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…
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).…
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;…
Last month, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS; Yokohama, Japan; www.mhps.com) launched a new, pressurized, hybrid power-generation system (photo) that integrates solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks with micro gas turbines (MGT). The hybrid system (diagram) has a broad range of…
A major challenge in using hydrogen to power motor vehicles is the difficulty in transporting H2 to refueling stations. Researchers at CSIRO Energy (Melbourne, Australia; www.csiro.au/energy) have responded to the challenge by converting H2 to NH3 and then using existing…
VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada; www.vanadiumcorp.com) has achieved direct and consistent recovery of vanadium electrolyte, vanadium oxides and titanium from vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM; vanadium-rich Fe3–xTixO4) using hydroelectricity, from the company’s Lac Dore Vanadium Project in Quebec. The company has…
Engineers at Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) have commercialized an improved version of the company’s Cleanfire ThruPort oxy-fuel burner for avoiding downtime during repairs and extending the lifetime of air-fuel regenerative furnaces in glass-making plants. The company’s original Cleanfire…
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…
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…
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…