materials science and engineering

Dec 21, 2015

This is what science looks like at NC State: Veronica Augustyn

As a little kid growing up in Poland, minerals – and especially gemstones – fascinated me. They were beautiful, rare, and I wanted to know how to make them for myself! Little did I know that my fascination would one day lead me to become a professor of materials science and engineering. 

Dec 18, 2015

Magnetic nanoparticle chains offer new technique for controlling soft robots

Researchers from NC State University have developed a technique for using chains of magnetic nanoparticles to manipulate elastic polymers in three dimensions, which could be used to remotely control new “soft robots.” 

Nov 30, 2015

New phase of carbon discovered

Researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered a new phase of solid carbon, called Q-carbon, which is distinct from the known phases of graphite and diamond. They have also developed a technique for using Q-carbon to make diamond-related structures at room temperature and at ambient atmospheric pressure in air. 

Nov 11, 2015

Researchers detail how to control shape, structure of DNA and RNA

Researchers at North Carolina State University have used computational modelling to shed light on precisely how charged gold nanoparticles influence the structure of DNA and RNA – which may lead to new techniques for manipulating these genetic materials. 

Nov 10, 2015

Researchers find way to make metals stronger without sacrificing ductility

Researchers at North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a technique to make titanium stronger without sacrificing any of the metal’s ductility – a combination that no one has achieved before. 

Oct 7, 2015

Researchers aim to develop new techniques for creating high-temperature alloys

NC State University is taking the lead in a new initiative aimed at addressing fundamental scientific questions that could lead to the development of so-called “entropy-stabilized alloys” that can withstand extremely high temperatures. 

Oct 6, 2015

More than a nail polish

A powerful tool for preventing sexual assault begins with a senior design project 

Oct 6, 2015

CASL renewal will drive research across the College

Funding for the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL), an Energy Innovation Hub that includes work by NC State’s Colleges of Engineering and Science, has been renewed by the U.S. Department of Energy for an additional five years and $121.5 million. 

Oct 1, 2015

Researchers measure how specific atoms move in dielectric materials

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and UNSW Australia have measured the behavior of specific atoms in dielectric materials when exposed to an electric field.