Stanford Advanced Materials

05/18/2026

Stanford Advanced Materials attended Ceramics Expo 2026 in Cleveland last week. Great insights on where the technical ceramics industry is heading – from scaling additive manufacturing to thermal management challenges and sustainability demands.

👇 For more details, please see here: https://www.samaterials.com/content/stanford-advanced-materials-attends-ceramics-expo-2026-in-cleveland.html

Cover Image Source: Ceramics Expo / LinkedIn

Last week, our team at Stanford Advanced Materials (SAM) visited Ceramics Expo 2026 in Cleveland, co-located with Thermal Management Expo North America. Dr. Samuel R. Matthews came back with a much clearer view of where the technical ceramics industry is heading.

04/24/2026

Alumina ceramics are everywhere — wear liners, electronics, semiconductor parts. But not all alumina is the same.

The main difference is purity: 96%, 99.5%, and 99.9%. Higher purity means better hardness, insulation, and heat resistance. It also means higher cost.

For most industrial jobs, 96% gets the job done. Save the high-purity stuff for where it really matters — like plasma chambers and precision optics.

Full guide from SAM →

Choosing between 96%, 99.5%, and 99.9% alumina ceramic? Compare properties, applications, and costs. Get expert recommendations from Stanford Advanced Materials.

04/10/2026

Ever wondered what actually goes into skin brightening products?

We put together a guide comparing four of the most common active ingredients: niacinamide, vitamin C, arbutin, and kojic acid.

It covers how each one works, how to combine them, and—if you're in the business of making skincare—what to look for when buying raw materials.

No hype. Just the science.

Read the full article here:

Cosmetic raw material guide: niacinamide, vitamin C derivatives, α-arbutin, kojic acid. Request COAs and samples from SAM.

04/08/2026

We’re now accepting submissions for the 2026 SAM College Scholarship.

If you’ve been working on topics related to medical materials, this is a good chance to turn your work into something more visible.

$1,000 award
Deadline: September 1, 2026

You can find the details here: https://www.samaterials.com/stanford-advanced-materials-college-scholarship.html

03/31/2026

Evidence-based formulation is changing the skincare game. 🧴🔬

This article explains how hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and panthenol work together to repair the skin barrier.

Read the full article in the comment below.

03/27/2026

Material Friday: 3 Elements With Superpowers 🦸

Some elements have abilities that seem almost supernatural. Meet three of them.

1. Tungsten (W)
The heat champion. Tungsten's melting point is 3,422°C—the highest of any metal. It glows white-hot in light bulb filaments without melting. Also dense enough that a 10cm cube weighs as much as a small adult.

2. Rhenium (Re)
The last stable element discovered. One of the rarest on Earth—just 50 tons mined annually. Yet jet engines can't reach peak efficiency without it. Rhenium in superalloys allows turbine blades to operate 200°C hotter, saving millions in fuel.

3. Iridium (Ir)
The corrosion-proof element. It survives acids that dissolve almost everything else. Found at the K-Pg boundary layer worldwide—the "dinosaur extinction" layer—confirming an asteroid impact 66 million years ago. Literally out of this world.

Question for you: Which superpower impresses you most?

Stanford Advanced Materials supplies these extraordinary elements for the most demanding applications on—and off—Earth: https://www.samaterials.com/

03/24/2026

Platinum isn't just for jewelry or catalytic converters. It plays a critical role in electronics—from sputtering targets to thin films to high-reliability contacts.

Our new white paper covers material specs, processing tips, and common failure modes. Written by Dr. Samuel R. Matthews, Chief Materials Officer at Stanford Advanced Materials.

A useful read for engineers and tech professionals.

Read full article here: https://www.samaterials.com/content/platinum-in-electronics-applications.html

A practical guide to platinum sputtering targets, thin films, and contacts for electronics applications. Covers material specs, processing issues, and selection tips. By Dr. Samuel R. Matthews, Stanford Advanced Materials.

03/20/2026

Material Friday: 3 Elements That Live Inside Us 🏥

These metals don't just belong in labs—they belong in people. Swipe to see what's keeping millions alive.

1. Titanium (Ti)
The body doesn't reject it. That's why titanium is the gold standard for hip replacements, dental implants, and spinal fusion hardware. It osseointegrates—bone grows right into it, creating a permanent bond.

2. Platinum (Pt)
The backbone of chemotherapy. Cisplatin, a platinum-based compound, treats testicular, ovarian, and lung cancer with 90% success rates for some forms. Also in pacemaker electrodes, delivering tiny electrical pulses to keep hearts beating.

3. Tantalum (Ta)
Porous tantalum—often called ""trabecular metal""—mimics the structure of real bone. Used for knee replacements and bone reconstruction, it encourages new bone to grow inside it. Also in skull plates and surgical mesh.

Question for you: Did you know these metals live inside people? Which fact surprised you most?

SAM provides high-purity titanium, platinum, and tantalum for medical device manufacturers. Saving lives, one element at a time: https://www.samaterials.com/

03/18/2026

We've been supplying advanced materials to labs and researchers for 30 years — mostly behind the scenes.

Now we're looking for partners who want to share our resources with their audience.

If you're in research, STEM education, or create content about materials science, this might be for you.

Details + application:

Partner with Stanford Advanced Materials. Promote 10,000+ advanced materials to your audience. Earn commissions and lead fees. Join our partner network today.

03/17/2026

Food Additives: What They Actually Do

Not all food additives are the same. This guide breaks them down by function—preservation, texture improvement, nutritional fortification—and looks at the science behind ingredients like collagen peptides, stevia, and phycocyanin.

Written for food industry professionals and formulation specialists.

👉 Read here: https://www.samaterials.com/content/the-food-industrys-toolbox-what-additives-do-and-where-theyre-headed.html

Explore the science behind food additives—from preservatives to bioactive peptides. Learn how ingredients like NMN, PQQ, and stevia are shaping the future of functional foods.

03/13/2026

Material Friday: 3 Elements Powering the Green Revolution 🌍

The clean energy transition isn't just about policy—it's about materials. Here are three making it possible.

1. Lanthanum (La)
The secret inside hybrid cars. Toyota Prius batteries use lanthanum-based nickel-metal hydride cells—millions of them on the road today. Also makes camera lenses sharper by reducing glare.

2. Neodymium (Nd)
The strongest permanent magnet on Earth. Each offshore wind turbine contains up to 600kg of neodymium magnets. Without it, wind power wouldn't be cost-effective. Also inside every hard drive and pair of headphones.

3. Silicon (Si)
Yes, it's sand—but refined to 99.9999% purity, it becomes solar panels. One kilogram of polysilicon can generate as much electricity over its lifetime as 10 tons of coal. The workhorse of renewables.

Question for you: Which clean energy technology excites you most for the future?

SAM supplies rare earths and high-purity silicon for the energy transition. Let's build a cleaner future together: https://www.samaterials.com/

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