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Extracting lithium without roasting

Lithium Australia NL (Perth, Western Australia; lithium-au.com) has generated 99.8% (battery-grade) lithium carbonate from lithium-bearing silicates, such as spodumene, using its Sileach process — a hydrometallurgical process that does not require an energy-intensive roasting step. The company says Sileach has…

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Making graphene from graphite without oxidation

Graphene can be produced and isolated by exfoliating graphite, but existing processes are difficult and expensive. The most common method involves aggressive oxidation of graphite and results in diminished properties and added expense. Another approach — mechanical exfoliation — requires…

Accelerated decomposition of halogenated compounds

A new research partnership between the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.; www.werf.org) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA; www.uta.edu) seeks to tackle one of the most challenging and persistent water contaminants — perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).…

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Ferro-coke utilization promises to reduce energy consumption in ironmaking

JFE Steel Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.jfe-steel.co.jp) plans to build a pilot plant for using ferro coke in the ironmaking process at its Fukuyama area of West Japan Works, with support from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO;…

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Getting more value from recycled polystyrene

Although polystyrene has been adopted into a large number of end products, it remains one of the least-recycled plastic waste streams — an estimated 95% of polystyrene materials are discarded after a single use. Employing a proprietary thermo-catalytic process, GreenMantra…

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High-performance aluminum-cerium alloy

A newly developed aluminum-cerium alloy is exceptionally stable at high temperatures, and is highly corrosion-resistant, allowing its use in components for advanced engines and for other aerospace, automotive and power-generation applications. Co-developed by Eck Industries (Manitowoc, Wis.; www.eckindustries.com) and Oak…

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Liquid metal membranes improve on Pd membranes for separating hydrogen

A liquid metal membrane with liquid gallium (Ga) sandwiched between two porous silicon carbide supports offers a pathway to improve the currently available membranes of solid palladium (Pd) metal for separating hydrogen after the steam reforming of methane. Pd metal…

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Carbon nanotube technology toughens carbon-fiber composite materials

Under mechanical stress, carbon-reinforced epoxy-resin composite materials can experience cracking and de-lamination at the junctures between layers of material, where the composites are resin-rich. Placing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) into the inter-laminar regions can toughen the composite and prevent…

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Dual-functioning MOFs maintain a comfortable room humidity

Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; www.kaust.edu.sa) have developed a metal-organic framework (MOF) material that can regulate the humidity levels within the “window” established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and…

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Magnetized viruses attack challenging bacteria in water-treatment systems

Biofilms in water-treatment systems may harbor problematic bacteria and pathogens since chemical disinfectants typically do not penetrate the biofilm. Now, a new treatment approach developed in the laboratory of Pedro Alvarez at Rice University (Houston; www.rice.edu) could enable the controlled…