Unified theory may reveal more superconducting materials
By Jamie Oberdick
Electricity flows through wires to deliver power, but it loses energy as it moves, delivering less than it started with. But that energy loss isn’t a given. Scientists at Penn State have found a new way to identify types of materials known as superconductors that allow power to travel without any resistance, meaning no energy is lost.
The lab as classroom
How MRI research facilities powers education at Penn State and beyond
By Jamie Oberdick
When most people think of cutting-edge scientific research, they imagine white-coated scientists, gleaming labs, and futuristic technologies. But at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute (MRI), the work goes deeper and reaches further. Here, research is not just a pipeline for innovation. It’s a dynamic engine of education, preparing students with hands-on experience, cultivating a future-ready workforce, and fulfilling the university’s land-grant mission.
Spinning up new flexible material for self-powered wearable sensors
By Jamie Oberdick
Could clothing monitor a person’s health in real time, because the clothing itself is a self-powered sensor? A new material created through electrospinning, which is a process that draws out fibers using electricity, brings this possibility one step closer.
A team led by researchers at Penn State developed a new fabrication approach that optimizes the internal structure of electrospun fibers to improve their performance in electronic applications. They published their findings in the Journal of Applied Physics.