Superconducting materials, capable of conducting electricity without resistance, have fascinated scientists for over a century. They’ve also been in the news recently as scientists hunt an elusive room-temperature superconductor which could transform civilisation. The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN examines what superconductors are, how they’ve been found, and how we use them. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.
Hitting the swimming pool this summer? Swimwear relies on a range of materials to keep you comfortable and prevent it from breaking down. This edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN looks at what swimsuits are made of, and how a little chemistry knowledge goes a long way when it comes to keeping them in good shape and stopping their materials from fading and stretching.
It’s the final of the Women’s Football World Cup this weekend, with England facing off against Spain. Here’s a quick look at what the trophy the winners will lift on Sunday is made of.
Nothing embodies ‘life in plastic’ like Barbie dolls themselves. From relatively simple beginnings, today’s dolls have parts made of various plastics with varying properties. This graphic looks at Barbie’s chemical makeup and how it’s changed over the years.
Diamond is commonly known to be the hardest material, but how do other minerals compare with each other? That’s the question the Mohs hardness scale, introduced by Friedrich Mohs in 1812, aims to answer. This graphic looks at his scale and where different minerals and other substances appear on it.
What materials are used to make the clothes we wear? In the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News, we look at the molecular details of textiles and how some of their properties affect our clothing. View and download the full graphic on the C&EN site.
