Librarian
AAEL Joins Material Order
The University of Michigan Library is a member of the Material Order consortium. Co-founded by Harvard Graduate School of Design and Rhode Island School of Design, the consortium brings together material collections to partner in the creation of a shared resource for materials description and access. Material Order, powered by CollectionSpace (Lyrasis), utilizes and develops standards and best practices to provide a community-based approach to the management of design material collections.
Material Conversations -- Monthly Lunchtime Series
Join us for the fall semester 2026 Material Conversations brown bag series that highlights materials research at the University of Michigan. Each brown bag features a materials expert to speak about a material or a process. Each short presentation is followed by Q&A and discussion. The events are held in the Materials Collection, Duderstadt Center, 2nd Floor. The three events this semester are:
Tuesday, Sept. 23, noon : Open House
introduce yourself to the AAEL Materials Collection and see newly acquired materials
Wednesday, Oct. 22, noon : A Focus on Poured Earth
presentation by Charlie O'Geen, Instructor of Architecture, Taubman College
Tuesday, Nov 18, noon : A Focus on Post Rock
presentation by Meredith Miller and Thom Moran, Associate Professors, in Architecture, Taubman College
Please join us!
There will be three more Material Conversations in the winter (2026). Watch this space for upcoming plans.
About the AAEL Materials Collection
Stop by the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library to see and touch materials for creative inspiration. Our in-house collection consists of hundreds of samples of materials used in design and construction in addition to over 1000 materials from Material ConneXion®, a selected subset of the over 7,500 materials found in the Material ConneXion® database. Material ConneXion® is a leading global platform for innovative and sustainable materials used in design, building and manufacturing.
Our materials are housed in room 2420 on the east side of the second floor of the Art, Architecture and Engineering Library. This collection is available for in-house use to any university faculty, staff, or student. Please stop by to see and touch the materials!
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Material ConneXion at AAELA listing of over 1100 materials at Art, Architecture & Engineering Library from Material ConneXion. Please ask staff for access to materials.
Researching Materials and Material Properties
Material Order, the shared source for design material collections. Search Material Order to find partner academic and cultural institution collections for materials.
The Material ConneXion® database offers a knowledge base with an eclectic collection of over 7,500 innovative materials and processes. The database is updated regularly and frequently with materials juried by a panel of material specialists. Coverage includes all disciplines of design development with the largest selection of sustainable materials and the only Cradle to Cradle materials library in the world.
To read about research on materials, try the ProQuest Material Science Collection of databases. Engineering Village is also a good database for materials research.
For data on materials properties (hardness, density, thermal conductivity, tensile strength, etc.), try ASM Handbooks and/or Knovel: Engineering and Scientific Reference Resources or Matweb.
Product Information on the Web for Building and Designing
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ARCAT - Building MaterialsBuilding product information for the architectural and spec writing communities.
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Architonic: the independent resource for architecture and designClick on the Materials link for a sampling and access to new materials.
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The A to Z of MaterialsMaterials information source for the engineering and design community.
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Building Materials (by McGraw-Hill Sweets)The Sweets directory of building product information can be searched by manufacturer, product, or product type.
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CLT Cross Laminated Timber Handbook2013 handbook on CLT co-published by the USDA and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council.
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CMD (formerly Reed Construction Data)CMD provides commercial construction information. Browse product information and search construction data, news, and building codes. Some parts of the site require free registration.
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International Molybdenum Association: Architectural Design Resources for Stainless SteelCase studies in stainless steel uses in architecture published by the Int'l Molybdenum Association.
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IQS (Industrial Quick Search) DirectoryThe IQS Directory is a comprehensive listing of manufacturers and suppliers serving major segments of the OEM industrial manufacturing marketplace across the United States and Canada.
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Material DistrictMaterial District (formerly Materia), based in the Netherlands, is a global network of innovative materials.
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Materials Lab, UT AustinThis is a web directory of materials and building products websites created by a student at UT-Austin School of Architecture.
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Materials Library at Institute of MakingDescriptions and images of materials curated by the Institute of Making in London.
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Sustainable Sources - Green Building MaterialsListing of typical building materials with discussion about aspects of sustainability.
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Thomas Register of American ManufacturersA searchable catalog of industrial products and services.
News in the Materials World
Keep up with the Latest Materials News!
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Squishy, metal-free magnets to power robots and guide medical implantsResearchers at U-M and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a "squishy magnet" for applications in medical devices, drug delivery methods, and soft robots.
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Carbon Capture Method Mines Cement Ingredients from the AirU-M researchers, with colleagues at UC Davis and UCLA have developed a process to take carbon dioxide from the air and make a precurser to make cement.
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Bendable Concrete Developed at UofMBendable concrete, developed at the University of Michigan, not only improves the structural capacity of the concrete, but significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
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Michigan Materials Research Institute LaunchedThe university is launching the Michigan Materials Research Institute in an effort to provide a hub to integrate materials research across the university.
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Prof Miki Banu Awarded for Materials ResearchMechanical Engineering Professor Miki Banu was recognized with the Research Faculty Achievement Award for her work with green technology and sustainable manufacturing.
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ALMMII - American Lightweight Metals Manufacturing Innovation InstituteLightweight metals development will soon have a home in Detroit. The endeavor is a partnership between the University of Michigan, The University of Ohio, and EWI, a manufacturing technology non-profit.
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Architecture Professors Create Carbon-Fiber Building ModulesExtremely light-weight, but structurally sound -- a new carbon-fiber module for construction forms the basis of experimental structures by Glenn Wilcox and Anca Trandafirescu.
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Icephobic Coating Developed at U-MMaterials Science associate professor, Anish Tuteja, and her team of researchers have developed a rubbery icephobic coating to help repel ice from rigid surfaces like your windshield.
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Kirigami Art applied to electronicsU-M Engineering professors use Japanese art of paper cutting to allow electronics to be rolled up, folded, stretched and otherwise formed for all sorts of new applications.
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MSU Researchers Develop Transparent Solar PanelMSU colleagues have developed a transparent solar power collecting panel, changing the look and potential for solar energy.
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New Material developed at UofM to Thwart CounterfeitersUofM College of Engineering researchers have developed a new breath (humidity) activated sheet to help identify counterfeit products. The iridescent sheets reveal a logo or identifying image when breathed upon.
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New Studies for an Old MaterialThe NSF is sponsoring the investigation of the conductive and maleable properties of Gallium, a liquid metal. Scientists are curious whether gallium could be a stretchable metal. Read more about it at the link.
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NSF: From tea bags to Miatas, bioplastics are on the riseResearchers are working on more environmentally friendly materials: bioplastics derived from biomass and/or the digest of microbes. Read on for a great summary of the drive for green polymers.
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U-M Engineers develop heat-conducting plasticResearchers in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering have developed a new polymer that will conduct heat. Read more about this new development in materials science!