Buildup of biofouling on membranal surfaces necessitates treatments with corrosive chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, and even replacement of membrane cartridges, which can be costly in desalination operations. A new coating, developed in the laboratory of Ran Suckevereine at Kinneret…
Until now, waste tires have been used mainly for recovering energy. Only small proportions of the carbon black contained in these tires are recycled, since the mineral ash generated by pyrolysis consists of about 20 wt.% of additives used to…
A new technology developed by Enertopia Corp. (Kelowna, B.C., Canada; www.enertopia.com) aims to improve the efficiency of solar panels by collecting excess waste heat and using it to heat water. Besides improving energy output, the technology also significantly lengthens the…
According to statistics from the World Bank, thousands of tons of valuable minerals are imported to Germany from Chile every year, including raw materials for lithium-ion batteries. But their extraction causes ecological and social problems. “The use of the limited…
A technology that increases the heat-dissipating properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) to that of metals has been developed by Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toray.com). Applying this technology to CFRP dissipates heat effectively from their sources through thermal conduction paths…
A catalytic process to selectively break carbon-carbon bonds within the polymer chains of polyethylene and polypropylene could allow the use of waste plastics to make biodegradable surfactant molecules. Researchers led by the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) at…
Although the oceans contain about 5,000 times more lithium than what is found on land, the low concentrations (about 0.2 parts per million (ppm)), as well as the predominance of other larger ions (sodium, magnesium and potassium) makes Li extraction…
Extracting Li Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Ltd. (Changwon, South Korea; www.doosanheavy.com) has developed technology for recovering lithium carbonate from waste batteries. Li2CO3 is a key material that is used in batteries in electronic devices, such as laptops and mobile…
A new predictive analytics tool for heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) life expectancy uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms built around HTF sample analysis data. The tool, known as Fluid Genius, is designed to provide recommendations for extending fluid life and maintaining HTF systems.…
Construction is underway of a prototype system designed to extract natural bioactive product compounds from plants using supercritical glycerin as the extraction solvent. The initial target for the process is to extract cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other active compounds…