Flame retardants added to fabrics slow or prevent the burning of the materials. In the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN, we look at how flame retardants work and the different types manufacturers use, as well as some of the environmental and health issues surrounding their use. View the full graphic on the C&EN site here.
Magnets: How do they work? The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN takes a brief look at the origins of permanent magnetism before examining the different types of permanent magnets available and how they compare. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.
Industrial sabotage, government intervention, and a race against time to avoid devastating consequences — not a summary of a fictional political thriller, but the real-life drama that engulfed the UK steel-making industry in recent weeks. At the story’s centre were the formerly Chinese-owned blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, which were at risk of shutting down until they were brought under emergency government ownership.
I’m delighted and honoured to have been awarded the 2025 James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public from the American Chemical Society. I travelled to San Diego to receive the award at the ACS Spring Meeting Awards Ceremony last week. Making an infographic on the medal’s composition and those it was named after seemed a fitting way to mark the occasion!
Space elevators, a way of getting cargo and materials into space without rockets, have made frequent appearances in science fiction for decades. Making them a reality, however, is challenging. In this latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN, we take a look some of the material requirements for space elevators, and which existing materials might be close to meeting these requirements. See the full graphic on the C&EN site.
The Olympics are in full swing, so this graphic looks at the medals each competitor can win in their events. As well as the usual gold, silver and bronze content, this Olympics’ medals have an added twist that lets winners take home a piece of the Eiffel Tower with them!
