This October 28, 2024 article by Kiran Jacob for The Edge Malaysia is designed to boost businesses but, happily, it also provides some insight into how graphene is being commercialized in Malaysia,
This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 28, 2024 – November 3, 2024
Ominent Sdn Bhd, through its flagship brand IGL Coatings, offers a seemingly straightforward product: cleaning, maintenance and protection solutions for automotive, marine and industrial coatings. But to founder Keong Chun Chieh, it is more than just the provider of a line of functional surface treatments; it’s a tech company. The secret? Nanotechnology and graphene.
What may appear as mere coatings are, in fact, intricate formulations engineered at the molecular level, designed to enhance durability, hydrophobicity and protection, says Keong. This makes the coatings more robust against physical wear and tear, and reduces their permeability to water, oxygen and other gases by filling microscopic voids and creating more impermeable surfaces.
“[Through nanotechnology], a surface that mimics a lotus leaf [is created], which is highly hydrophobic, results in a coating that repels water and dirt, and maintains a clean surface with minimal maintenance,” he says.
All these protect the coating — and the surface it is applied onto — from chemicals, corrosion, ultraviolet radiation and environmental degradation.
While its products can be applied to automotive, industrial and maritime coatings, Keong considers automotive coatings as a low-hanging fruit. This is why 70% of the company’s revenue comes from this sector.
Meanwhile, the main focus of the industrial sector — a market that is rapidly growing for IGL Coatings — is anti-corrosion coatings to prevent rust. The corrosion damages infrastructure and equipment that can lead to sudden failures such as building collapses.
Existing anti-corrosion coatings hinder any early detection of the deterioration. “[The products] that are in the market, are not supposed to rust, but you can’t see whether the rust is happening at the bottom [of the coating],” he says.
“When you visually can see it, it means that it is severely rusted and has cracked the coating and painting on the top.”
A transparent corrosion system enables early detection and repair, which then extends the lifespan of the asset and reduces the need for replacement, says Keong. Moreover, the utilisation of nanotechnology involving titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes and diamond particles aids in achieving a structured surface at the nanoscale.
“The uniform dispersion optimises the surface energy and texture, which significantly enhances water repellency. The created nanostructure helps in forming a consistent and effective barrier against moisture,” he explains.
The incorporation of functionalised graphene improves the overall properties of the coating, adds Keong. “Graphene is an additive that supercharges some of the behaviour that I need.”
A sophisticated dispersion method is employed to ensure that graphene nanoplatelets and functionalised graphene, such as hydroxyl and carboxyl, are evenly distributed within the coating matrix.
“The hydroxyl and carboxyl groups facilitate better integration within the coating matrix, enhancing the coating’s strength, flexibility and resistance to environmental factors,” he says.
The incorporation of carbon dots into IGL Coatings’ formulations is also in the works. Carbon dots, a type of carbon-nano material composed of discrete and quasi-spherical nanoparticles, have several advantages. These include low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, stable chemical inertness, efficient light harvesting and outstanding photo-induced electron transfer.
IGL Coatings, which has over 40 automotive coating products, has an existing network of 5,000 installers in the automotive sector that it leverages to market its industrial solutions, says Keong. Installers who are familiar with the brand are then able to recommend the industrial coatings to their existing customers.
Its customers in this area include those in the mining, theme park and fishing industries. The application for the coatings include for buildings, material handling equipment, roofs, pillars and undercarriages of vehicles.
Keong aims to optimise existing technologies and reduce their environmental impact. For instance, the company has a high solids, zero volatile organic compounds solution to prevent battery corrosion in electric vehicles. It also has a coating for solar panels to reduce cleaning frequency and increase energy collection.
IGL Coatings has expanded to over 50 countries with a broad range of products in the automotive, marine and industrial sectors.
The company generated a total revenue of RM66.5 million from its inception in 2015 up to 2023. Last year, it generated a revenue of RM10.5 million. IGL Coatings recorded a 160% growth in revenue over the past three years. The Financial Times, in a joint study with Statista, ranked it as one of 500 top growth companies in Asia-Pacific in 2023.
