HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Japanese Researchers Closer to Determining Fukushima Re-criticality Risk
Stainless steel tubes filled with boron carbide are used to control energy output in boiling water reactors, including at Fukushima Daiichi, as boron absorbs neutrons resulting from splitting atoms.
Genetic Potential of Oil-Eating Bacteria from BP Spill Decoded
Scientists catalogued the genes of numerous bacteria from the BP oil spill to figure out how microbes gobble up the complex mix found in oil.
EPA Issues Final Methane Standards for New Oil and Gas Sources
Methane is the second most prevalent GHG emitted in the U.S. from human activities. Nearly one-third of emissions come from oil production and gas production, transmission and distribution.
Safer, Less-Expensive Ultra-Cold Freezers
In the U.S. alone, eight deaths per year are attributed to nitrogen asphyxiation. With Brunel's technology, gas tanks can be situated safely outside in the open air.
Microwaved Nanoribbons May Bolster Oil and Gas Wells
When cured in place with microwaves emanating from the drill assembly, the composite plugged the microscopic fractures that allow drilling fluid to seep through and destabilize the walls.
Machine Learning Accelerates Discovery of New Materials
Finding new materials has traditionally been guided by trial and error. But with increasing chemical complexity, the combination possibilities are too large for such an approach to be practical.
Siemens Wind Turbine Towers to Top 115 Meters
A feature of the tower system is the on-site match casting of annular precast tower segments, which eliminates the need to grout the joints between tower sections.
3D Printing to Enable Customized Snacks
3D printing has the potential to enable customization of snack foods—and ultimately the development of high-tech vending machines that deliver these products.
ExxonMobil to Develop Carbonate Fuel Cells for CO2 Capture
According to ExxonMobil, lab tests show that integrating carbonate fuel cells and natural gas-fired power generation can capture carbon dioxide more efficiently than existing scrubber technology.
Carbon Dioxide: A Better Option for Heating and Cooling Cities?
In Europe, the building sector accounts for 40% of final energy consumption and around one-third of greenhouse gas emissions.
A Better Way to Boil Water
One of the key limitations for electronic devices is the heat they generate, and something that helps dissipate that heat will help them operate at faster speeds and prevent failure.
Silk Preserves Fruit Without Refrigeration
Silk is one of nature's toughest materials. Fibroin, an insoluble protein found in silk, has the ability to stabilize and protect other materials while being fully biocompatible and biodegradable.
Cooling Graphene-Based Film Nears Pilot-Scale Production
Researchers believe they have found "a golden key" with which to achieve efficient heat transport in electronics and other power devices by using graphene nanoflake-based film.
North Dakota Water, Soil Contamination Linked to Fracking Spills
Streams polluted by wastewater contained levels of contaminants that often exceeded federal guidelines for safe drinking water or aquatic health.
New Type of Cement Is More Durable, More Sustainable
Production of cement for use in concrete is believed to be responsible for 5-8% of the global emissions of carbon dioxide—largely because so much concrete is used.
Ozone Used to Sterilize Medical Implants
Polymer implants must be sterile before use, but some methods of sterilization alter their physical or chemical properties, potentially reducing performance.
Bakken Formation Emits 2% of Global Ethane
Ethane reacts with sunlight and other molecules in the atmosphere to form ozone, which at the surface can cause respiratory problems, eye irritation and other ailments and damage crops.
3D-Printed Foams Age More Slowly Than Cellular Materials
Since 3D printing requires the use of polymers of certain properties, it was important to determine the long-term mechanical stability of printed foams before they can be commercialized.
A Faster Way to Fix Earthquake-Damaged Bridge Columns
A quicker process for fixing bridge columns involves creating concrete donuts known as “repairs” that are lined with a composite fiber material built around the top and bottom of each column.
A Step Closer to Dissolvable Electronics
Unlike conventional electronics that contribute to growing amounts of harmful waste, dissolvable devices are designed to be compatible with the environment.