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Latest News: Technologies

Upcycled silicon improves LIB energy storage

Silicon is seen as a promising alternative to graphite in lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes, due to its abundance and higher energy-storage capability — silicon is said to store ten times more energy than graphite in LIB applications. However, manufacturing processes…

New fabrication method for fluorine-containing carbon-capture membranes

Recent work by a team of researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; www.ornl.gov) and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville; www.utk.edu) has brought cost-effective, fluorinated carbon molecular-sieve membranes within closer reach. To make the membrane, the researchers…

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A zinc-based catalyst makes syngas by co-electrolysis

Researchers from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia; www.unsw.edu.au), led by professor Rose Amal, have shown that by making zinc oxide at very high temperatures using a technique called flame spray pyrolysis (FSP), they can create nanoparticles that…

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Waste-based rubber can be joined or repaired catalytically

A new sustainable rubber that can, with an amine catalyst, be repaired and returned to its original strength in minutes, has been discovered by researchers from Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia; www.flinders.edu.au), the University of Western Australia (Perth), and the University…

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Improved process for treating AMD waste recovers more rare earth elements

By modifying a traditional treatment method for acid mine drainage (AMD), researchers at Penn State University (PSU; State College, Pa.; www.psu.edu) were able to both reduce the amount of chemicals required for treatment and increase the amount of rare earth…

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A new approach makes flexible screw pumps

Leistritz Pumpen GmbH (Nuremberg, Germany; www.leistritz.com) has recently introduced Flexcore, the first screw pump capable of adapting to a wide range of installation situations. “With Flexcore, Leistritz has now created a globally groundbreaking innovation — a pump class that, for…

A steam-stable MOF for high-capacity carbon capture

A recently discovered family of highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) materials is showing promise in carbon-capture applications. Researchers from University of California, Berkeley (www.berkeley.edu), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL; www.lbl.gov) and ExxonMobil Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) demonstrated the efficacy of…

Commercial plant will recover salts from incinerator flyash

Ragn-Sells AB (Sollentuna, Sweden; www.ragnsells.com) has partnered Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (Zürich, Switzerland; www.hz-inova.com) for the construction of a new plant that is designed to extract resources from flyash — a toxic byproduct of waste incinerators that normally ends up…

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Stainless-steel alloy for additive manufacturing

QuesTek Innovations LLC (Evanston, Ill.; www.questek.com) has introduced a stainless-steel powder designed for additive manufacturing (AM; 3D printing) that allows complex, high-strength parts to be made without the need for expensive post-treatments, such as cryogenic processing or high-temperature heat treatment.…

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Turning plastic waste into high-quality winter diesel fuel

Using a proprietary technique and Clariant’s (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) Hydex E next-generation hydro-dewaxing catalyst, VUCHT a.s (Bratislava, Slovakia; www.vucht.sk) has successfully converted plastic waste into premium winter-fuel distillate. The efficacy of this process has now been proven in a pilot…