TS-076188 — Polypropylene (PP) is an attractive engineering polymer due to its low cost, recyclability, chemical resistance, and favorable processing characteristics. However, conventional PP is notoriously difficult to foam because of its low melt strength and highly crystalline structure, often resulting in…

TS-073740 — Magnesium is the lightest structural metal and offers compelling weight‑reduction potential for transportation and other markets. However, broader adoption has been limited by the poor room‑temperature formability, modest strength, and narrow processing windows of conventional magnesium extrus…

TS-073732 — Advanced lithium-ion batteries increasingly adopt metallized polymer current collectors to improve safety by mitigating internal short circuits and thermal runaway. However, these collectors are inherently difficult to join to each other and to battery tabs using conventional manufacturing methods…

TS-073602 — Lightweighting and sustainability goals in transportation and advanced manufacturing are driving interest in bio‑based structural materials. Densified wood (“superwood”) offers metal‑like strength with a renewable feedstock, but its adoption is limited by the lack of robust, manufacturable…

TS-073289 — Understanding how cells respond to soluble signals under diffusion-limited conditions remains a significant gap in current in vitro models. Most microfluidic systems rely on convective flow, which does not accurately reflect transport in interstitial tissue or solid tumors, where diffusion dominat…

TS-073264 — Low‑oxygen, toxic environments created by fires or explosions in mines, tunnels, and enclosed spaces remain a leading cause of fatalities for trapped occupants and rescuers. Current self‑contained breathing and escape devices are constrained by limited oxygen supply, bulk, weight, heat generat…

TS-072941 — Current additive manufacturing (AM) methods for high-performance alloys, such as Inconel 718, face significant challenges: poor control over microstructure, high porosity, and limited resistance to harsh environments (e.g., high temperature, hydrogen attack). These issues lead to premature failure…

TS-071745 — The Need Current two-way shape memory polymers (SMPs) require expensive, crystalline or liquid crystalline monomers and complex synthesis, limiting their use in cost-sensitive and biocompatible applications. Widely used amorphous polymers (e.g., polystyrene, PMMA) are inexpensive and common in con…

TS-065430 — Cost-effective method to prevent damaged electrodes when welding thin foils.

TS-065428 — The Ohio State University researchers led by Dr. Rajiv Shivpuri have developed a die design approach for friction stir extrusion that optimizes metal flow to improve production efficiencies.