Keong stumbled upon the idea for his company while working as an engineer. He was frustrated by the daunting prospect of having to clean the expensive lenses in his clients’ spectrometers every six months.
Due to its proximity to materials being burned, the lens in the spectrometer would quickly get dirty with carbon deposits and turn yellow. Cleaning it cost a couple of thousand ringgit.
Using his experience of working in his clients’ labs, Keong formulated a solution that he could apply onto the lens to clean it.
“I worked out a basic formulation and applied it onto the lens. It worked well and actually increased the performance of the lens and I didn’t need to change it anymore. I told my employers that the product could be sold as a solution to clean the instruments,” he recalls.
It had taken Keong about a year to develop the solution. He did this based on his knowledge about chemicals and by referencing scientific journals and reviewing safety data sheets for ingredient ideas.
But, his employers didn’t take to the idea as they wanted to sell more of the lenses, not less.
“I was a bit disappointed. [So] I took that [formulation] and [applied it on] my car windshield. It gave the same result [making the windshield] easier to clean [as it was hydrophobic and had long durability].”
That was his Eureka moment. When Keong researched such products on the market, he realised that the products available could only last for two to three weeks. His solution, on the other hand, could last up to nine months.
“I did a tweak [on the product] and started selling it as a solution to local users in Malaysia, and delved more into the industry. [In my mind], the market for this was, as long as there is a surface, it would require protection.”
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At the heart of it all, Keong wants to provide products that are safe, as there is a lack of transparency and safety in detailing chemicals. He noticed that many workers were using the chemicals on a daily basis without wearing personal protective equipment and proper education on how to use them safely.
“The thing is, with chemicals, it’s not about feeling the pain [immediately]. It’s about what you are breathing in and what is getting absorbed into your skin. Five to 10 years later, you will feel it. As I studied more about it, [I found] there are a lot of chemicals that are carcinogenic,” he says.
IGL Coatings’ products do not contain heavy metals and are free from isocyanate, which is a common harmful chemical found in anti-corrosion products, explains Keong.
Additionally, he hopes that with access to public funds eventually, the company will be able to produce the materials for its products, instead of sourcing for them elsewhere.
Currently, the company sources nano-materials from larger companies and experiments to find the right combination. “IGL Coatings is like the chef. We cook the food and we [create] the dish. The materials and ingredients are purchased from the farmer who grows it … we find the best materials that are suitable and compatible. [From there] we form the formulation to produce the product we want. It’s all about trial and error.”
Some of the challenges faced during production are ensuring the nanoparticles remain stable within the coating formulation and are compatible with the other components. Furthermore, the properties of graphene, such as mechanical strength and conductivity, need to be retained after dispersion and incorporation into the coating.
High-quality graphene production is expensive, adds Keong. IGL Coatings identifies graphene derived from the by-products of other industries and repurposes waste materials into high-value nano-materials.
Its formulations are a trade secret and proprietary to avoid competitors from replicating them.
“When I did the formulation, I actually studied other patents [emphasis mine]. They list down the whole thing. [Based on the] patents [I learnt what to and what not to do]. If I were to list my formulations down for a patent, well-funded [companies] and [their] research and development chemists can read the article and come up with something immediately,” he says.
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So, he used other companies’ patents and doesn’t want that to happen to his company. That’s certainly one approach to dealing with intellectual property.
In the end, I’m happy to have seen Jacob’s October 28, 2024 article and to have learned more about graphene commercialization in Malaysia.
This is a little late (I’m sorry) but, on the plus side, it’s not a complicated application process. The residency is offered by the Port Renfrew Writers Retreat, from their About webpage,
Founded in 2019 on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Port Renfrew Writers Retreat is a space for writing that relates to the natural world.
Through in-person residencies and year-round self-directed retreats, we support the development and craft of writing projects in one of the most spectacular and storied corners of Canada.
Many of our residents have gone on to publish books and articles based on work done at Port Renfrew Writers Retreat.
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Why Port Renfrew?
The story of Port Renfrew Writers Retreat starts with the story of a single tree. Big Lonely Doug is a 20-storey, 1000-year-old Douglas Fir that was saved from the saw by a logger named Dennis Cronin. The tree—the second largest of its kind in Canada—was left standing in the Gordon River Valley, a short drive from Port Renfrew, while the entire old-growth forest around it was cut down. The tree has since become an environmental icon, drawing tourists from around the world to glimpse both the spectacular capacity of what nature can create in stark contrast with the reality of industrial logging of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island.
