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Because the metal degrades in this pro-
cess, toxicity is minimized.
ncsu.edu,
unc.edu.
ADJACENT FACTORIES TO
PRODUCE CMC COMPONENTS
GE Aviation, Evendale, Ohio, will
begin construction on two adjacent
factories in Huntsville, Ala., to produce
silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic fiber and
unidirectional ceramic matrix compos-
ite (CMC) components used in jet en-
gines and land-based gas turbines. One
plant—the first of its kind in the U.S.—
will make the SiC ceramic fiber, and the
adjacent factory will apply proprietary
coatings and form the fiber into a ma-
trix, producing CMC tape. GE Aviation
plans to use the tape in CMC shrouds for
the LEAP engine’s high-pressure turbine
section. Additionally, GE Power and
Water is testing CMC components as re-
placements for superalloys in large gas
turbines. Ultra-lightweight CMCs have
one-third the density of metal alloys,
and are far more heat resistant, increas-
ing engine efficiency. Production is slat-
ed to begin in 2018.
geaviation.com.
have a drug delivery technique that
may enhance the effectiveness of the
drugs being delivered, can help doctors
locate tumors, can be produced in bulk,
and appears to be wholly biodegrad-
able with very low toxicity.”
In this technique, 100-nm-diame-
ter droplets of a liquid gallium-indium
alloy are introduced into the blood-
stream. One type of polymeric ligand
binds the anticancer drug doxorubicin
(Dox) to the droplets’ surface while a
second type seeks out cancer cells and
causes them to absorb the nanodrop-
lets. Inside the cells, higher acidity lev-
els dissolve the nanodroplets’ oxidized
skin, releasing the Dox along with gal-
lium ions that enhance the drug’s per-
formance. Without the oxidized skin,
the nanodroplets fuse into larger drops
that can be detected with diagnostic
techniques, aiding in tumor detection.
Left, a schematic illustration of liquid-metal nano-terminators. Red spheres are Dox. Right, a
representative TEM image of liquid-metal nano-terminators. Courtesy of Yue Lu.
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