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questions, suggestions?
Send us your feedback by emailing lab_notes@coe.berkeley.edu.
August
2002
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Considering
Corrosion
In the metal fabricating business, when metal pieces are to
be stored outside for a period of time, they are not coated
with an anti-corrosive material. They are actually allowed
to rust in a controlled manner, which keeps the metal from
rusting in a more chaotic, "natural" way. The iron oxide coating
works like an iron oxide primer, except that it is obviously
much more well attached to the material and coats it more
fully.
— Brian Everett
Response from Professor Thomas M. Devine:
The writer refers to quasi-protective rust films that might
form on some carbon steels and low alloy steels. These films
are sufficiently thick to be visible to the unaided eye. The
thickness of these films is indicative of the amount of metal
that was consumed in the formation of the films. The rust
films slow down the rate of corrosion primarily by acting
as a diffusion barrier to either reactants or products of
corrosion reactions. The rust films can be very protective
against atmospheric corrosion.
The passive films described in the article are orders of magnitude
thinner than the rust films mentioned by the writer and are
typically on the order of 4 nm thick and are not visible to
the unaided eye. The passive films can be highly protective
against corrosion, even in instances in which the metal is
constantly exposed to solutions that are highly corrosive
to carbon steels and low alloy steels.
— Tom
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July
2002
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The
Tinkertoys of Nanotechnology
I was thinking about the possible uses of nanotechnology while
I was reading this article. Where could the possibilities
end? Nanotechnology could be used to build tiny cameras to
look at a virus up close and possibly even help to rid the
body of viruses through stimulating the immune system. I think
this could result in a stronger immune system and less disease.
I believe that, if there is a strong enough commitment to
the project of nanotechnology for medical uses, ultimately,
nanotechnology could be used to boost a person's immune system
and defeat HIV and the AIDS virus. Nanotechnology could also
be used for any number of things including tracking devices,
environmental technology, and even used to power and maintain
space stations larger than anybody has ever made before.
I beleive that the work that is done in the Berkeley Science
Departments is beneficial to the human race and to this planet.
You can do so many things if you never accept defeat.
— Heather Rhea Green, high school student
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May
2002
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If
You Can See This, You're Too Close
Ideally, not a bad idea. I assume there would be some form
of feedback control which would adapt to the constantly changing
conditions of sunlight, cloudinesss, etc.
In order not to provide a distraction or annoyance, of course,
it would have to be quite precise and stable.... Intriguing
problem.
— FP Diani
I like the light bar very much. Practical, and in retrospect,
obvious; yet with the high tech features of using our nervous
system in optimal ways. What struck me is that I would like
to have this on my car: in back to warn others just as you
have provided for the bus, and ahead to warn me. This should
be a required add-on, just like the current brake light system.
— Lynn Seaman
Let
There Be (Sun)Light
I hope Daniel Glaser's software for daylighting will be available
to architects in the near future!
— A. George Beeler
A
BiD for Better Design
My first thought was: aha! an easier way to get garbage into
the homes of consumers! It's bad enough one can order something
online and have it delivered to one's home along with several
grams of single-use packaging, and even worse that one could
soon contribute to the consumption of materials that end up
in landfill sites with the mere click of a mouse.
This is a step in the wrong direction. I don't see the usefulness
of this technology beyond prototyping for engineers and 3D
modelling for doctors and scientists. This article is another
optimistic-sounding story designed to make the average person
feel more a part of the world of scientific innovation. I,
for one, see the usefulness of desktop manufacturing for the
purpose of buying online hard-to-find parts for otherwise
obsolete equipment (i.e., said blender from article).
Unfortunately, I am in the minority as a person who believes
in and is capable of repairing the machines I own. Because
of the lack of market and economies of scale, desktop manufacturing
will never be developed for the noble purpose of keeping wanted
machines out of landfill sites by supplying needed replacement
parts.
— Morgan Ahoff |
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Updated 8/28/02.
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