FYI, NEW MATERIAL Scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have invented a polyethylene-based material called RXF1 that's has 3 times the tensile strength of aluminum, yet is 2.6 times lighter. "This new material is a first in the sense that it combines superior structural properties with superior shielding properties," says Nasser Barghouty, Project Scientist for NASA's Space Radiation Shielding Project at MSFC.
FUEL CELLS Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have pinpointed a chemical that could allow polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells to operate at a much higher temperature without moisture, potentially meaning that polymer fuel cells could be made much more cheaply than ever before, and finally run at temperatures high enough to make them practical for use in cars and small electronics. The team discovered that a chemical called triazole is significantly more effective than similar chemicals researchers have explored to increase conductivity and reduce moisture dependence in polymer membranes. The use of triazole also solves one of the most persistent problems of fuel cells -- heat. Ceramic fuel cells currently on the market run at a very high temperature (about 800 degrees C) and are too hot for most portable applications such as small electronics. KRron