It was this one tree that brought Harley [Harley Rustad] to Port Renfrew in the summer of 2015 to report a magazine article about Big Lonely Doug and Dennis Cronin and then later a book. It’s a corner of Canada with an undeniable magic in the mist coiling through the forests and in the whales breaching off the coast, in breathing the salt-tinged air and spotting a black bear or a cougar or an elk—or stumbling upon one of the largest trees in the country.
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By Ryan Cutler – Reddit / Imgur, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145127049
The Wilderness Writing Residency is a ten-day, in-person residency in Port Renfrew, British Columbia, for non-fiction writers working on a magazine feature or book project on a theme related to the natural world.
Surrounded by inspiring jagged coastline and old-growth forest, writers will use the solitude for uninterrupted work while also partaking in group work with fellow writers and faculty editors.
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Write the wild
Writers will critique and challenge ideas of wilderness and nature, and examine our complicated relationships within these complex, thorny terms.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation will be provided by the residency at no cost to the writer in the form of a self-contained, one-bedroom cabin within the Wild Coast Cottage development in Port Renfrew.
FOOD
Residents will need to cover most of their own food costs but some group meals will be provided by the residency. More details will be provided.
TRAVEL
Residents will be required to arrange travel to Port Renfrew at their own expense. Grants through the Canada Council for the Arts are available to support travel to attend residency programs.
GROUP WORK
Residents will partake in at least one group session to workshop work-in-progress with peers and faculty, offering and receiving feedback within the group.
BIG TREE TOUR
A guided excursion to some of the most storied forests and trees in the area.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
The Wilderness Writing Residency is open to applications from writers of all levels and backgrounds, but preference will be given to emerging writers.
ELIGIBILITY
Residents must be 18+ at the time of the program start date. International applications are welcome but we are unable to assist with visas.
PROGRAM FEE
$200, due upon acceptance into the residency.
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Apply for 2025
The Wilderness Writing Residency 2025 will run from February 24 (arrival) to March 7 (departure).
Applications are due Friday, January 10 [2025] at midnight Pacific Time.
Use the form below to submit your application, which must include both a short bio as well as a one-page outline of your project. Application is free.
First, thank you to anyone who’s dropped by to read any of my posts. Second, I didn’t quite catch up on my backlog in what was then the new year (2024) despite my promises. (sigh) I will try to publish my drafts in a more timely fashion but I start this coming year as I did 2024 with a backlog of two to three months. This may be my new normal.
As for now, here’s an overview of FrogHeart’s 2024. The posts that follow are loosely organized under a heading but many of them could fit under other headings as well. After my informal review, there’s some material on foretelling the future as depicted in an exhibition, “Oracles, Omens and Answers,” at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
Human enhancement: prosthetics, robotics, and more
Within a year or two of starting this blog I created a tag ‘machine/flesh’ to organize information about a number of converging technologies such as robotics, brain implants, and prosthetics that could alter our concepts of what it means to be human. The larger category of human enhancement functions in much the same way also allowing a greater range of topics to be covered.
Here are some of the 2024 human enhancement and/or machine/flesh stories on this blog,
As for anyone who’s curious about hydrogels, there’s this from an October 20, 2016 article by D.C.Demetre for ScienceBeta, Note: A link has been removed,
Hydrogels, materials that can absorb and retain large quantities of water, could revolutionise medicine. Our bodies contain up to 60% water, but hydrogels can hold up to 90%.
It is this similarity to human tissue that has led researchers to examine if these materials could be used to improve the treatment of a range of medical conditions including heart disease and cancer.
These days hydrogels can be found in many everyday products, from disposable nappies and soft contact lenses to plant-water crystals. But the history of hydrogels for medical applications started in the 1960s.
Scientists developed artificial materials with the ambitious goal of using them in permanent contact applications , ones that are implanted in the body permanently.
For anyone who wants a more technical explanation, there’s the Hydrogel entry on Wikipedia.
