Materials science and manufacturing

Women's Month Feature - Unwinding the secrets of fibres You finish what you start - be it a mountain or research. With this maxim, Dr Lizette Erasmus grew up, distinguished herself, and still strives for daily. A senior researcher at the fibres and textiles research area of the CSIR, Erasmus has notched up distinctions since high school days.

New Executive Director joins CSIR Dr Liesbeth Botha joined the CSIR on 1 August 2008 as Executive Director: CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing. She qualified as an electronics engineer in 1983. For her PhD studies at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA she developed an optical computer utilising holograms and lasers.

CSIR addresses pesky pesticides in wool Responsible use of pesticides to ensure minimum damage to the environment is core to a new research study on wool by the CSIR. Coupled to that is the economic advantages South Africa can gain from ensuring that the best possible technologies are utilised to ensure responsible pesticide management.

Light metals research debated The national priority sector of light metals came under national and international scrutiny at a Metals & Metals Processes Colloquium organised by CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing.

International summer school on fuel cells Energy researcher, Dr Mmalewane Modibedi, of the CSIR's energy and processes research group recently attended an international summer school on fuel cells in Istanbul, Turkey. Modibedi was one of only 40 delegates at the summer school.

Science learners encouraged through robotics competition Engineers from the CSIR's mechatronics and micro-manufacturing group recently organised a robotics competition for students at colleges around South Africa. The expo aimed to expose young learners to possible careers in fields related to ICT.

CSIR represented at international WAITRO congress Dr Christopher Mlosy of the CSIR recently attended the 2008 Biennial Congress of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

German nuclear learning to benefit South Africa Scientists from CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing recently visited the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) in Karlsruhe, Germany, as part of their work on the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project. CSIR researchers are part of the nuclear fuel qualification team working on the PBMR.