Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have probably existed longer than we are aware, but the invention of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) allowed them to be seen for the first time. The initial buzz associated with CNT resulted after the 1991 discovery of multi-walled CNT in the insoluble material of arc-burned graphite rods.

One look at this month’s photo reveals the subject – stained glass. Like many of our topics, this one has a history. Unlike many, this history is impressive. Some things come and go with time, but the appeal of stained glass has remained. Many craftsmen today are dedicating their labors to restoring old stained-glass windows so that generations to come can enjoy their beauty.

There’s nothing quite like a bicycle ride in the country on a nice autumn day. Not all bikes are created equal, however. Heat treatment and material selection are the key variables in bicycle frames. We will do our best to sort it out for you.

Cast iron cookware is having a bit of a renaissance. This is likely spurred by its regular use on the Food Network, but cast iron offers several benefits not available with other cookware options. Before we discuss this in more depth, let’s look at what it takes to get that frying pan into your hot little hands.

It’s possible you have heard of Damascus steel, particularly if you are familiar with old swords, knives and guns. A book, The Art and Beauty of Damascus Steel, has been written on the subject. While this treatment of the topic might not do the book justice, Damascus steel is quite beautiful and holds much mystery.

One of the eight types of corrosion is galvanic corrosion. This occurs when two dissimilar metals are in contact, particularly when exposed to a corrosive medium.

Sometimes the most useful ideas are those that are taken for granted. Frequently, those ideas – like the mousetrap – are hard to improve on. Such is the case for the sun visor. Introduced in the 1930s, the visor became an automotive fixture that remains much as it was introduced over 90 years ago.

Today’s blast furnaces are distant cousins to the iron works of the early colonial era. One such operation – possibly the first successful iron works in the colonies – is the Tubal Works in Virginia. Started by Colonel Alexander Spotswood nearly 300 years ago, it later became known as Spotswood Furnace.

Aalberts surface technologies, a global provider of specialized thermal-processing solutions, announced that its U.S.-based businesses will begin doing business as Aalberts surface technologies. This rebrand is part of a global rebranding initiative that Aalberts began in 2020. The U.S.-based businesses included in this phase of the rebranding initiative include Aalberts Surface Treatment, Precision Plating Company, Roy Metal Finishing, Ushers Machine and Tool, Accurate Brazing, Ionic Technologies, Applied Process and Premier Thermal.

Because of its unique properties, aluminum has been of key importance in many of the developments of the past century. Why only a century or so? Because although aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth’s crust (8%), metallic aluminum was produced for the first time just 200 years ago. It was not until 1886 that a commercial process was developed – the Hall-Heroult process – to refine aluminum from alumina.