Story tips: Stealthy air leak detection, carbon to chemicals and recycling goes large
ORNL story tips: Stealthy air leak detection, carbon to chemicals and recycling goes large
Recycling
Battery parts can be recycled without crushing or melting
Researchers at Aalto University have discovered that electrodes in lithium batteries containing cobalt can be reused as is after being newly saturated with lithium. In comparison to traditional recycling, which typically extracts metals from crushed batteries by melting or dissolving them, the new process saves valuable raw materials, and likely also energy.
The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
Plastics are ubiquitous, but they’re not practical. Less than 10% are recycled, and the other ~8 billion tons are creating a pollution crisis. A Berkeley Lab team is determined to change that. A new analysis shows producing and recycling their game-changing new plastic could be easy and cheap enough to leave old plastics in the dust.
Is battery recycling environmentally friendly?
In a new study, researchers at Aalto University have investigated the environmental effects of a hydrometallurgical recycling process for electric car batteries. The carbon footprint of the raw material obtained by the recycling process studied is 38% smaller than that of the virgin raw material. The difference is even greater if copper and aluminium recovered during mechanical pre-treatment are included.
Polystyrene waste is everywhere; scientists just found a way to break it down
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and their partners from Clemson University have discovered a green, low-energy process to break down polystyrene, a type of plastic that is widely used in foam packaging materials, disposable food containers, cutlery, and many other applications.
Paper or Plastic? OU Chemical Engineers Work to Make Plastic Bags Recyclable and Compostable
Single-use plastic bags continue to pose a global environmental challenge, as their composition and form makes them difficult to recycle, and hundreds of years are required for them to degrade fully in the environment. While reusabable shopping bags offer an earth-friendly option, what if plastic bags could be recycled or placed in our composts?
NSF Awards OU Faculty Member $2 Million Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant
Not all plastics are created equally – from milk jugs and soda bottles, which are readily recyclable, to multi-layered packaging that increases shelf life and requires less material but is less recyclable – the challenge is for researchers to design a process that allows more of the plastics we use in our everyday lives to end up in our recycle bins rather than the local landfill.
How is San Antonio reducing its solid waste?
Composting services provide many benefits in urban areas
ORNL, DOE unveil new capabilities for advanced manufacturing recycling and autonomous vehicles
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Department of Energy officials dedicated the launch of two clean energy research initiatives that focus on the recycling and recovery of advanced manufacturing materials and on connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.
New recycling method could make polyurethane sustainable
Researchers report in ACS Central Science a way to recycle used polyurethanes into equivalent or even higher-value items.
Taking textiles from trash to treasure
Researchers are turning waste denim into acoustic insulation materials
Microbes far beneath the seafloor rely on recycling to survive
Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reveal how microorganisms could survive in rocks nestled thousands of feet beneath the ocean floor in the lower oceanic crust.
Transforming potato waste into new industry for Australia
Four of the largest potato producers in Australia want to convert 100% of their potato waste into commercial benefit.
Cobalt supply can meet demand for electric vehicle and electronics batteries
Supplies of the cobalt are adequate in the short term, but shortages could develop down the road if refining and recycling aren’t ramped up or made more efficient, according to research published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology.
Why It Matters: China Doesn’t Want Your Trash
For years, China processed more than half of the world’s plastic recycling. Then, in 2018, it stopped. Things have gotten messy since then.
Upcycling polyethylene plastic waste into lubricant oils
Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a catalyst that can transform polyethylene –– the type of plastic used to make grocery bags –– into high-quality liquid products, such as motor oils and waxes.
New Unprinting Method Can Help Recycle Paper and Curb Environmental Costs
Rutgers-led study shows the benefits of removing toner with pulses of intense xenon light Imagine…