Latest News: Technologies
Novel PVC-recycling process piloted in Ohio
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is among the world’s most widely used polymers. Recycling PVC via mechanical and high-temperature chemical processes is challenging due to its chlorine content.The startup company Plastic Back (Tel Aviv, Israel; www.plastic-back.com) aims to raise the rates of…
Fibrous MOFs significantly accelerate CO2-adsorption kinetics
Solid adsorbents, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have shown great promise in carbon-capture applications as an alternative to traditional amine-based processes. Typically, adsorbent materials are manufactured as powders and converted into beads or pellets to make them more suitable for large-scale…
Destroy PFAS and remove perchlorate in a single process
A new water-treatment process is said to be the first to comprehensively destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) while also eliminating perchlorates. The PFASER technology, developed by WSP Global (Montreal, Que., Canada; www.wsp.com) is an advanced electro-oxidation (EO) treatment system…
Low-capital-cost reactor could bring SAF closer to cost parity with fossil jet fuel
A unique reactor design allows the conversion of raw biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) into synthesis gas (syngas; hydrogen and carbon monoxide) at capital costs 100 times lower than those for gas-fired reformer reactors. Developed by e-fuels startup company Circularity…
Low-energy, application-specific carbon nanotube manufacturing with hydrogen co-product
Due to their strength, electrical conductivity and surface area, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly finding application in advanced electronics, energy-storage installations, batteries, medical devices, separation processes and much more. A new CNT production technology developed by the SPICE division of…
Protein nanocages: Selective mini-concentrators for critical metals
Protein nanocages are hollow structures that can be used for a variety of applications in medical fields, including for drug and vaccine delivery. Now, groundbreaking work from the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt; www.pitt.edu) has shown that a class of protein…
New techniques improve abilities of hybrid quantum-classical computer systems in catalyst design
By leveraging the peculiar laws of quantum physics, quantum computing aims to render currently intractable scientific problems feasible. Using quantum-enhanced simulations for accelerating catalyst design is an example of an area where quantum computers could be brought to bear on…
New aluminum alloy outperforms traditional aluminum for 3D-printed components
Results from recent testing indicate that automotive components made from a novel aluminum alloy, via 3D printing, outperformed those made from traditional aluminum alloys. Traditional wrought aluminum alloys are challenging to process using additive manufacturing (3D printing), so researchers have…
Low-cost graphene-encapsulation technology improves cathode lifetimes
Battery performance tends to degrade over time due to the natural wear that occurs when, for example, cathode active materials (CAMs) expand and contract while shuttling ions for the reversible storage and release of electrical energy. CAMs also degrade due…
A platform technology for low-carbon cement makes progress
Two recent developments at Queens Carbon Inc. (Pine Brook, N.J.; www.queenscarbon.com), a spinoff company from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.; www.rutgers.edu), illustrate the potential for reducing the high carbon-dioxide emissions that result from cement and concrete production. Both are results…