Latest News: Technologies
Commercial-scale deployment of sodium-ion battery technology
Although Li-ion batteries are currently the dominant technology in the rechargeable-battery sector, sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries possess many benefits in terms of sustainability, safety and costs, and are poised to greatly expand their commercial usage. Sodium-ion battery specialist Faradion Ltd. (Sheffield,…
Thermal energy-storage system using phase-change materials
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory (Lemont, Ill.; www.anl.gov) have developed a thermal energy-storage system for industrial processes that can capture and store typically wasted heat for later use. Originally conceived as a way to store…
Progress on a longer-lasting catalyst for coke-free CO2 reduction
One of the main problems in the conversion of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, into liquid fuel or hydrogen is the development of coke- and sintering-resistant catalysts. Nickel on magnesium oxide (Ni/MgO) has long been identified as…
This self-sustaining cell makes electrolysis more practical
A team of researchers from Idaho National Laboratory (INL; Idaho Falls; www.inl.gov) has developed a new electrode material that simplifies hydrogen generation and energy storage via protonic, ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs). Conventional electrolysis technologies use electricity to efficiently split water,…
Anti-fouling pre-treatment for membranes
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; Seoul, South Korea; www.kist.re.kr) led by Seongpil Jeong have developed a pre-treatment method for membrane distillation desalination processes that involves adding magnesium to seawater to prevent scale formation (anti-fouling) on…
An alternative crop for bioethanol
The Agave tequilana plant, which is native to Mexico and used to make the popular drink tequila, promises significant advantages over sugarcane and corn as a source of bioethanol. The Agave plant is now being grown as a biofuel source…
Chementator Briefs
Light-emitting Si Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE; the Netherlands; www.tue.nl) have developed an alloy with silicon that can emit light. Together with researchers from the universities of Jena, Linz and Munich, the researchers combined silicon and germanium in…
A low-cost way to make propylene oxide without chlorine or wastewater
Chemetry Corp. (Moss Landing, Calif.; www.chemetrycorp.com) is piloting a hybrid electrochemical-catalysis process for making propylene oxide (PO) that eliminates some of the major production hurdles associated with chlorohydrin-based PO production. “The traditional chlorohydrin process produces about 47 tons of wastewater…
An efficient electrochemical route to triphenylphosphine — without the waste
A new electrochemical process could make triphenylphosphine (TPP) — an important reagent in many organic transformations — more practical for industrial use. Synthesizing TPP results in large volumes of waste in the form of triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), which is very…
Piloting a new sewage-treatment process to tackle emerging contaminants
As new types of water contaminants continue to emerge, such as retinoids and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, wastewater-treatment techniques are evolving to economically handle them. One new process that has shown promise against both conventional and emerging water pollutants integrates two technologies…