Headline: Promising salt for heat storage

■ Release Date: 2023.11.27

■ Published by: Radboud University Nijmegen

■ Keywords: salt batteries, strontium chloride, solar

■ Abstract:

Salt batteries can store summer heat to be used in winter, but which salt works best for the purpose?

Headline: New method verifies carbon capture in concrete

■ Release Date: 2023.11.27

■ Published by: University of Tokyo

■ Keywords: carbon capture, carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate

■ Abstract:

Carbon capture is essential to reduce the impact of human carbon dioxide emissions on our climate. Researchers have developed a method to confirm whether carbon in concrete originates from the raw materials, or from carbon in the air which has been trapped when it reacts with the concrete to form the mineral calcium carbonate. By measuring the ratio of certain carbon isotopes in concrete that had been exposed to the air and concrete that hadn't, the team could successfully verify that direct air carbon capture had occurred.  This method could be useful for the industrial sector and countries looking to offset their carbon emissions.

Headline: Greener solution powers new method for lithium-ion battery recycling

■ Release Date: 2023.11.29

■ Published by: DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

■ Keywords: lithium-ion, battery, recycling

■ Abstract:

Used lithium-ion batteries from cell phones, laptops and a growing number of electric vehicles are piling up, but options for recycling them remain limited mostly to burning or chemically dissolving shredded batteries. Researchers have improved on approaches that dissolve the battery in a liquid solution in order to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals used in the process. This simple, efficient and environmentally-friendly solution overcomes the main obstacles presented by previous approaches.

Headline: Releasing brakes on biocatalysis

■ Release Date: 2023.11.29

■ Published by: Ruhr-University Bochum

■ Keywords: hydrogen, biocatalyst, enzyme

■ Abstract:

Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H2) under certain conditions, which makes them potential biocatalysts for biobased H2 technologies. In order to make this hydrogen production efficient, researchers are trying to identify and eliminate possible limiting factors. These include formaldehyde, which occurs naturally as a metabolic product in cells and inhibits the particularly efficient [FeFe] hydrogenase.

Headline: Durable plastic pollution easily, cleanly degrades with new catalyst

■ Release Date: 2023.11.30

■ Published by: Northwestern University

■ Keywords: plastic, pollution, catalyst

■ Abstract:

Found in fishing nets, carpet, clothing, Nylon-6 is a major contributor to plastic pollution, including ocean pollution. Now, chemists have developed a new catalyst that quickly, cleanly and completely breaks down Nylon-6 in a matter of minutes -- without generating harmful byproducts. Even better: The process does not require toxic solvents, expensive materials or extreme conditions, making it practical for everyday applications. In experiments, the new process recovered 99% of the polymer's building blocks, which can then be upcycled into higher-value products.

Headline: Unsafe lead levels in school drinking water: new study IDs building risk factors

■ Release Date: 2023.11.30

■ Published by: University of Massachusetts Amherst

■ Keywords: lead, drinking water, USA

■ Abstract:

Civil and environmental engineers have determined the factors that may help identify the schools and daycare centers at greatest risk for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The most telling characteristic for schools in Massachusetts is building age, with facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s -- nearly a third of the facilities tested -- at the greatest risk for having dangerously high water lead levels.

Headline: Smart microgrids can restore power more efficiently and reliably in an outage

■ Release Date: 2023.11.30

■ Published by: University of California - Santa Cruz

■ Keywords: wind, solar, renewable energy

■ Abstract:

A new AI model that optimizes the use of renewables and other energy sources outperforms traditional power restoration techniques for islanded microgrids, a new paper shows.

Headline: Harvesting more solar energy with supercrystals

■ Release Date: 2023.12.1

■ Published by: udwig-Maximilians-Universität München

■ Keywords: hydrogen, solar, supercrystal

■ Abstract:

Hydrogen is a building block for the energy transition. To obtain it with the help of solar energy, researchers have developed new high-performance nanostructures. The material holds a world record for green hydrogen production with sunlight.