Open Celled Metal Foam

Although the thermal properties are outstanding, the foam also exhibits a lot of other excellent properties:
- Thermal: cladding the outside of an oil cooling tube with a small layer of metal foam will increase the cooling performance by about 100%
- Visual: Combining the aesthetical effect with some of the other unique properties of the foam (heat transfer, anti-splashing) results in a functional design product with a perfect balance between performance and aesthetics, such as in radiators and lampshades
- Structural: the ultra light structure (the foam consists of 99 percent air) can help dampen vibrations, absorb energy, or provide structural strength when applied as a sandwich panel.
- Flow characteristics: the foam tends to diffuse & mix fluids very efficiently, or fungates as an anti-splashing wall for fast moving fluids.
- Fire propagation will slow down or completely be eliminated.
- Electrical: the foam can act as electrical conductor for eg LED lights integrated in the structure
- Sound absorption: the open cell structure dampens a traversing sound wave by resonance effects in the cavities.

http://www.bekaert.com/
filed under: automotive, materials, military & defence

Property spectrum: Porosity
Solid bodies and shapes trend towards increased porosity. Porosity is achieved through the incorporation of hollow spaces or pores. Porosity allows for reduced weight, improved surface area and increased thermal properties.

http://www.newlaunches.com/
filed under: automotive, technologies, materials

Property spectrum: Colour
The increased use of colour here helps add a guidance indicator to the system. The speedometer changes colour according to how hard each gear is driven.

Compressed-Air Energy Storage

http://www.popularmechanics.com/
filed under: energy, machines & engines, gadgets

Property spectrum: Coordination
This principle describes the coordination between components, systems, and their environments towards a common goal. Wind power can be used to compress the air for easier storing in tanks.

I Love Sketch

Shadowless Skyscraper

Sustainable buildings bring great advantages especially to those who want to save from energy, gas, lessen carbon emission and more earth saving concerns. More and more people are now aiming for self-sustainable infrastructures just like the architects Herzog and de Meuron who have presented their design for a triangular building in the Porte de Versailles area of Paris, France. The purpose of the triangular design is to prevent structure from casting shadows on adjacent buildings and will eventually allow generating an optimum solar and winding power. This building is not simply just a modern building, but it will help neighboring structures to have enough space for air and light as the building continues to get higher.

http://www.igreenspot.com/
filed under: architecture, building & construction, environment

Property spectrum: Shape
We live in a three dimensional world, but many of the products we make are limited to one or two dimensions. This trend shows that the evolution to a 3D shape can prevent the building from casting a shadow onto other buildings.

TX Active Cement

"The commitment to Sustainable Development, which is a feature of the operations of the Italcementi Group, does not end with our industrial management policies. This duty, together with the progress linked to the development of our "Innovation Project", has led us to open up a new horizon for Italcementi. Alongside the production of cement which is of increasingly high performance from a structural viewpoint, we are entering a new sector: that of special cement products aimed at providing a genuine industrialized solution to the problem of pollution in cities.

TX Active is a photocatalytic principle for cement products which can reduce organic and inorganic pollutants that are present in the air. Its effectiveness has been thoroughly tested and thus certified by important independent research centers (CNR, ARPA, Ispra Research Center). Its formulation is the result of 10 years of research, tests and applications carried out by CTG, Group Technical Centre, a company in the Italcementi Group which has led to the final formulation of the active principle. Italcementi will make this material available to the whole construction sector which will thus be able to offer products with high quality standards under the TX Active® brand.

Since its first utilization in Rome, the development and improvement of this type of cement has been relentless; if the early cements were effective in keeping the surfaces clean, the level of photoactivity of the new Environment Line is such that it abates the organic and inorganic substances responsible for air pollution.

http://www.italcementigroup.com/
filed under: architecture, environment

Property spectrum: Activity
Materials increasingly evolve from passive to full adaptive materials. The photocatalytic reaction produced by the cement can help reduce pollutants in the surrounding air.