Science education and citizen science
Where science education is concerned I’m seeing some innovative approaches to teaching science, which can include citizen science. As for citizen science (also known as, participatory science) I’ve been noticing heightened interest at all age levels.
It’s been another year where artificial intelligence (AI) has absorbed a lot of energy from nearly everyone. I’m highlighting the more unusual AI stories I’ve stumbled across,
As you can see, I’ve tucked in two tangentially related stories, one which references a neuromorphic computing story ((see my Neuromorphic engineering category or search for ‘memristors’ in the blog search engine for more on brain-like computing topics) and the other is intellectual property. There are many, many more stories on these topics
Art/science (or art/sci or sciart)
It’s a bit of a surprise to see how many art/sci stories were published here this year, although some might be better described as art/tech stories.
There may be more 2024 art/sci stories but the list was getting long. In addition to searching for art/sci on the blog search engine, you may want to try data sonification too.
Moving off planet to outer space
This is not a big interest of mine but there were a few stories,
I expect to be delighted, horrified, thrilled, and left shaking my head by science stories in 2025. Year after year the world of science reveals a world of wonder.
More mundanely, I can state with some confidence that my commentary (mentioned in the future-oriented subsection of my 2023 review and 2024 look forward) on Quantum Potential, a 2023 report from the Council of Canadian Academies, will be published early in this new year as I’ve almost finished writing it.
Some questions are hard to answer and always have been. Does my beloved love me back? Should my country go to war? Who stole my goats?
Questions like these have been asked of diviners around the world throughout history – and still are today. From astrology and tarot to reading entrails, divination comes in a wide variety of forms.
Yet they all address the same human needs. They promise to tame uncertainty, help us make decisions or simply satisfy our desire to understand.
Anthropologists and historians like us study divination because it sheds light on the fears and anxieties of particular cultures, many of which are universal. Our new exhibition at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, Oracles, Omens & Answers, explores these issues by showcasing divination techniques from around the world.
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1. Spider divination
In Cameroon, Mambila spider divination (ŋgam dù) addresses difficult questions to spiders or land crabs that live in holes in the ground.
Asking the spiders a question involves covering their hole with a broken pot and placing a stick, a stone and cards made from leaves around it. The diviner then asks a question in a yes or no format while tapping the enclosure to encourage the spider or crab to emerge. The stick and stone represent yes or no, while the leaf cards, which are specially incised with certain meanings, offer further clarification.
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2. Palmistry
Reading people’s palms (palmistry) is well known as a fairground amusement, but serious forms of this divination technique exist in many cultures. The practice of reading the hands to gather insights into a person’s character and future was used in many ancient cultures across Asia and Europe.
In some traditions, the shape and depth of the lines on the palm are richest in meaning. In others, the size of the hands and fingers are also considered. In some Indian traditions, special marks and symbols appearing on the palm also provide insights.
Palmistry experienced a huge resurgence in 19th-century England and America, just as the science of fingerprints was being developed. If you could identify someone from their fingerprints, it seemed plausible to read their personality from their hands.
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3. Bibliomancy
If you want a quick answer to a difficult question, you could try bibliomancy. Historically, this DIY [do-it-yourself] divining technique was performed with whatever important books were on hand.
Throughout Europe, the works of Homer or Virgil were used. In Iran, it was often the Divan of Hafiz, a collection of Persian poetry. In Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions, holy texts have often been used, though not without controversy.
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4. Astrology
Astrology exists in almost every culture around the world. As far back as ancient Babylon, astrologers have interpreted the heavens to discover hidden truths and predict the future.
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5. Calendrical divination
Calendars have long been used to divine the future and establish the best times to perform certain activities. In many countries, almanacs still advise auspicious and inauspicious days for tasks ranging from getting a haircut to starting a new business deal.
In Indonesia, Hindu almanacs called pawukon [calendar] explain how different weeks are ruled by different local deities. The characteristics of the deities mean that some weeks are better than others for activities like marriage ceremonies.
