Feb
18
New Tech Generates Electricity Out of Thin Air
February 18, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Open Image…Save ImageOpen Image (using #TmpD/ia)… University of Massachusetts Amherst electrical engineers and microbiologists have created a device they call an ‘Air-gen.’ or air-powered generator. The generator uses electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present […]
Feb
13
New Membrane To Help Make Methanol From CO2
February 13, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chemical engineers have demonstrated how to convert CO2 to methanol more efficient by using a highly effective separation membrane they produced. Carbon dioxide, on one hand, is a greenhouse gas that is the unwanted byproduct of many industrial processes. In the other, methanol is a versatile and efficient chemical used as fuel […]
Feb
12
Coating Those Troublesome Lithium Ion Cathodes and Anodes
February 12, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Rice University engineers have built full lithium-ion batteries with silicon anodes and an alumina layer to protect the cathodes from degrading. By limiting their energy density, the batteries promise excellent stability for transportation and grid storage use. The slim layer of the metal oxide applied to common cathodes by engineers at Rice University’s Brown School […]
Feb
11
A New Class of Polyamides Found In Byproducts of Cellulose
February 11, 2020 | Leave a Comment
A Technical University of Munich research team has developed a new polyamide family which can be produced from a byproduct of cellulose production. The team led by chemist Volker Sieber has came upon a successful example for a more sustainable economy with bio-based materials. Polyamides are important plastics. They can be found in ski bindings […]
Feb
6
Using Light To Upgrade Acetone To Near Jet Fuel
February 6, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists are taking biomass derived acetone – common nail polish remover – and use light to upgrade it to higher-mass hydrocarbons. Then they have a domestically generated product that can be blended with conventional jet fuel to power flight, while providing environmental benefits, creating domestic jobs, securing the nation’s global leadership […]