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November 15, 2016 | Phys.org
A new catalyst material developed by chemists at MIT provides key insight into the design requirements for producing liquid fuels from carbon dioxide, the leading component of greenhouse gas emissions. The findings suggest a route toward using the world's existing infrastructure for fuel storage and distribution, without adding net greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere.
Scientists Devise More Accurate System for Predicting Risks of New Chemical Products
November 15, 2016 | Phys.org
The approach used by regulators to initially screen new chemical products for toxic effects is wrong almost half the time, according to scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They have proposed an improvement that could increase accuracy to as much as 85 percent, saving millions of dollars and years of development time for new drugs and other products while improving safety.
Evonik Gets Bio-based Methionine Technology
November 14, 2016 | C&EN
Evonik Industries, a German chemical company that is a major producer of amino acids for animal nutrition, is venturing into one of the field’s final frontiers: fermentation-based production of methionine.
Astronauts Can Now Make Tools in Space Using Bio-Based Plastic and Zero Gravity 3D Printing
November 10, 2016 | Bio-Based World News
Bio-based is ready for blast off with news that thermoplastic resin producer Braskem, are partnering with space manufacturing company Made in Space on green plastics for 3D printers which can operate in zero gravity. This innovation, a year in the planning, is important as it can give astronauts greater autonomy by enabling them to fabricate parts and tools using 3D printing, which can save time and costs.
What Election 2016 Means for the Chemistry Enterprise
November 9, 2016 | C&EN
The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and a Republican-controlled Congress portend significant impacts to the chemistry enterprise. Given Republican's campaign statements, academic researchers are likely to feel a federal research funding pinch while the chemical industry could benefit from new energy policies and relaxed regulation.
New Method of Bio-Based Esther Production with Low Waste and Low Chemical Consumption
November 8, 2016 | Royal Society of Chemistry
The recovery of carboxylic acids from fermentation broth is one of the main bottlenecks for the industrial production of bio-based esters. This paper proposes an alternative for the recovery of carboxylates produced by fermentations at pH values above the pKa of the carboxylic acid. In this approach, the aqueous carboxylate anion is recovered using anion exchange, followed by desorption and esterification with CO2-expanded alcohols.
Cellulose Nanocrystals Can be Used as a Bio-based Filler in Plastics
November 7, 2016 | Phys.org
What if you could take one of the most abundant natural materials on earth and harness its strength to lighten the heaviest of objects, to replace synthetic materials, or use it in scaffolding to grow bone, in a fast-growing area of science in oral health care? This all might be possible with cellulose nanocrystals, the molecular matter of all plant life. As industrial filler material, they can be blended with plastics and other synthetics. They are as strong as steel, tough as glass, lightweight, and green.
Milking Microbes for Energy Could Help Replace Fossil Fuels
November 7, 2016 | Horizon Magazine
Researchers from Wageningen International and Uppsala University have bio-engineered microbial fuel cells that are three times more efficient than photosynthesis.