Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1099220 "hydrogels exhibit strong swelling/ uncontrollable degradation restricting applications' long-term performance, overcome using nanocolloidal hydrogel... nanoparticles self-assemble into hydrophobic nanodomains preventing water uptake... UV-triggered polymerization photocrosslinked network interconnects nanoparticles while preserving internal hydrophobic phases, yielding transparent, mechanically tunable gels... long-term drug delivery, soft-tissue augmentation, implantables, wound healing, wearables"

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-superlubricity-frictionless-state-macroscale.html "previously only achievable at nanoscale... carbon (nanocrystals with graphene footprint variants), sustainably produced/ deposited using high temperature biowaste process, coating substrates of structural steels, Ti, Ni alloys... carbon nanocrystals deform, flatten, coalesce in wear tracks forming graphitic films... under ambient atmospheric conditions,... superlubricious coefficient of friction ~0.003, coating life ~150,000 cycles... automotive fuel efficiency, manufacturing and industrial machinery, electronic devices" Related: Ultrasonic deep drawing cuts friction by 20%, extends tool lifespan https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-ultrasonic-deep-friction-tool-lifespan.html Superlubricity enables frictionless sliding in electronic devices only two atoms thick https://phys.org/news/2025-02-superlubricity-enables-frictionless-electronic-devices.html Revolution in friction: A way to make super-smoo...

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-class-polymer-lubricants-revolutionize-cold.html "reduced friction-related energy loss minimizing accompanying tool wear... applied directly to metal without complex pre-treatment, water-soluble easily removed afterwards with aqueous solvent, avoiding environmentally harmful chemicals and organic solvents... drawing dies subjected to minimal stress, less replacement... less HPPL polymer lubricant needed per application... >€10 million/ year can be saved... wire drawing, tube drawing, cold forging, springs, mesh, nails" Related: Plant proteins could be radical alternative to oil-based super lubricants https://phys.org/news/2024-09-proteins-radical-alternative-oil-based.html Revolutionary lubricant prevents friction at high temperatures https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1072466 Extremely low friction thanks to new solid state lubricant https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074016 Engineers develop solid lubricant to replace toxi...

https://cee.illinois.edu/news/59332 "very low friction turned on using external electric fields that modulate lubricant properties and material surfaces as well as interactions between them... 2D materials high mechanical strength and chemical and thermal stability... reducing energy consumption in nano- and micro-electromechanical systems, in addition to allowing dynamic control of friction while mitigating enhanced wear and corrosion of sliding surfaces when direct bias applied" Related: Most water-repellent surface ever created challenges existing ideas on friction https://thedebrief.org/most-water-repellent-surface-ever-created-challenges-existing-ideas-on-friction/ Control over friction, from small to large scales https://phys.org/news/2023-12-friction-small-large-scales.html A means for tuning friction on a flat surface without the use of math https://phys.org/news/2024-01-tuning-friction-flat-surface-math.html

https://phys.org/news/2023-01-humidity-key-super-lubricity.html "silicon oxide probe on a graphite basal plane... super-low friction increased 25X by water vapor and 45X by phenol vapor... water (from humidity) adsorbed on silica surface forms nanostructure similar to ice rearranging structure so that ice and graphite lattices match causing friction to go up... controlling material's surface humidity adjusts how silica slides on top of graphite surface... a super-lubricity on-off switch" Related: Researchers find the key to reducing drag on superhydrophobic surfaces can come down to a single parameter https://phys.org/news/2023-02-key-superhydrophobic-surfaces-parameter.html Chemically functionalized polymer nanoparticles reduce friction on steel surfaces https://phys.org/news/2023-02-chemically-functionalized-polymer-nanoparticles-friction.html Researchers dynamically tune friction in graphene https://phys.org/news/2023-09-dynamically-tune-friction-graphene.html A novel ...