Latest News: Technologies
Next-generation encapsulation technology
Nucleic acid-based medications, such as mRNA vaccines, are opening up new therapeutic approaches. These active ingredients must be enclosed inside nanoparticles to ensure that they get to where they are needed inside the body’s cells. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production…
A versatile sorbent that can clean metals from wastewater at a lower cost
At the 2024 Spring Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE; www.aiche.org), a team from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL; www.netl.doe.gov) presented on a recently patented technology for the removal of critical and heavy metals from wastewater…
Extracting useful proteins from beer-brewing leftovers
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the most significant byproduct of the beer-brewing industry, making up 85% of the total waste. Globally, about 36.4 million ton/yr of spent grain are produced. This spent grain is typically discarded after its primary use…
Electrochemical sensor selectively detects dangerous bacteria
Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt (www.uni-frankfurt.de) and Kiel University (both Germany; www.uni-kiel.de) have developed a new sensor for the detection of bacteria. It is based on a chip with a surface coating that ensures only very specific microorganisms, such as…
Improving sodium-ion batteries with nanocellular graphene
Nanocellular graphene (NCG) is a specialized form of graphene that achieves a large specific surface area by stacking multiple layers of graphene and controlling its internal structure with a nanoscale cellular morphology. Although the material has the potential to improve…
Solid-state synthesis simplifies cathode manufacture
The production and processing of cathode active materials (CAM) are among the largest contributors to the cost of lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Typical CAM manufacture involves multiple, multi-phase steps in a co-precipitation process that requires a large amount of water and…
A faster way to manufacture bipolar plates
Bipolar plates (BPPs) are a key component in electrolyzers and fuel cells. BPPs include two key components: the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), in a fuel-cell system; and the catalyst-coated membrane (CCM), in an electrolyzer. In a fuel-cell stack, for example,…
A new manufacturing approach for heavy-duty ceramic membranes
Membranes are widely used in a variety of industrial separation processes, but the polymeric materials that make up many membranes are not durable enough to handle extreme conditions, such as processes with low pH or hazardous-metal content. Membrion, Inc. (Seattle,…
Functionalized ceramic particles allow for heat-rejecting coatings
NanoTech Materials Inc. (Houston; www.nanotechmaterials.com) is expanding its commercial partnerships for the use the company’s Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP) technology, which can be used in fireproof coatings, as well as in a range of applications for roof coatings that lower…
Chementator Briefs
RO Membranes Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toray.com) has developed a highly durable reverse osmosis (RO) membrane that is said to offer double the resistance to cleaning chemicals of conventional counterparts. This reduces performance degradation from membrane wear and simplifies…