Latest from Materials

Ryzhov Sergey | Dreamstime
Scanning electron microscope
Bricking Solutions
The bricking machine holds the refractory bricks firmly against the furnace shell and aligns the brickwork to avoid catastrophic failure. This also avoids falling debris and other dangers throughout the bricking process, which reduces the chance of injury.
Fraunhofer IFAM
The thin, structureless layers of UltraPlas allow both nanoscale surface structures, e.g., for the nanoimprint process, and mirror-gloss surfaces to be perfectly reproduced.
IBC Advanced Alloys
Beralcast beryllium-aluminum alloy bars.
Photo 78234546 © Moreno Soppelsa | Dreamstime.com
Aleksandr Matveev | Dreamstime
Thiti Tangjitsangiem | Dreamstime
'Availability of new foundry sand is already becoming a challenge, along with the need of providing new solutions to waste management,” according to the director of a metallurgical research center.
Branimir Ritonja | Dreamstime
Automotive cast parts.
DTE
DTE liquid-phase laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy” (LP-LIBS™) analyzer.

Bracing for Impact

Aug. 7, 2025
Small – even subatomic – developments will have major consequences. Some metallurgical advances that are well beyond the concept stage are likely to have industrial or commercial consequences in the months to come.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, learn about three developments in nonferrous metallurgy that promise to reshape industrial manufacturing. The discussion highlights breakthrough research from the Pacific Northwest and Ames National Laboratories, including advances in solid-phase alloying of aluminum scrap and the discovery of a new multi-element alloy for high-temperature turbine applications. There’s also news of collaboration between an aluminum producer and spectroscopy experts to enhance real-time analysis of molten metals. Together, these innovations point to a future where metallurgical progress drives both performance and sustainability.

Download the Great Question podcast here.

About the Author

Robert Brooks | Content Director

Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries. His work has covered a wide range of topics, including process technology, resource development, material selection, product design, workforce development, and industrial market strategies, among others.