Any material scientists, product designers or engineering professionals that have a new year’s resolution to expand their knowledge are in luck: materials database Matmatch has launched Matmatch Resources, an online hub of informative resources aboutapplication insights, materials science challenges and new innovations. The Resources library is easily accessible via Matmatch’s website.
Matmatch Resources is an expansion of the existing library of informative content available on the website. The section encompasses comprehensive material, issue and application overviews, innovative material use cases from industry figures worldwide and the Matmatch blog, which regularly features contributions from global materials experts from academic and industrial backgrounds.
The resource centre complements Matmatch’s material search engine, which allows users to specify, research and source materials for their projects from material suppliers. The company believes the focus on educational resources will help foster innovation by encouraging engineers and researchers to look beyond traditional material characteristic data.
“The materials selection process is constantly changing, due to material innovations and new external pressures that have historically been little more than an afterthought,” explained Samir Jaber, technical writer at Matmatch. “It’s for this reason that academics, researchers and product designers are increasingly required to consider more than mechanical or chemical property data.
“For example, it’s no longer enough for a packaging material to be selected based on its mechanical properties, chemical resistance or gas permeability; sustainability and recyclability are now significant influencing factors. These are challenging to quantify but can be articulated and expressed by experts in other forms, such as research articles or use case examples.
“We will continue to expand Matmatch Resources with more expert insights and deep-dives into materials and applications, providing engineers and researchers with an all-in-one experience for material sourcing.”
Matmatch Resources will also be home to downloadable guides, such as a guide to smart materials and an in-depth report on critical applications for plastics. More resources will continue to be added in the months ahead, with industry experts able to apply to be guest contributors via the Matmatch website.
