Latest News: Technologies
Switchable solvent supports freshwater extraction from hypersaline brine
Extremely high-salinity water streams present difficulties for many types of processing equipment, such as membranes and filters, and most commercial treatment methods involve thermal evaporators or crystallization, which are energy-intensive and require special anti-corrosion materials. A new membrane-less, non-evaporative process…
Carbon dioxide removal combined with desalination
Most existing carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) approaches have focused on air, but the volumetric concentration of dissolved inorganic CO2 in surface water is much higher (150X) than its concentration in the atmosphere. Removing CO2 from water could prove to be a…
Novel reactor addresses limitations of pyrolysis for plastics recycling
Pyrolysis has received much attention as a technology capable of breaking down waste plastics in recycling processes, but existing pyrolysis approaches often give rise to products with broad molar mass distributions and poor yields. Catalysts can improve yield and selectivity,…
Micro-hydropower systems produce renewable electricity inside pipelines
A first-of-its-kind energy-recovery system harnesses the energy of water flow and pressure in pipelines to produce renewable energy. The patented HydroXS unit, developed by InPipe Energy, Inc. (Portland, Ore.; www.inpipeenergy.com) in collaboration with Grundfos Corp. (Brookshire, Tex.; www.grundfos.com/us), is a…
A platform technology for low-carbon cement makes progress
Two recent developments at Queens Carbon Inc. (Pine Brook, N.J.; www.queenscarbon.com), a spinoff company from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.; www.rutgers.edu), illustrate the potential for reducing the high carbon-dioxide emissions that result from cement and concrete production. Both are results…
New dry electrode for aqueous batteries boosts promise of zinc-iodine batteries
The growing need for energy-storage solutions for a gamut of applications from electronic devices to large-scale energy systems has spurred an increase in research for innovative technologies. Considerable attention is being given to new chemistries beyond the widely used lithium-ion…
New material sets a world record for the fastest lithium-ion conductivity
A patent-pending material developed at the Technical University of Munich (TUM; www.tum.de) has achieved the fastest-ever conductivity of lithium ions, and is now poised to significantly improve the efficiency of future solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries, often seen as a more…
Low-carbon cement formulated for additive manufacturing of residential housing
Manufacturing traditional cement for concrete is responsible for a sizeable (~8%) portion of overall global CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, anthropogenic global warming is driving the need for housing structures capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and wildfires. The cement technology company Eco…
Improving the stability of edible oils without additives
In the catering industry, refined cooking oils (those that have undergone a process to remove lower-boiling-point impurities) are used and re-used in frying. Despite the refining process, high temperatures cause the oils to oxidize, creating polar compounds that degrade the…
Targeted step-leaching recovers more critical materials from coal ash
Due to rising demand and widespread supply-chain turmoil, researchers around the world are investigating creative methods to obtain rare-earth elements (REEs) and other critical minerals and metals (CMMs). The ash from combusting coal has previously been seen as a potential…