Technical Innovations

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April 2008

Nanonails enable electrically tunable surfaces

With a surface composed of tightly packed nanostructures that resemble tiny nails, thus the term "nanonails," University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers and their colleagues from Bell Laboratories have created a material that can repel almost any liquid. But with a jolt of electricity, the liquid on the surface slips past the heads of the nanonails and spreads out between their shanks, wetting the surface completely.
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March 2008

Ceramic coatings—from DPFs to steam-powered car

To operate efficiently, diesel particulate filters (DPFs) need to reach their high operating temperatures quickly if they are to meet legislative requirements for reduced emissions levels. Zircotec thermal coating has been developed to reduce heat loss in diesel exhaust systems, helping DPFs to reach their optimum operating temperature faster.
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February 2008

Keeping tracks and wheels turning at sub-zero temps

The Antarctic is as off-highway as off-highway gets. In many respects it is the ultimate mobility proving ground, with an extraordinary span of winter and summer temperatures from -90 to +15°C (-130 to +59°F). The coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth, 98% of its area is covered in ice to an average thickness of 1.6 km (1 mi). Not surprisingly, such extreme conditions mean it has no permanent human residents.
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