Green businesses still save green

The Environmental Defense Fund is using a new report to try and re-inspire businesses to make efforts to go green. Sarah Gardner has more on the small moves some companies are making that are saving them millions.

The double-edged sword of nanoTubes

Nanotubes have unusual properties that may advance our ability to target drug delivery especially in cancer tumors, but at the same time the technology has the potential to cause cancer similar to asbestos.

http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2005-08-22d.asp

Nanotechnology - Health Risks - Mice Study Suggests Potential Health Risk in Tiny Carbon Fibers - New York Times

http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v3/n7/abs/nnano.2008.111.html

New Trespa Design Centre in New York

Trespa North America Ltd is opening a new Design Centre in New York. The Trespa Design Centre is a unique concept. The main purpose is to meet and inspire the large concentration of trendy and innovative architects who work in the city but are involved with projects nationwide

New Trespa Design Centre in New York

Evolution of form in Game Controllers and Cell phones

New Scientist Technology Blog: The evolution of gadget design

Shows a video of cell phone evolution

Quantifying the impact of materials on the environment

Sustainable Design - Express Computer

This website has an interesting overview of sustainability from a materials perspective, including the beginnings of a method for calculating the "Impact" of a material.

Their project, called Okala, http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/ecosection/okala.html is currently updating its list of calculated “impact” values for hundreds of materials and processes. For example, one assigns a value of 140 to a product if the material used is aluminum, while switching to the use of ABS plastic (which takes less energy to process in the raw form) brings the impact down to 47.

Bakelite

Bakelite

This website explains the history of Bakelite - one of the first synthetic polymers. It was notoriusly used for phones. Because it was so dense the receivers were really heavy and often used in the movies to hit someone in the head and knock them unconcious.

CompositesWorld.com - High-Performance Composites - Spread tow key to new hockey stick design - May 2008

http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/spread-tow-key-to-new-hockey-stick-design.aspx
Carbon - epoxy Composite material where the weaving of the carbon fibers create superior strength.

Frozen smoke - it's the lightest solid material on the planet.

http://w1.cabot-corp.com/controller.jsp?entry=product&N=23+4294967252+1000

Check out the video

It looks like frozen smoke. And it's the lightest solid material on the planet. Aerogel is perfect for a variety of insulation applications including apparel, daylighting, oil and gas and LNG and cryogenic systems. It can also absorb oil and create a matte finish for coatings. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist Alex Gash shows us some remarkable properties of this truly unique substance.

Samsung Turns ''TV into Art'' with the Availability of New ''Touch of Color'' Designed LCD HDTVs

An example of how a change in PROCESS reduces material. The color in the chassis of this TV is provided through refracting light by varying the density of the material, not by adding pigments. Its like a giant prism.

Samsung Turns ''TV into Art'' with the Availability of New ''Touch of Color'' Designed LCD HDTVs

Samsung is the first manufacturer in the HDTV industry to employ dual-injection technology commonly used in the design of premium automobiles, which embeds color not with paint or dye, but instead with material. By controlling the density of the transparent and opaque material used in the process, the resulting bezel mimics a natural sunset with distinct red and black gradation. Nature’s inspiration on the ToC bezel is also apparent in the effect that ambient light levels have on the red hue’s brightness, offering an ambience that is reminiscent of viewing a piece of art. The idea of ToC ultimately stems from Samsung's desire to give consumers a well-designed HDTV that fits into any home not only as an entertainment hub, but as a piece of functional art.

An example of how a change in PROCESS reduces material. The color is provided through the science of refraction by varying the density of the material, not by adding pigments.

The Great PVC Controversy

PVC is short for poly(vinyl chloride made by polymerizing the monomer vinyl chloride. PVC is a very strong and very rigid plastic used to make pipes and to make the "vinyl" siding on the outside of houses. Because it contains chlorine, PVC is flame-resistant making it useful for fixtures in the interiors of airplanes and other places where a fire could be especially dangerous. But there are risks as well.

PVC

Nylon

This website tells the story of how nylon was invented at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, how DuPont turned the laboratory research into a full-fledged industrial process, and how nylon and nylon products have come to pervade the world's daily life.

Please Explain: Plastic
It’s virtually impossible to get through the day without using plastic, but it’s only been widely available to consumers for about 100 years. We find out what plastic is, why it’s so useful, and whether we should be concerned about its widespread use. Dr. Mark Michalovic is Educational Consultant with the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Robert Malloy of UMass Lowell is a researcher in the areas of plastics product design, polymer processing, recycling of thermoplastics.