Latest News: Technologies
Recycling polyesters, polycarbonates and more — at room temperature
A new catalytic recycling method that avoids harsh processing conditions could widely expand the recyclability of a broad range of plastics, including polycarbonates, polyesters and mixed-waste feeds. Researchers from the Center for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT; www.ccst.ac.uk) at the…
Solar clinker produced for the first time
Last month, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico; www.cemex.com) and Synhelion SA (Lugano, Switzerland; www.synhelion.com) successfully connected the clinker production process with the Synhelion solar receiver to produce solar clinker. The milestone is a first step towards fully solar-driven…
A new catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane
Converting propane to propylene by oxidative dehydrogenation with CO2 is an alternative route to conventional propane dehydrogenation, but existing catalysts for this conversion are not very efficient. Now, in a study described in a recent issue of Nature Catalysis, researchers…
PFAS destruction using supercritical water
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater and groundwater has garnered increased attention as a health and environmental issue because of their recalcitrance and bioaccumulation. To complement existing PFAS separation technologies, the Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio;…
Ultra-rapid production of battery materials using plasma technology
A new ultra-rapid plasma-based process could significantly expand the availability of premium materials for battery applications. Developed by 6K, Inc. (North Andover, Mass.; www.6kinc.com), UniMelt is a single-pass, continuous process that employs a proprietary microwave torch technology to create a…
A sulfur-tolerant catalyst for the deoxygenation of sulfoxides
The transformation of sulfur-containing molecules is an important reaction in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. However, the sulfur atom strongly coordinates with the active sites of metal catalysts, significantly decreasing the catalytic performance. Sulfur impurities contained in chemical feedstocks also cause…
Rubber electrolytes could stretch the capabilities of solid-state batteries
A new class of electrolyte aims to bridge the performance gaps between the electrolytes used in conventional lithium-ion batteries and solid-state batteries. The new rubber electrolytes, developed by a team of researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech; Atlanta;…
Quantum-inspired computing technology drastically accelerates materials design
Semiconductor materials contain numerous ingredients in various mixing ratios, and high-performance materials are obtained by optimizing the formulation. However, more than 1,050 theoretical combinations of ingredients and mixing ratios need to be analyzed, so it would take more than dozens…
This heat battery is a decarbonized, ‘drop-in’ replacement for industrial boilers
As the cost of renewable energy decreases, many organizations are looking to electrify their operations to reduce carbon emissions. One promising area for decarbonization is industrial heating, which accounts for a large fraction of global emissions. However, heating networks in…
Chementator Briefs
2D polymer Chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge; www.mit.edu) have synthesized two-dimensional sheets of polyaramide. The achievement, described in a February issue of Nature, is said to be the first time a polymer has been grown…