By Jamie Oberdick
Systems in the Universe trend toward disorder, with only applied energy keeping the chaos at bay. The concept is called entropy, and examples can be found everywhere: ice melting, campfire burning, water boiling. Zentropy theory, however, adds another level to the mix.
By Jamie Oberdick
Ceramics and glass are two materials that have been around since ancient times, yet many people outside of materials science are unaware of the impact they have on their lives beyond the obvious.
By Jamie Oberdick
UNVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new type of ferroelectric polymer that is exceptionally good at converting electrical energy into mechanical strain holds promise as a high-performance motion controller or “actuator” with great potential for applications in medical devices, advanced robotics, and precision positioning systems, according to a team of international researchers led by Penn State.
While a lot of the focus on fighting climate change lands on things like gasoline vehicles and factory emissions, computers gobble up plenty of carbon-based energy on their own.
Impedance spectroscopy is a linear technique implemented to study the electrical properties of dielectric and semi-conductive materials by applying an AC electric field (stimulus) and measuring the electrical current through the sample (response) over a range of frequencies and temperatures. Impedance spectroscopy informs on the polarizations contributing to the dielectric behavior of materials as well as dielectric relaxation (Δε), thermal transitions (Tg), ferroelectric transitions (Tc), charge distribution in materials (bulk, depleted layers, grain boundaries, etc.).
This system measures the electrical and mechanical displacement of dielectric materials induced by an applied AC field. The following properties can be extracted:
Compared to their traditional battery counterparts, solid-state batteries have higher energy potential and are safer, making them key to advancing electric vehicle development and use
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