Materials Archives - Karmactive

Materials

September 30, 2024

Argentine Students Create Biodegradable Plastic Bags from Citrus Peels—They Degrade in Just 15 Days!

Valentín Fravoli (22) and Alejandro Unchalo (21), students from Technical School No. 2 in Tandil, Argentina, developed Citricplas — biodegradable plastic bags made from citrus peels. This innovative project, set to hit

Zachary Keller and Muhammad Dayyem Khan of the Digital Architecture Research & Technology Laboratory work with robotic 3D-printed, wood-based material paired with incremental set-on-demand concret

Architecture·Design·Materials

University of Michigan Students 3D-Print Eco-Friendly Building Blocks with Upcycled Sawdust

At the University of Michigan, the BioMatters team, under the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and DART Laboratory, is addressing a significant environmental issue. They’ve developed a unique material from upcycled sawdust that is biodegradable, reusable, and recyclable.

December 1, 2023

StoneCycling Transforms Corn Cob Waste, Construction Debris, and More Into High-Performance Sustainable Building Materials

Design·Materials·Plant Based·Sustainability

According to a 2023 report published by the UN Environment Programme, “The buildings and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse

How Australia’s RMIT University Plans to Turn 75 Million Kilograms of Coffee Waste into Durable Concrete

Architecture·Materials·Science·Sustainability

Specialists from a university in Australia used coffee grounds waste to modify the components used in concrete production, making it stronger and more eco-friendly.

Design·Materials·Science

Mushroom Tiles Mimic Elephant Skin to Cool Buildings 70% Faster in Wet Conditions

These fungi-based building tiles mimic elephant skin to cool structures naturally, cutting energy use and offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials. How Mushroom Tiles Keep Buildings Cool Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang

Rahul Somvanshi

May 5, 2025

A Lysozyme crystal grown in microgravity, viewed under a microscope using X-ray crystallography. Photo Source: NASA

Materials·Space·Technology

NASA’s ISS Experiments Boost Advanced Materials Development

Advanced materials research in the International Space Station (ISS) of NASA is revealing new possibilities for stronger, more efficient products. These experiments, conducted in microgravity conditions, are tackling real-world challenges in manufacturing

Rahul Somvanshi

February 9, 2025

Examples of materials made from fruit and vegetable waste (cabbage, orange, onion). Photo Source: The University of Tokyo

Architecture·Design·Materials

Scientists Turn Chinese Cabbage Waste into 18 MPa Sustainable Construction Material

Japanese researchers have achieved 18 MPa flexural strength from Chinese cabbage waste—creating construction-grade materials four times stronger than concrete. The achievement emerged from the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science, where

Rahul Somvanshi

January 13, 2025

MIT chemical engineers designed a two-part catalyst that can convert methane gas to useful products. The catalyst consists of iron-modified aluminum silicate plus an enzyme called alcohol oxidase (enzyme not pictured). Credits:Credit: Courtesy of the researchers

Materials·Pollution

MIT Catalyst Converts Methane to Polymers at Room Temperature

Chemical engineers at MIT have developed a hybrid catalyst that converts methane into polymers at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The research appears in Nature Catalysis. Methane contributes about 15% to global

Karmactive Staff

December 20, 2024

1265 Borregas is situated near three acres of pollinator-friendly native plants and surrounded by trees.

Architecture·Design·Materials

Google Builds First Mass Timber Office in Sunnyvale: 96% Lower Carbon and LEED Platinum Target

At 1265 Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale, California, Google’s first mass timber office building stands where Atari once headquartered its operations. The construction costs remain undisclosed. Construction Data and Timeline The five-story structure

Karmactive Staff

November 27, 2024

Representative Image. Road Construction. Photo Source: Eurovia UK (YouTube)

Materials

Worcestershire Cuts 74% CO₂ with £8M RECOFOAM® Footways Made from 97% Recycled Material

Worcestershire’s streets are getting an eco-friendly makeover with RECOFOAM®, an innovative material that’s changing how we build our footways. As someone who’s watched sustainable construction evolve over the years, I can tell

Karmactive Staff

November 23, 2024

The plasma source is introduced close to the paper’s surface. The image shows the direct interaction of the plasma with the paper.

Materials

Plasma Polymers Turn Oregano Oil into Hydrophobic Barriers for Germany’s $503B Packaging Industry

Plasma-polymerized plant extracts are creating microporous hydrophobic barriers on cellulosic substrates at Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, offering a biochemical solution to Germany’s packaging waste challenge. The BioPlas4Paper

Rahul Somvanshi

November 20, 2024

Architecture·Materials·Sustainability

Mitsubishi’s BENEBiOL™ Hits 80% Biomass: Maintaining Performance with Significant Lower Emissions

Hey fellow materials enthusiasts- want to talk about something cool happening in bio-based building materials? Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) has taken their BENEBiOL™ material to a whole new level. You know how

Rahul Somvanshi

November 3, 2024

Patagonia Reaches New Heights in their Sustainability Journey by Joining Pack4Good

Business·Environment·Materials·Sustainability

Patagonia Joins Canopy’s Pack4Good Initiative for Sustainable Packaging Material that Could Reshape the Outdoor Apparel Industry

Outdoor gear giant Patagonia has taken another stride in its environmental journey by joining Canopy’s Pack4Good initiativeThis move signals a shift towards sustainable packaging solutions that could reshape the outdoor apparel industry’s

Sunita Somvanshi

October 13, 2024

University of Missouri researchers have built a machine that combines elements of traditional 3D printing with laser technology to develop multi-material, multi-functional products.

Materials·Science·Technology

Mizzou’s New 3D Printing Tech Combines Multiple Materials to Cut Prototype Time and Waste —See How it Can Build Complex Multi-Layered Devices

Researchers at the University of Missouri have created a novel 3D printing machine that combines multiple materials to produce complex devices. This innovation, dubbed the Freeform Multi-material Assembly Process (FMAP), allows for

Rahul Somvanshi

September 17, 2024

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