GJ Town India

The Amount May Surprise! Wanting to call attention to the amount of rare and valuable metals used in a typical smartphone, scientists at the University of Plymouth, UK, put an iPhone in a blender, heated the pulverized result to 500 degrees C (932 degrees F), then the dissolved the powder in acid to separate out the materials. The phone consisted of 900 milligrams of tungsten, 70 of cobalt, 36 of gold and 90 of silver. Most of the silver was used in electrical connections, switches and miniature components. The phone also contained more common materials such as 33 grams of iron, 13 of silicon and 7 of chromium, as well as smaller quantities of other abundant substances. More than 1.4 billion smartphones are produced each year, and the scientists led by Arjan Dijkstra and Colin Wilkins, geologists from the University’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, wanted to illustrate the growing reliance on rare earth materials that puts new demands on the...

A campaign for antibacterial, silver-based product Two of Bollywood’s most popular movie stars — Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor — who were once an item, are back together in a campaign for antibacterial, silver-based paints called Royale Health Shield, manufactured by Asian Paints. The reunion of the on-again, off again couple has been the source of many tabloid-type stories, and their video commercial for the antibacterial paint has gone viral.   The film shows Kapoor choosing the wall color for his renovated home. He asks Padukone for advice and she responds that any color will do as long as it is paint with antibacterial powers. In a prepared statement, Amit Syngle, COO, Asian Paints Limited said, “We are beyond excited to launch this new film with Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor. It is for the very first time that they are coming together to launch our brand campaign to advocate the best of what our brand has to offer. Today’s consumer is more aw...

Bionic eyes science fiction now closer In using a multi-material 3D printer A bionic eye thanks to silver! The dream of producing a bionic eye has taken a step closer thanks to silver. The challenge of making such a prosthetic has always been to layer light-sensitive materials onto an orb without the distortion inherent in placing two-dimensional objects even thin ones like wires onto a rounded surface.   Researchers at the University of Minnesota claim to be the first to use a 3D printer to overlay light receptors on a hemispherical glass surface. Michael McAlpine, a coauthor of the study 3D Printed Polymer Photo detectors and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, said in prepared remarks: “Bionic eyes are usually thought of as science fiction, but now we are closer than ever using a multi-material 3D printer.” Using a custom-made 3D printer, the research team took a base ink of silver particles and sprayed it on the glass surface. Instead of running...