Category: Research

ETH Zurich resedarchers find straw and hemp building materials enhance reno sustainability

ETH Zurich resedarchers find straw and hemp building materials enhance reno sustainability

March 21, 2024 |

In Switzerland, ETH Zurich researchers can now reveal the most effective renovation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: replace fossil- fuel heating systems and harness the potential of bio- based building materials like straw and hemp. They developed a model that uses AI to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and costs and also takes into account […]

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Estonian researchers land European Research Council grant to study gas-consuming bacteria

Estonian researchers land European Research Council grant to study gas-consuming bacteria

March 20, 2024 |

In Estonia, researchers at the University of Tartu, will advance understanding of gas-consuming bacteria, supported by European Research Council grant funding. The project will pioneer a novel method for creating a large number of genetically engineered strains and compile a knowledge base that will accelerate engineering of cell factories and research in the field of […]

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Drax joins University of Sheffield’s newly-launched Energy Innovation Centre

Drax joins University of Sheffield’s newly-launched Energy Innovation Centre

March 19, 2024 |

In the UK, Drax has become the latest founder member of the University of Sheffield’s newly-launched Energy Innovation Centre. The new partnership will drive forward research into next generation carbon capture technology, including innovations in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS.  Drax joins Boeing as the second founder member of the Energy Innovation […]

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Chinese researchers develop catalist to activate ethanol into butadiene

Chinese researchers develop catalist to activate ethanol into butadiene

March 18, 2024 |

In China, butadiene, one of the most important light olefins in the petrochemical industry with a global production capacity of 18 million metric tons per year, is currently produced through the extractive distillation of C4 fractions from naphtha steam cracking processes or dehydrogenation of C4 hydrocarbons, both of which involve extensive energy consumption and significant […]

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University of Sheffield leads initiative to boost switch to a bio-based economy

University of Sheffield leads initiative to boost switch to a bio-based economy

March 17, 2024 |

In the UK, University of Sheffield academics, together with the Bio-Based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) and Green Rose Chemistry, have been awarded funding to scope out a UK-wide science and regulatory network to help speed up the switch to a bio-based economy. The initiative  will bring together industrialists, academics, policy makers, government officials, retailers, […]

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BOTTLE consortium team with North Face on sustainable PHAs

BOTTLE consortium team with North Face on sustainable PHAs

March 13, 2024 |

In Colorado, when worn, washed, and dried, clothing sheds—dispersing tiny fibers throughout homes, soils, and waterways that can take centuries to degrade. These fibers, often made of polyester and often too small to see, are a major—if invisible—source of microplastic pollution. By some estimates, fibers from polyester clothing account for nearly half of all microplastics […]

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TU Delft researchers purify isopropanol and acetone from fermenting waste gases

TU Delft researchers purify isopropanol and acetone from fermenting waste gases

March 12, 2024 |

In the Netherlands, in a major stride towards sustainable industrial fermentation, a team of researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in The Netherlands, has unveiled pioneering advancements in the purification of isopropanol and acetone from the fermentation of waste gases. The study, published in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, introduces novel […]

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German research consortium demo containerized green methanol production

German research consortium demo containerized green methanol production

March 11, 2024 |

In Germany, E4MeWi research association is currently demonstrating how effectively green methanol can be produced in the future in a container plant at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park. Methanol is regarded as a key technology for defossilizing shipping and aviation and also for freeing the chemical industry from its dependence on crude oil. The project compares […]

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PennState researcher works to lower cost of hydrogen production

PennState researcher works to lower cost of hydrogen production

March 9, 2024 |

In Pennsylvania, PennState reported that Penn State doctoral candidate in chemical engineering Arash Emdadi and his lab colleagues are working to improve the hydrogen production method to make it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Emdadi is working toward commercializing a new electrolyzer invented by Professor Bruce Logan’s civil and environmental engineering lab. The electrolyzer uses […]

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Empa researchers extract nanocellulose from beer brewing waste to produce aerogel

Empa researchers extract nanocellulose from beer brewing waste to produce aerogel

March 7, 2024 |

In Switzerland, Empa researchers have extracted nanocellulose from a waste product of beer brewing and processed it into an aerogel. The high-quality biodegradable material could be used in food packaging. It all starts with the mash: the mixture of malt and water, which is stirred and gently heated for several hours. The resulting liquid is […]

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