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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Biochar from Green Algae: A Dual-Solution for Green Energy A new study has harnessed the power of a humble green macroalgae, dry, to create a biochar with surprising capabilities. This biochar acts as a dual-threat in the world of green energy, functioning both as an efficient hydrogen catalyst and an electrocatalyst for fuel cells. The research, published in Fuel, highlights the potential of E. intestinalis as a sustainable and cost-effective resource for clean energy solutions. Traditionally, hydrogen production from sodium borohydride relies on expensive metal catalysts. This biochar, however, offers a promising alternative, significantly boosting hydrogen production rates. But the biochar’s talents don’t stop there. It also shines as an electrocatalyst for methanol fuel cells. These cells hold immense potential for clean energy generation, but often require expensive platinum-based catalysts. The E. intestinalis biochar paves the way for a more affordabl

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share SEM Vs TEM: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are the two most common forms of electron microscopy. While both techniques share the same fundamental principles, there are several distinct differences in their instrumentation and what signals are analyzed. In an SEM, the secondary electron (SE) and backscattered electrons (BSE) are used to acquire images of a sample’s surface whereas in a TEM, the transmitted electrons are detected to produce a projection-image through a sample’s interior. To make a meaningful comparison between SEM and TEM, it’s important to note what all electron microscopes have in common. The “column” of all electron microscopes contains a series of components that are responsible for core functions.  These include: The electron source – produces the electron beam. Condenser lenses – directs the beam onto the sample. Objective lens – containing the most important electromagnetic lens in the colu

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share New Method Uses Common Plastics to Initiate Radical Chain Reactions: A team led by researchers at the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery, Hokkaido University has developed a method that uses common plastic materials instead of potentially explosive compounds to initiate radical chain reactions. This approach significantly increases the safety of the process while also providing a way to reuse common plastics such as polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate. These findings have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Utilizes Plastic Waste for Dehalogenation: Researchers utilized a ball mill, a machine that rapidly shakes a steel ball inside a steel jar to mix solid chemicals. When the ball slams into the plastic, the mechanical force breaks a chemical bond to form radicals, which have a highly reactive, unbonded electron. These radicals facilitated a self-sustaining chain reaction that promotes dehalogenation i.e., the rep

The results of India’s first auctions for green hydrogen and electrolyser subsidies have been published, with industrial conglomerate Reliance a big winner in both tenders. The green hydrogen auction, which offered a per-kilogram maximum of 50 rupees ($0.60) in the first year, 40 rupees in the second, and 30 rupees in the third, awarded subsidies to eight companies (see table below) out of thirteen bidders. Mumbai-based Avaada, Singapore-headquartered Sembcorp and GH4India — a joint venture between Indian Oil, ReNew, and Larsen & Toubro — all lost out on their bids, which applied for subsidies in all three years. In addition, two companies, UPL Limited and CESC Projects Limited, were included in the list of winners despite not bidding for any subsidies at all. This bulked up the awarded production capacity to a total of 412,000 tonnes of H2 per year, just below the cap of 450,000 tonnes per year. India is aiming to produce five million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, wit

Using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole new plastic world: the poorly known realm of nanoplastics, the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. For the first time, they counted and identified these minute particles in bottled water. They found that on average, a liter contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments—10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes. Yet to Discover Possible Effects on Human Body Nanoplastics are so tiny that, unlike microplastics, they can pass through intestines and lungs directly into the bloodstream and travel from there to organs including the heart and brain. They can invade individual cells, and cross through the placenta to the bodies of unborn babies. Medical scientists are racing to study the possible effects on a wide variety of biological systems. “Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what’s in there,” said stu

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share How to experimentally spot a differential shrinkage driven warpage problem ? If you are molding a relatively uniform thickness part and suffer from warpage, there is a nice trick to experimentally separate the contribution of differential shrinkage from other sources of problems (differential cooling, anisotropy). Just make parts that are roughly full (say, 99% full), with zero packing (no pressure, no time). By not packing, you avoid packing one area better than another (for instance overpacking the gate area vs. distant areas). As a result you have a lighter part, with sink marks all over and voids, but with essentially NO DIFFERENTIAL SHRINKAGE. If this "short shot" is flatter than your packed part, you have experimentally demonstrated a strong contribution from "uneven packing", i.e. differential shrinkage. Source:Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Toray develops Torayca™ M46X carbon fibre with high tensile modulus and enhanced strength Toray Industries, Inc. announced that it has developed Torayca™ M46X carbon fibre. The new offering is around 20% stronger than others in the Torayca™ MX series while maintaining a high tensile modulus. Utilizing Torayca™ M46X reduces the weight of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic materials, lowering its environmental impact. Typically, there is a trade-off between the tensile modulus and strength of carbon fibre. Boosting the strength while maintaining the modulus of carbon fibres with a tensile modulus exceeding 350 GPa presents technological challenges. However, the sporting and leisure goods market demands both qualities to maintain performance while utilizing less carbon fibre to lower the weight of molded parts. Toray developed Torayca™ M46X by pushing the structural control technology envelope. Nano-level controls of the graphite crystallite structure inside fibr