Recycling has been popular for over 50 years, but there are still growing pains.

It has been two decades since scientists learned to mimic the ability of the gecko to adhere to any surface reversibly. The critical question is whether this biomimetic technology has found commercial application.

Polymeric membranes have many features that can be tailored and that are beneficial in membrane design including performance capabilities, cost and use versus ceramic and inorganic counterparts.

Carbon fiber has been incorporated into everything from tennis rackets to airplanes. It increases the strength and stiffness of structural parts without adding weight. Unfortunately, carbon fiber itself is not cheap to produce. A new tool for the carbon fiber toolbox is 3D printing. This article explores the emerging market opportunity for 3D printing of carbon fiber composite materials.

This sample report demonstrates technology scouting in the edible packaging market space.

Researchers have isolated a 2-dimensional sheet of the 12th element of the periodic table from graphite called graphene, and both academic and industrial scientists have fantasized about applications in areas such as energy, aerospace, biomedical & life sciences, electronics, oil & gas, paints, coatings & adhesives, and defense. Where will the killer app for graphene be found?

Injection molding of plastics is continuing its dominance within the processing of polymers to render products for everyday use including kitchenware, toys, and packaging.

Whether trying to stay aware of competitors, or seeking alternative chemicals to utilize in product development, it is important to actively monitor new offerings within a given market to stay ahead of industry practices.

In many aspects, the development, refining, and commercialization of plastic-to-liquid fuel is a classic example of the market forces being the main determining factor in adoption of a technology that is fairly well-developed.

The evolution of smart materials has allowed researchers to incorporate stimuli adaptive polymers, metals, composites and other systems in their new innovations.