Purdue engineers have figured out a way to tackle plastic landfills while also improving batteries – by putting ink-free plastic soaked in sulfur-containing solvent into a microwave, and then into batteries as a carbon scaffold. Lithium-sulfur batteries have been hailed as the next generation of batteries to replace the current lithium ion variety. Lithium-sulfur batteries […]
Making Safer And More Powerful Lithium-ion Batteries Requires The Right Recipe
A Purdue University team has published research that examines the relationship between the active and inactive elements of lithium-ion batteries, and how the micro- and nano-structure of their respective ingredients reflects on the performance and safety of the batteries. The study was recently featured on the front cover of the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. […]
Technology Turns Smartphones Into On-The-Spot Detectors For Foodborne Illnesses
Purdue Universityresearchers have developed detection technology that allows a typical smartphone to analyze produce for foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, which has been linked to a deadly outbreak in romaine lettuce. The technology involves both hardware – a smartphone cradle – and software in the form of an application that is downloaded on the phone. […]
Computer-Controlled ‘Greenhouses’ In Kitchens That Grow Fresher, Healthier Produce
A Purdue University-affiliated startup that seeks to redefine “farm-to-table” when it comes to garden vegetables by delivering its first orders of an appliance that fits under a kitchen counter and grows produce year-round. Heliponix LLC, founded by two Purdue University graduates, has begun taking orders on its GroPod, a dishwasher-sized device its creators believe will disrupt […]
Microwaved Plastic Increases Lithium-Sulfur Battery Lifespan
Purdue engineers have figured out a way to tackle plastic landfills while also improving batteries — by putting ink-free plastic soaked in sulfur-containing solvent into a microwave, and then into batteries as a carbon scaffold. Lithium-sulfur batteries have been hailed as the next generation of batteries to replace the current lithium ion variety. Lithium-sulfur batteries […]
Water-Repellent Surfaces Can Efficiently Boil Water, Keep Electronics Cool
Surfaces that repel water can support efficient boiling if all air and vapor is removed from a system first, according to research featured on the cover of the most recent issue of Physical Review Letters. Water is typically boiled off hydrophilic surfaces to cool nuclear reactors and high-power electronics, preventing them from overheating. Purdue University research […]
Researchers Devise Novel Ultrafast Laser Beam Steering For Autonomous Cars That Is Less Complex, Uses Less Power
Researchers at Purdue University and Stanford University believe they have found a novel laser light sensing technology that is more robust and less expensive than currently available with a wide range of uses, including a way to guide fully autonomous vehicles. The researchers say their innovation is orders of magnitude faster than conventional leading-edge laser […]
Software Technology That Simulates LED Devices For Rapid Development Of Light Sources
A Purdue-affiliated company is developing a new time and cost effective software technology that could offer a more efficient and realistic way to model and simulate light emitting diodes (LEDs) in order to achieve more powerful and more efficient LED light sources often used in general lighting, automobile lighting and consumer electronics. Tillmann Kubis, a […]
Very Thin Film Could Help Manage Heat Flow In Future Devices
Purdue University researchers have demonstrated the ability of a thin film to conduct heat on just its surfaces, identifying a potential solution to overheating in electronic devices such as phones and computers. “When you try to make an electronic device, the heat dissipation is always a problem,” said Xianfan Xu, Purdue’s James J. and Carol […]
Researchers Demonstrate ‘Mind-Reading’ Brain-Decoding Tech
Researchers have demonstrated how to decode what the human brain is seeing by using artificial intelligence to interpret fMRI scans from people watching videos, representing a sort of mind-reading technology. The advance could aid efforts to improve artificial intelligence and lead to new insights into brain function. Critical to the research is a type of […]