Energy and Resources – Page 4 – PossibleThreat Articles

Using high energy density material in electrode design enhances lithium sulfur batteries

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Energy and Resources, Energy Technology, Fuel Cells, Graphene, Materials Science, Petroleum

To develop higher capacity batteries, researchers have looked to lithium sulfur batteries because of sulfur's high theoretical capacity and energy density. But there are still several problems to solve before they can be put into practical applications. The biggest is the shuttling effect that occurs during cycling. To solve this problem and improve lithium sulfur battery performance, the researchers created a sandwich-structured electrode using a novel material that traps polysulfides and increases the reaction kinetics.

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A new concept could make more environmentally friendly batteries possible

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Batteries, Energy and Resources, Energy and the Environment, Energy Technology, Environmental Science, Fuel Cells, Renewable Energy, Sustainability

A new concept for an aluminium battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The idea has potential for large scale applications, including storage of solar and wind energy.

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Converting CO2 to valuable resources with the help of nanoparticles

September 27, 2019 0 Comments Air Quality, Climate, Energy and Resources, Global Warming, Materials Science, Mining, Nanotechnology, Organic Chemistry

An international research team has used nanoparticles to convert carbon dioxide into valuable raw materials. Scientists have adopted the principle from enzymes that produce complex molecules in multi-step reactions. The team transferred this mechanism to metallic nanoparticles, also known as nanozymes. The chemists used carbon dioxide to produce ethanol and propanol, which are common raw materials for the chemical industry.

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Observing exotic radioactive decay process

September 26, 2019 0 Comments Detectors, Energy and Resources, Energy Technology, Fuel Cells, Nuclear Energy, Petroleum, Physics, Quantum Physics

Researchers have observed a rare nuclear decay. Namely, the team measured low-kinetic-energy protons emitted after the beta decay of a neutron-rich nucleus beryllium-11.

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Nanocatalyst makes heavy work of formic acid

September 25, 2019 0 Comments Alternative Fuels, Chemistry, Energy and Resources, Engineering and Construction, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry, Petroleum

Researchers have reported a nanocatalyst that is able to produce hydrogen isotope compounds D2 and HD via the heterogeneous dehydrogenation of formic acid in the presence of heavy water. Amine groups on the catalyst support provided a handle for tuning the selectivity of the reaction through their basicity. It is hoped that the reported process, which is appropriate for large-scale production, can be used to improve the accessibility of deuterated materials worldwide.

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Model helps choose wind farm locations, predicts output

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Construction, Energy and Resources, Energy and the Environment, Energy Technology, Environmental Science, Renewable Energy, Weather, Wind Energy

The wind is always blowing somewhere, but deciding where to locate a wind farm is a bit more complicated than holding up a wet finger. Now a team of researchers has a model that can locate the best place for the wind farm and even help with 24-hour predictions of energy output.

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Tidal barriers bring more benefits than producing clean energy

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Energy and Resources, Energy and the Environment, Energy Technology, Petroleum, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Tsunamis, Wind Energy

When designed holistically, tidal barrage schemes can provide additional transport links for commuters, become tourism destinations, mitigate wildlife habitat loss, as well as provide opportunities to boost people's health and wellbeing with additional options for cycling and walking, say researchers.

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Converting absorbed photons into twice as many excitons

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Energy and Resources, Graphene, Inorganic Chemistry, Optics, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Solar Energy

A group of researchers found that when light was exposed to the surface of a tetracene alkanethiol-modified gold nanocluster, which they developed themselves, twice as many excitons could be converted compared to the number of photons absorbed by the tetracene molecules. These findings are expected to contribute to areas such as solar energy conversion, electronics, life sciences, and medical care in the future.

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Battery with a twist

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Batteries, Computer Science, Distributed Computing, Energy and Resources, Fuel Cells, Mobile Computing, Spintronics Research, Wearable Technology

A team of researchers has used stretchable materials to develop a battery that can be bent, stretched and twisted. For applications in bendable electronic devices, this is precisely the kind of battery they need.

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Safe solution to mop up oil spills

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Energy and Resources, Environmental Issues, Hazardous Waste, Nature of Water, Oil Spills, Petroleum, Pollution

Researchers have come up with a new, safe way to clean up oil spills using compounds equally useful as common household cleaning products.