Q&A: $2.5M grant to help reduce emissions, inefficiencies in industrial systems

Man standing outside with arms crossed

By Sarah Small

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A team led by researchers at Penn State recently received a $2,491,443 grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) to reduce emissions and increase thermal efficiency in industrial systems. The team, which includes researchers at Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Inc., plans to achieve these goals by developing a new ceramic heat exchanger. 

Graduate student’s materials science research recognized by national society

By Jamie Oberdick

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mingyu Yu, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at Penn State, recently received the Graduate Student Research Award from the professional society AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing for innovative research in two-dimensional materials. 

Proximity effect: Method allows advanced materials to gain new property

an RF magnetron sputtering system, with red light around it

By Matthew Carroll

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ferroelectrics are special materials with polarized positive and negative charges — like a magnet has north and south poles — that can be reversed when external electricity is applied. The materials will remain in these reversed states until more power is applied, making them useful for data storage and wireless communication applications.