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Moldable Magnets
leb writes, "What if researchers could create a tough, lightweight, moldable material, with "tunable" magnetic properties? Molded into different shapes, such a material might someday prove useful for high-density data storage, anti-static coatings for aircraft or spacecraft, and a
host of other applications. A first step toward tunable, ceramic magnets is reported by a group of researchers from University of Toronto. "
Just one more piece of the puzzle for Canada's impending world domination... But seriously. I wonder if means that someone will actually invent the "chick magnet".
I've no idea if that's still in the plan, but the idea is still viable, I'd imagine, and would definitely help study the structure of the material, if not gain insight into ways to improve it.
such technology could also greatly impact maglev trains. rails could be further optimized to maximize lift and speed
They've managed to embed iron filings in rubber. Forgive me but is this really new? I used to have such a toy when I was a kid.
threadeds blog
Cambridge uni boffins have just announced a magnetic chip design supposedly 40 odd thousand times more power efficient than the silicon flavour. This BBC article has the full story.
henry [ w i r e t r a p . n e t ]
Well, first of all, an anti-static coating needs to be conductive, magetic properties are irrelevant for static control.
Second, they say the material has to be heated to 500 degrees Celsius as part of the fabrication procedure. Are they planning to bake entire airplanes and spacecraft at 500 degrees?
Of course, if they manage to make iron nanoclusters with the exact number of atoms to optimize magnetic properties, this would be interesting for data storage. Expect to see cheaper hardisks with more capacity in the future. But bigger, cheaper HDs cannot be called "news" anymore, can they?
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Researchers at Penn St. are using magnetic fields to try and make viable antimatter propulsion. It can also be used for more efficient nuclear propulsion (think easily thrustable and safer).
Electric car engines with tunable properties; I would think it would make for a much more efficient engine.
I would also like a lightweight, flexible, magnetic body suit so I can play around in a strong magnetic field to simulate low gravity.
It can also revolutionize the Fridge door magnet industry.
IANAL, but I play one on
I also don't see the static connection.
But the temperatures reached in manufacturing the material are very different from the temperatures that they need to subject the entire craft to. If you don't believe me consider what temperatures steel is made at and ask if they ever have to heat the entire plane to that temperature...
And about hard drives. Moore's law is faster for them than for other components. If current trends continue the in the next decade it will become reasonable to replace RAM with miniature hard drives!
Cheers,
Ben
My usual seat in the cluetrain is at A HREF="http://pub4.ezboard.com/biwethey.ht
What's the big deal? I've got a whole collection of molded magnets on my refrigerator door. I've got them in the shape of plumbers vans, pizzas, even mickey mouse.
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I don't know about anyone else here, but I can see how this could help create vastly more efficient transformers. Each transformer has a unique resonant frequency - the one it transforms most efficiently at. This is also the least "noisy" frequency to convert at - the waveform makes it through without looking like a lawnmower went over it. If we can tune these things to 50 or 60hz that would be.. well.. awesome.
Scientists at a top research facility have theorized on a possible application of the use of this magnetic material as a random access stroage medium in computers. Tiny doughnut-shaped rings of the material would be located at every intersection in a grid of thin wires strung along two axes. Any single magnetic ring can be addressed via two wires (one on each axis). A third wire will wind its way through all of the magnetic rings along a diagonal pattern. To store a bit, the x,y wires will receive a large pulse of current. The polarity of this pulse determines wheather a '1' or a '0' is to be stored in the tiny ring. To read the bit back, Another pulse (always in the same polarity is sent down the x,y axes again). Depending on the currently magnetized state of the ring, a differing current pulse level will be detected in the 3rd wire which can be used to interpret the stored value. Since this pulse may destroy the bit value stored in the magnetic ring, the value just read must be written back immediately to the ring. This exciting new technology means that someday, computers may have many planes of vast grids of these tiny magnetic beads as their primary work storage. And will shrink the size computers down greatly while making them much faster. Scientists have yet to name this new technology and will turn to the public for ideas on this matter. Yes folks, it's an exciting time to be alive!
As far as I remember in my Chemistry degree, the only material other than Iron that exhibited ferromagentic properties were derivatives of that enigmatic C60 molecule, buckminsterfullerine. This research isn't the true way forward, while we are gaining magnet hybrids, the magnetic element is still metallic. The most exciting research comes from these organic magnets, which can be used for infinate different things.
:o)
... :o)
Unfortunately, as far as I remember, the only decent non-metallic ferromagnet only kicks in at about 35 Kelvin. But research is underway to make an organic magnet that exhibits ferromagnetic properties at the temperature of liquid nitrogen, a much more industrially workable temperature. But, I can't see a 3 metre squared cooling unit just so I can have a 300 TB hard drive
Boring yes, but I'm sure someone out there finds it interesting
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.
Puhleeez!
Cell phones have been suggested to cause tumors, not PROVEN.
And the EM field dangers are likely even more dubious. There's a great old episode of Frontline on how the research that spawned these fears is a spectacular example of flawed analysis.
The best line of the Frontline is when a more clueful scientist points out that outside of a few meters proximity the level of radiation coming from power lines is bupkus compared to that coming from the sun and earth:
"It's like your neighbor calling you up during a windstorm and saying 'Your cat is breathing on my tree.'"
"You can't get something for nothing." - my grandfather, on the stock market and Reaganomics.
COOL! Here's another application: I bet if you tuned some magnets to radiate at the right frequency, you might be able to heat food!
"You can't get something for nothing." - my grandfather, on the stock market and Reaganomics.
Can somebody either describe to me or point me to a description of how you would use these little magnetic elements to create logic elements?