A new composite resin for making wind turbine blades can be recycled into new blades, countertops, vehicle parts and even confectionary, researchers reported at the ACS Fall 2022 meeting in Chicago. Most old turbine blades currently end up in landfill, although some progress has been made in recycling them into lower value materials.
A prototype air conditioner that uses solid materials instead of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants promises a new direction in environmentally friendly cooling.
Chemicals giant Dow Chemical announced in June 2022 the expansion of its plastic waste management and recycling initiative, Project REFLEX, in Egypt and Guinea after a successful pilot phase in Nigeria. The move should aid Africa’s goal of diverting at least 50% of the waste generated in the continent towards reuse, recycling and recovery by 2030.
3D-printed objects made from a wood-based ink can morph into complex shapes – in a predictable fashion – as the ink dries. The way ink is laid down by the printer dictates the morphing behaviour when moisture evaporates from the printed piece, a team from Israel reported at the ACS Fall 2022 Meeting in Chicago.
CF Fertilisers UK is to temporarily halt ammonia production at its Billingham, UK, site due to the price of natural gas, which has more than doubled in the past year and is forecast to increase further.
Engineers have designed a small ultrasound imaging device for continuous imaging of the body. The stamp-sized device sticks to the skin and produces continuous ultrasound images of the internal organs (Science, 2022, 377, 517).
Researchers at the UK’s Francis Crick Institute have shown that a specific area of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a promising target for a pan-coronavirus vaccine that could offer some protection against new virus variants, common colds, and help prepare for future pandemics.
Researchers have developed a therapy that can target the bacteria behind inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) without damaging friendly gut bugs. The therapy is based on a combination of bacteria-killing viruses called phages.
Two battery manufacturers in China are to ramp up production of graphene nanotube dispersions. The graphene nanotubes will allow them to use fast-charging, increase energy density and reduce costs in the mass production of Li-ion battery cells, according to the company that developed the nanotechnology, OCSiAl, headquartered in Luxembourg.