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Dual-functioning MOFs maintain a comfortable room humidity

Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; www.kaust.edu.sa) have developed a metal-organic framework (MOF) material that can regulate the humidity levels within the “window” established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and…

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Magnetized viruses attack challenging bacteria in water-treatment systems

Biofilms in water-treatment systems may harbor problematic bacteria and pathogens since chemical disinfectants typically do not penetrate the biofilm. Now, a new treatment approach developed in the laboratory of Pedro Alvarez at Rice University (Houston; www.rice.edu) could enable the controlled…

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Bioethanol from bagasse

Tsukishima Kikai Co. (www.tsk-g.co.jp) and JFE Engineering Corp. (both Tokyo, Japan; www.jfe-eng.co.jp) have demonstrated a process that produces bioethanol from bagasse, a waste product in the production of sugar from sugarcane. With support from NEDO under a four-year, $10-million project,…

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Chementator Briefs

Polyesters Customizing the macroscale properties of polyesters by using sidechain chemical groups is difficult, and is limited for commercially available polyesters. Now, researchers at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.; www.vt.edu) have developed a novel method for synthesizing polyesters that may expand…

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A very efficient SOFC

Hitachi Zosen Corp. (HITZ, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan; www.hitachizosen.co.jp) has installed a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) demonstration unit at Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Izumi Center (Orist; Osaka, http://orist.jp), and has been performing tests since June. The…

This portable pesticide detector offers a quick check of produce

A micro portable pesticide detector for food analysis, called a Handheld Pesticide Residue Detector, has been developed by the Smart Microsystems Technology Center of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; www.itri.org.tw). The detector is based on the…

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This hybrid power-generation system combines SOFC and a gas turbine

Last month, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS; Yokohama, Japan; www.mhps.com) launched a new, pressurized, hybrid power-generation system (photo) that integrates solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks with micro gas turbines (MGT). The hybrid system (diagram) has a broad range of…

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Ammonia as a H2 carrier enabled by a catalytic membrane

A major challenge in using hydrogen to power motor vehicles is the difficulty in transporting H2 to refueling stations. Researchers at CSIRO Energy (Melbourne, Australia; www.csiro.au/energy) have responded to the challenge by converting H2 to NH3 and then using existing…

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Winning iron and titanium while making vanadium electrolyte

VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada; www.vanadiumcorp.com) has achieved direct and consistent recovery of vanadium electrolyte, vanadium oxides and titanium from vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM; vanadium-rich Fe3–xTixO4) using hydroelectricity, from the company’s Lac Dore Vanadium Project in Quebec. The company has…

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Oxy-fuel burner restores air-fuel regenerative furnaces to full production

Engineers at Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) have commercialized an improved version of the company’s Cleanfire ThruPort oxy-fuel burner for avoiding downtime during repairs and extending the lifetime of air-fuel regenerative furnaces in glass-making plants. The company’s original Cleanfire…