a major factor in a surge of foreign students and more H1-B visas. Which one is true and which one should we believe?
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