By Jamie Oberdick
UNVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new type of ferroelectric polymer that is exceptionally good at converting electrical energy into mechanical strain holds promise as a high-performance motion controller or “actuator” with great potential for applications in medical devices, advanced robotics, and precision positioning systems, according to a team of international researchers led by Penn State.
By Sarah Small
Airplane engines can reach temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The hotter they get, the more fuel efficient they become, but that efficiency is limited by how hot the metallic components inside the turbine can get without deforming.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A recently installed 3D ceramics printer offers Penn State materials researchers advanced capabilities to easily produce high-resolution ceramic parts and other innovative ceramics for cutting-edge materials research at a lower cost than sourcing them.
Penn State achieved a record $1.03 billion in research expenditures in FY22 and is poised for continued growth as one of the nation’s top research institutions, Lora G. Weiss, senior vice president for research, told the Board of Trustees’ Committee on Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life on June 15. To build on recent successes, Weiss said, “will require a combination of strategic leadership, investments, partnering and positioning.”