Burned rice hulls could help batteries store more charge

New research finds hard carbon in rice hull ash, providing a cheap domestic source to replace graphite in batteries.

13-Dec-2024 - A closer inspection of ash from burned rice hulls, the hard outer layer of rice grains, revealed a form of carbon that could nearly double the energy density of typical lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. This sustainable source of 'hard' carbon, which outperforms ordinary graphite in battery ...

How an African bird might inspire a better water bottle

An extreme closeup of feathers from a bird with an uncanny ability to hold water while it flies could inspire the next generation of absorbent materials

18-Apr-2023 - With high resolution microscopes and 3D technology, researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology captured an unprecedented view of feathers from the desert-dwelling sandgrouse, showcasing the singular architecture of their feathers and revealing for the first ...

Are your strawberries bland? Pesticides could be to blame

How fungicides can ruin the sweetness and nutritional value of strawberries

01-Mar-2023 - Have you ever bitten into a plump, red strawberry, only to find it bland and watery? Certain pesticides might be responsible. A team reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that two common strawberry fungicides can impact cellular mechanisms, creating berries with ...

BASF concludes sale of site in Kankakee, Illinois

New company is called Kensing

02-Jun-2021 - BASF concluded the sale of its manufacturing site in Kankakee, Illinois, to an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners, LLC, a U.S.-based private equity firm. The agreement also includes the associated businesses of vegetable-oil-based raw material sterols and natural vitamin E, anionic ...

Biofuels from the brewery?

Separating beer waste into proteins for foods, and fiber for biofuels

07-Apr-2021 - Home brewing enthusiasts and major manufacturers alike experience the same result of the beer-making process: mounds of leftover grain. Once all the flavor has been extracted from barley and other grains, what's left is a protein- and fiber-rich powder that is typically used in cattle feed or put ...

A sweeter way to make green products

12-Sep-2017 - The shampoo you washed your hair with this morning. The balloons for the party. Refrigerators and sunglasses, medicine and mosquito repellent, guitar strings and fishing lures. These -- and thousands of other products we use every day -- contain chemicals made from petroleum. But researchers at ...

Newly identified microbial process could reduce toxic methylmercury levels

01-Jun-2017 - A team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a fundamental scientific discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and support health and risk ...

Vitamin A orange maize improves night vision

27-Oct-2016 - A new study has found that vitamin A-biofortified orange maize significantly improves visual functions in children. The study was conducted among school-aged children (4 to 8 years old) in rural Zambia. Children who ate orange maize showed improved night vision within six months. Their eyes ...

Risk of lead poisoning from urban gardening is low, new study finds

04-Feb-2016 - Using compost is the single best thing you can do to protect your family from any danger associated with lead in urban soils. Good compost will also guarantee that you will have plenty of vegetables to harvest. The University of Washington-led study looked at potential risks associated with ...

FIU scientists discover how arsenic builds up in plant seeds

24-Dec-2015 - Researchers from FIU's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Barry P. Rosen and Jian Chen, both from the Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, are part of an international team that has identified how arsenic gets into the seeds of plants such as rice. The discovery holds the promise of ...