Technology
Bio-based superabsorbents on the sanitary products market
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPS) are the working components inside diapers and sanitary towels. These heavy-duty chemicals absorb and retain bodily fluids like blood and urine up to hundreds of times their original weight. SAPs revolutionised personal care when they hit the…
New Solar Tech Lasts 30 Years
A team of Princeton Engineering researchers have developed the first perovskite solar cell with a commercially viable lifetime. The team projects their device can perform above industry standards for around 30 years. It is the first of its kind to…
Sericin from Silkworm Cocoons Used in Biomedicine
Scientists from China have investigated the use of silk sericin, a protein that naturally occurs in silkworm cocoons, in biomedical applications. Their findings have been published in the journal Biomaterials. Historically, silk has been primarily used in the textiles industry,…
Prospecting for microbes: Biotech tackles the rare earth metals dilemma
In February 2022, the Canadian government’s Digital Technology Supercluster mounted a C$16 million hunt for rock-eating microbes. Over the next two years, its newly launched Mining Microbiome Analysis Platform (MMAP) will collect genetic data on microorganisms that use mineral ores…
Chinese Team Employs Biodegradable All Cellulose Composite Filter for Oil–Water Separation
A research team at the Shanxi Institute of Coal Chemistry (part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—CAS) have developed a technique in order to address the challenges in treating wastewater, specifically with oil-water separation.
The detergents industry rediscovers the cleansing power of plants
Detergents are a section of the chemical industry where bio-substitutes for petrochemicals are being adopted at a rapid rate. Europe is the largest market for renewable detergents and 50 percent of the estimated 3 million tons of surfactants made there…