The solvent N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) has been used to coat anodes and cathodes in lithium-ion batteries, but it has been shown to be a reproductive toxin, necessitating controlled handling and recycling within a closed system, which adds complexity and cost to…
The electrolytes used in nearly all lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries are carbonate-based, which makes them flammable and prone to degradation mechanisms, including side reactions, which can result in gas evolution and the formation of undesirable chemicals like hydrogen fluoride. A…
Braskem S.A. (São Paulo, Brazil) has announced a collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to explore the feasibility of using an electrochemical reactor to produce methanol from CO, an important intermediate that can be obtained from CO2 Capture…
Tire recycling The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG; Tokyo, Japan; www.mcgc.com) has demonstrated chemical recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) using the coke ovens at its Kagawa Plant (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture). The company is able to feed crushed ELTs as raw…
A significant contributor to the cost, energy consumption and carbon footprint of silver production is in the refining steps to remove, recover and recycle zinc from Parkes Crust silver-zinc intermetallic compounds. A fundamental redesign of the silver process to improve…
A significant portion of the energy and cost requirements in the production of lithium-ion batteries stems from the cost of converting lithium sulfate or lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) of sufficient purity for battery use. Noram Electrolysis Systems,…
Seemingly small component changes can make a large impact on the productivity of electrochemistry systems, such as electrolyzers used for producing “green” hydrogen. For example, a new coating technology developed by Oxford nanoSystems Ltd. (OnS; Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordnanosystems.com), when applied…
As wind energy takes a prominent role in the energy transition, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL: www.nrel.gov) have focused on manufacturing sustainable turbine blades that can be made from bio-derivable resources and then…
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great potential for a number of applications, including as carbon-capture materials, but their use commercially has been limited by production methods, which are generally expensive batch processes. With the development of a continuous process for…
Currently, medical waste streams are complicated to recycle because these single-use products — such as facemasks, syringes, nitrile gloves and non-woven gowns — consist of multiple materials and must be considered contaminated with potentially infectious particles. Now, researchers at Chalmers…