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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share  ECHA Adds Five New Hazardous Chemicals to Candidate List: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added five new chemicals to the Candidate List. One of them is toxic for reproduction, three are very persistent and very bioaccumulative and one is toxic for reproduction and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. They are found in products such as inks and toners, adhesives and sealants and washing and cleaning products. The List Now Contains 240 Entries: The Agency has also updated the existing Candidate List entry for dibutyl phthalate to include its endocrine disrupting properties for the environment. ECHA’s Member State Committee has confirmed the addition of these substances to the Candidate List. The list now contains 240 entries – some are groups of chemicals so the overall number of impacted chemicals is higher. These substances may be placed on the Authorization List in the future. If a substance is on that list, companies cannot use it unless they

ACME has secured offtake for 30% of its Odisha plant’s output once fully built. Japanese engineering conglomerate IHI has signed a term sheet with Indian renewables developer ACME for 400,000 tonnes a year of green ammonia offtake starting from 2028. IHI will then sell on this NH3 to “customers in various industries, including power generation, primarily in Japan. ACME plans to supply ammonia from its project in the state of Odisha, currently being developed in multiple phases, which it expects will produce nearly 1.3 million tonnes of green NH3 a year once fully built — meaning only 30% of these volumes have been pre-sold to IHI. The Japanese firm had previously signed a preliminary agreement to co-invest in the project, which is expected to cost 600 billion rupees ($7.2bn) in total. In August, ACME said it would stump up 270 billion rupees ($3.3bn), although it is unclear whether this refers to the amount of investment needed to build the project’s first phase, or its total commitmen

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Next-generation solar panels with record efficiencies within reach : Perovskite tandem solar cells on the verge of commercialisation Solar modules using perovskite tandem solar cells are highly efficient, which is why they are of great interest to some of the world's largest solar companies as a renewable energy source for power generation. There have been problems with the instability of perovskites, but research is progressing rapidly and several start-ups are competing to bring them to market. Commercial solar panels with record-breaking efficiencies could be realised in just a few years using perovskite tandem solar cells. Researchers at Swift Solar, a Silicon Valley company, have been working on the technology for more than a decade, as have many other start-ups. But some scientists fear that time is running out: The process involves coating silicon with perovskites (e.g. by vapour deposition, printing or spin coating) so that different wavelengths

Polyplastics-Evonik Corporation announced that their product “VESTAKEEP®-J” has been adopted as the PEEK gear for the high branch electric clippers of Ars Corporation. 5x Durability Compared to Conventional Plastic Gears: The high branch electric clippers of Ars Corporation are widely used in various fields such as fruit farming, vegetable farming, flower farming, carpentry, craft making, landscaping, and gardening due to their excellent sharpness. However, there was a challenge in improving the durability of the plastic gears made of engineering plastic used in the reduction unit of the electric clippers, which is a part of this product. In order to ensure the necessary durability of the gears in the reduction unit, it was considered to change the entire unit to metal gears. However, this raises concerns about electric shock prevention for workers, design changes, and an increase in overall weight. In addition, to maintain stable performance over a long period of time, regular mainten

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Ever wondered how we can reduce plastic pollution in India? The Mysuru-based Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), affiliated with the DRDO, has launched an eco-friendly remedy with the introduction of biodegradable water bottles. Crafted from sustainable Polylactic acid (PLA) material, these bottles not only combat plastic waste but also contribute to reducing the overall carbon footprint. The best thing about this bottle is its all-encompassing sustainability approach – the bottle, cap, and label are all compostable. This innovation, derived from 100% bio-based and renewable sources, sets us on a path towards environmental conservation and fosters a greener and more sustainable future. Source:The Better India #polymers #bioplastics #pla   #compostable   #ecofriendly   #sustainability

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Cobalt-free batteries could power cars of the future MIT chemists developed a battery cathode based on organic materials, which could reduce the EV industry’s reliance on scarce metals. Many electric vehicles are powered by batteries that contain cobalt a metal that carries high financial, environmental, and social costs. MIT researchers have now designed a battery material that could offer a more sustainable way to power electric cars. The new lithium-ion battery includes a cathode based on organic materials, instead of cobalt or nickel (another metal often used in lithium-ion batteries). In a new study, the researchers showed that this material, which could be produced at much lower cost than cobalt-containing batteries, can conduct electricity at similar rates as cobalt batteries. The new battery also has comparable storage capacity and can be charged up faster than cobalt batteries, the researchers report. “I think this material could have a big impact b

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Injection Molding creates non-monotonic crystallinity gradients through the thickness, and corresponding non monotonic elastic modulus. On one hand the rapid quench of the skin (combined with fountain flow) reduces crystallinity of the most outer layers leading to typically half the nominal modulus ( PP data). The high shear just below (frozen skin) will produce strong "flow induced nucleation" and more crystallinity ( and oriented structures). These layers can be 4X stiffer than the skin in PP. Finally the core section undergoes a more quiescent crystallization with slower cooling and shear rates and will have "average" crystallinity, larger non-oriented crystals and pretty much the data-sheet kind of modulus. Source:Vito leo