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Category: sustainability – Page 142
Scientists discover new method for generating metal nanoparticles to use as catalysts
A team of researchers from the ITACA Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Research Institute of Chemical Technology, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the UPV, has discovered a new method for the manufacture of metal nanocatalysts that is more sustainable and economical.
With great potential in the industrial sector, the method would contribute to the decarbonization of industry. The work has been published in the journal ACS Nano.
This new method is based on the exsolution process activated by microwave radiation. Exsolution is a method of generating metallic nanoparticles on the surface of ceramic materials. “At elevated temperatures and in a reducing atmosphere (usually hydrogen), metal atoms migrate from the structure of the material to its surface, forming metal nanoparticles anchored to the surface. This anchoring significantly increases the strength and stability of these nanoparticles, which positively impacts the efficiency of these catalysts,” explains Beatriz García Baños, a researcher in the Microwave Area of the ITACA Institute at the UPV.
Plenty’s high-tech robot farm is transforming traditional agriculture
The firm developed vertical farming and integrated advanced robotics to handle tasks such as planting, harvesting, and ensuring efficient, automated processes.
A cutting-edge technology indoor vertical farm could transform food production. Plenty, a San Francisco-based company, curated a high-tech robot farm.
Vertical farming involves growing crops in stacked towers indoors while advanced robotics handle tasks from seed planting to harvesting, ensuring efficient, automated processes.
What’s so ‘high-tech’ about Plenty’s farm?
This indoor farm employs a precisely controlled environment, including custom LED lighting systems that mimic sunlight to optimize plant growth, flavor, and texture while minimizing energy consumption.
Here Are Electrify America’s Top 5 Tips For EV Charging In Cold Weather
After a year of record electric vehicle sales, waves of people are spending their first winter with an all-electric car for the first time. They’d do well to pay attention to these five tips for charging in cold weather from the Electrify America charging network.
EVs, just like any other vehicles, operate the best in a certain window of temperatures, outside of which their energy consumption range or charging might be negatively affected.
Adding a Small Amount of Solid Carbon to Copper Boosts its Conductivity
A common carbon compound is enabling remarkable performance enhancements when mixed in just the right proportion with copper to make electrical wires. It’s a phenomenon that defies conventional wisdom about how metals conduct electricity.
The findings, reported in the journal Materials & Design, could lead to more efficient electricity distribution to homes and businesses, as well as more efficient motors to power electric vehicles and industrial equipment. The team has applied for a patent for the work, which was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office.
Materials scientist Keerti Kappagantula and her colleagues at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discovered that graphene, single layers of the same graphite found in pencils, can enhance an important property of metals called the temperature coefficient of resistance.
Nio ET7 records 14-hour, 649-mile electric drive on a single charge
Chinese automaker Nio’s flagship electric sedan, the ET7, completed a historic journey of 649 miles (1,044 kilometers) on a single charge. The feat, led by Nio’s CEO William Li, not only showcased the capabilities of the ET7 but also highlighted the advancements in Nio’s cutting-edge battery technology.
CEO William Li’s announcement on Weibo
Nio’s CEO, William Li, took to the Chinese social media platform Weibo to announce the success of the 150kWh battery endurance challenge. He shared, “The 150kWh battery life challenge was completed, with a final score of 1,044 kilometers!” Li emphasized the challenging conditions, including a nationwide cold wave, during the 14-hour journey from Shanghai to Xiamen. Despite starting at a chilly 28 Fahrenheit (−2 degrees Celsius), the ET7 showcased exceptional performance, reaching its destination with 3 percent battery power remaining.
Wildflowers Adapting to Insect Apocalypse by Pollinating Themselves, Scientists Say
This may sound great at first glance, but researchers say it could signal the start of a “vicious cycle.”
The world is undergoing an insect apocalypse, with our buggy friends experiencing global mass population decreases at an estimated 2 percent yearly due to a woeful combination of climate change, pesticides, habitat loss, and other human-made ills.
How are flora — which often rely on insects for pollination — adapting to this massive change within the worldwide food chain? Researchers in France have now revealed one way: turning to self-pollination.
In a new study published in the journal New Phytologist, researchers have found that wildflowers in a patch of farm meadow in the Paris region have increasingly adapted to self-fertilization.
