Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

(PhysOrg.com) -- Extremely hydrophobic materials cause water to roll right off objects that have been coated with them. Up to now, it was assumed that aircraft or wind turbines coated in such a way did not ice up as easily. However, researchers from ETH Zurich have now shown that, under certain conditions, the surface materials do not influence ice formation.

ELKINS, W.Va.

Rare earth metals--a group of 17 chemical elements found in solar panels, wind turbines, electric car motors, lithium-ion batteries, and more--are critical to a future reliant on clean energy. The problem is that China has the majority of the supply , and it has used that leverage to slow exports and raise prices

Whipped by winds exceeding 90 mph and battered by 15-foot waves, hundreds of wind turbines produce electricity off the coast of the North Sea and send it onshore to power homes and businesses in the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark.