HEADLINES ARCHIVE
New dishwasher promises to kill bacteria in just 25 seconds
Superheated steam can reportedly kill bacteria and harmful microorganisms left on plates and cutlery in standard dishwashers in a matter of seconds.
Designing straight pipes and piping systems: Some considerations
Pipes and piping systems are essential components used in various industries today. For instance, in the oil and gas industry, they are used to transport crude oil from oil wells to tank farms.
Coating fireproofs wood for the construction industry
When introduced to a flame in the lab, the invisible coating, which is just 0.075 mm thick, undergoes a chemical reaction wherein the coating becomes charred — or burned on the outside.
Video: Anellotech demonstrates new direct route to light olefins and BTX from conversion of mixed plastic waste
The thermal catalytic reactor system converts a range of mixed waste plastics into the same valuable chemical feedstocks used to make virgin plastics.
Video: New non-fluorinated barrier technology
The non-fluorinated sizing additive protects paper products like fast-food containers from both water and food oils.
Upcycling route cuts polystyrene reuse costs
The process improves the economic viability of polystyrene reuse and promises to keep more of this material out of landfills and oceans.
Bio-based glue may replace formaldehyde-containing adhesives in wood construction
Lignin — a structural component of wood and a by-product of the pulp industry — is being eyed by researchers as a replacement for current wood construction adhesives that contain formaldehyde.
Beer may have a role in preventing lead contamination
Waste yeast discarded after beer brewing can filter out even trace amounts of lead from water sources.
This material excels at waste heat recovery
The mineral can reversibly and rapidly store and release relatively large amounts of low-grade heat without decomposing.
Recycled PPE strengthens structural concrete
The team focused specifically on three types of PPE: isolation gowns, rubber gloves and face masks, all of which were incorporated as a reinforcement material in structural concrete.
Video: Marine fauna inspire energy-conserving adaptive building façade
The optofluidic technology can reduce building energy needs for heating, cooling and lighting by up to 30% when compared with savings afforded by motorized blinds or electrochromic windows.
SABIC expands ULTEM resin optical material portfolio to help advance adoption of single-mode fiber optics
The new polyetherimide resin delivers a significantly lower coefficient of thermal expansion than that of standard ULTEM grades.
Tires prove a sound ingredient for structure walls
According to the team, the Earth-packed tire walls proved as sound as conventional walls under a series of stressors, demonstrating that their use could be expanded in the construction industry.
Fake finger correctly IDs surfaces 90% of the time
To enable the artificial finger to determine the material composition of certain surfaces, the researchers outfitted the finger with triboelectric sensors to impart the sense of touch.
Eliminating Salmonella on food production machinery via oil-based systems
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that oil formulations featuring food-grade organic acids can destroy dried Salmonella — a bacteria associated with food-related illnesses — on stainless steel surfaces.
Band-Aid-like biofilm capable of producing long-term, continuous electricity from sweat
The entirely “green” biofilm is a thin sheet of bacterial cells composed of an engineered iteration of the bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens.
Ultrathin polymers used for storage technology
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a polymer commonly utilized in the manufacturing of seals, membranes and packing films. It has numerous useful features because it is stretchy, safe and is relatively inexpensive to create.
Shielding against viruses with new sprayable coating
The sprayable coating, which is sustainable over a period of time, works in two ways, according to its developers.
Advancing a greener approach to air conditioning
Adsorption cooling systems require only small amounts of waste heat from a building or industrial plant to power reactions between a vapor refrigerant and a solid material.
Membrane designed for fast, friction-free desalination
The membrane is composed of a series of nanoscale tubes lined with a Teflon-inspired material that repels salts while allowing water to flow through with little friction.