June_AMP_Digital

7 / 62

A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | J U N E
2 0 1 5
7
Are you working with or have you
discovered a material or its properties
that exhibit OMG - Outrageous
Materials Goodness?
Send your submissions to
Julie Lucko at
NEW BICYCLE IS THE
GOLD STANDARD
Goldgenie, UK, created a gold-
en bicycle based on a Giant road cy-
cle—24-carat gold was applied to the
entire bike, from the drop handlebars
to the wheel stays and every bit in be-
tween, even the chain and wheels. The
only exceptions appear to be the suede
seat, brake hoods, and racing tires. While
it is doubtful anyone will ever actually
ride the bike, company director Frank
Fernando maintains it can be ridden.
“This men’s bike is not only a work of art
to admire, but also to enjoy riding if you
are brave enough to face the stares of
astonishment,” he says. If the gold is not
decoration enough, the company will
also add diamonds to the entire frame
for the $470,345 asking price. A selection
of finishes for the saddle and handle-
bars, including exotic skins and leathers,
is also available. .
MAIL MEMENTOS
TO THE MOON
Astrobotic Technology Inc., Pitts-
burgh, launched MoonMail—a program
for the public to send mementos to the
moon on the company’s first commercial
lunar mission. The new offering (valued
at $460) is an opportunity to commemo-
ratemajor life events—graduations, wed-
dings, birthdays, a loved one’smemory—
with a lasting symbol on themoon. “With
MoonMail, people fromaround theworld
can send a memento on Astrobotic’s lu-
nar lander,” says CEO John Thornton.
“They’ll make history by participating in
the first commercial moon landing.”
Each participant receives a kit
with prepaid postage to mail their
item to Astrobotic, along with a map of
the moon landing site, a photo of the
moon pod on the moon, and a certifi-
cate of authenticity recognizing them
as a “space pioneer.” Mementos will be
placed inside the moon pod attached
to Astrobotic’s lunar lander, which will
remain on the moon for future genera-
tions. .
Are you working with or have you
discovered a material or its properties
that exhibit OMG - Outrageous
Materials Goodness?
Send your submissions to
.
The concrete walls of Trajan’s Market in
Rome have stood the test of time for nearly
2000 years, even surviving a major earth-
quake in 1349. Courtesy of Marie Jackson.
OMG!
OUTRAGEOUSMATERIALSGOODNESS
24-carat golden bicycle.
Apollo 15 Lunar Mail cover, 1971. Post-
master General’s Collection. Courtesy of
USPS.
ROMAN CONCRETE SECRETS
REVEALED
An international research team re-
veals important clues to the longevity
of such Roman architectural marvels
as the Pantheon, Trajan’s Market, and
the Colosseum. Led by University of
California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, and Cornell Uni-
versity, the team found that the long-
term resilience of the concrete is due
to mineralogical changes that occur as
the Roman volcanic ash-lime mortar
cures. Romans developed a standard
formula for making this mortar about
2000 years ago. The mortar binds cob-
ble-sized fragments of tuff and brick,
and it was used in the concrete walls of
many monuments in Rome.
Researchers studied a reproduc-
tion of the Roman architectural vol-
canic ash-lime mortar as it cured over
180 days. They compared this material
to Roman mortar samples dating back
1900 years. Formation of a durable cal-
cium-alumino-silicate mineral acts to
bind and reinforce interfacial zones in
the mortar, preventing obstacles to the
growth of microcracks.