Scientists from Singapore, including Vivek Vasantha from A*STAR – The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (www.a-star.edu.sg) – developed a new block copolymer that can change its structure when placed in an electrolyte solution, such as salt water. The monomers…
In late April, Unifrax I LLC (Tonawanda, N.Y.; www.unifrax.com) and Haldor Topsøe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) signed a partnership agreement to begin a joint global effort to commercialize an innovative new line of catalytic filter candles. This new product family…
Researchers from the Dept. of Chemical Engineering of KU Leuven (Belgium; www.cit.kuleuven.be), in collaboration with KU Leuven chemists, have discovered a method to separate two rare-earth elements — europium and yttrium — with ultraviolet (UV) light. The study, published earlier…
The amino acid L-arginine plays a crucial role in our neurological and cardiovascular systems. It is sometimes consumed as a dietary supplement and its efficient industrial-level production is essential for its commercialization. L-arginine is a product of microbial fermentation and…
Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toshiba.co.jp) has started up a highly efficient electrolyzer for the generating hydrogen. The system is based on ceramic, solid-oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), and is said to consume less power than alternative technologies, such as alkaline electrolysis…
A new technology demonstrated by Shell Sulphur Solutions (London; www.shell.com/sulphur) aims to incorporate micronized elemental sulfur (which provides nutrients to fertilized plants) into urea. The technology, UreaPluS, employs a patented emulsification technique that evenly distributes sulfur throughout the urea matrix,…
Electrically conductive plastics have been available for several years, but the use of carbon black as the conductive agent in the plastic resins limits their use to low-conductivity applications. Now, newly commercialized plastic pellets impregnated with metal-coated carbon nanofibers allow…
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO, Kawasaki, Japan; www.nedo.go.jp) and the Japan Research Association of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process (ARPChem) achieved a world-leading solar-energy conversion efficiency of 2% in the photocatalytic splitting of water to make H2…
A new process for partially devulcanizing and functionalizing micronized rubber powders (MRP) may allow the use of higher levels of the material than originally allowed in vehicle tires and other applications. Currently, MRP from end-of-life rubber is being used in…
A natural fungicide An international research team, led by Yoshikazu Ohya at the University of Tokyo (www.ib.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp), has discovered a new chemical compound that inhibits the growth of pathogenic fungi. The new compound, called poacic acid, was isolated from hydrolyzed…