6 December 2024 – 27 April 2025 ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library
The Bodleian Libraries’ new exhibition, Oracles, Omens and Answers, will explore the many ways in which people have sought answers in the face of the unknown across time and cultures. From astrology and palm reading to weather and public health forecasting, the exhibition demonstrates the ubiquity of divination practices, and humanity’s universal desire to tame uncertainty, diagnose present problems, and predict future outcomes.
Through plagues, wars and political turmoil, divination, or the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown, has remained an integral part of society. Historically, royals and politicians would consult with diviners to guide decision-making and incite action. People have continued to seek comfort and guidance through divination in uncertain times — the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in apps enabling users to generate astrological charts or read the Yijing [I Ching], alongside a growth in horoscope and tarot communities on social media such as ‘WitchTok’. Many aspects of our lives are now dictated by algorithmic predictions, from e-health platforms to digital advertising. Scientific forecasters as well as doctors, detectives, and therapists have taken over many of the societal roles once held by diviners. Yet the predictions of today’s experts are not immune to criticism, nor can they answer all our questions.
Curated by Dr Michelle Aroney, whose research focuses on early modern science and religion, and Professor David Zeitlyn, an expert in the anthropology of divination, the exhibition will take a historical-anthropological approach to methods of prophecy, prediction and forecasting, covering a broad range of divination methods, including astrology, tarot, necromancy, and spider divination.
Dating back as far as ancient Mesopotamia, the exhibition will show us that the same kinds of questions have been asked of specialist practitioners from around the world throughout history. What is the best treatment for this illness? Does my loved one love me back? When will this pandemic end? Through materials from the archives of the Bodleian Libraries alongside other collections in Oxford, the exhibition demonstrates just how universally human it is to seek answers to difficult questions.
Highlights of the exhibition include: oracle bones from Shang Dynasty China (ca. 1250-1050 BCE); an Egyptian celestial globe dating to around 1318; a 16th-century armillary sphere from Flanders, once used by astrologers to place the planets in the sky in relation to the Zodiac; a nineteenth-century illuminated Javanese almanac; and the autobiography of astrologer Joan Quigley, who worked with Nancy and Ronald Reagan in the White House for seven years. The casebooks of astrologer-physicians in 16th- and 17th-century England also offer rare insights into the questions asked by clients across the social spectrum, about their health, personal lives, and business ventures, and in some cases the actions taken by them in response.
The exhibition also explores divination which involves the interpretation of patterns or clues in natural things, with the idea that natural bodies contain hidden clues that can be decrypted. Some diviners inspect the entrails of sacrificed animals (known as ‘extispicy’), as evidenced by an ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet describing the observation of patterns in the guts of birds. Others use human bodies, with palm readers interpreting characters and fortunes etched in their clients’ hands. A sketch of Oscar Wilde’s palms – which his palm reader believed indicated “a great love of detail…extraordinary brain power and profound scholarship” – shows the revival of palmistry’s popularity in 19th century Britain.
The exhibition will also feature a case study of spider divination practised by the Mambila people of Cameroon and Nigeria, which is the research specialism of curator Professor David Zeitlyn, himself a Ŋgam dù diviner. This process uses burrowing spiders or land crabs to arrange marked leaf cards into a pattern, which is read by the diviner. The display will demonstrate the methods involved in this process and the way in which its results are interpreted by the card readers. African basket divination has also been observed through anthropological research, where diviners receive answers to their questions in the form of the configurations of thirty plus items after they have been tossed in the basket.
Dr Michelle Aroney and Professor David Zeitlyn, co-curators of the exhibition, say:
Every day we confront the limits of our own knowledge when it comes to the enigmas of the past and present and the uncertainties of the future. Across history and around the world, humans have used various techniques that promise to unveil the concealed, disclosing insights that offer answers to private or shared dilemmas and help to make decisions. Whether a diviner uses spiders or tarot cards, what matters is whether the answers they offer are meaningful and helpful to their clients. What is fun or entertainment for one person is deadly serious for another.
Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s [a nickname? Bodleian Libraries were founded by Sir Thomas Bodley] Librarian, said:
People have tried to find ways of predicting the future for as long as we have had recorded history. This exhibition examines and illustrates how across time and culture, people manage the uncertainty of everyday life in their own way. We hope that through the extraordinary exhibits, and the scholarship that brings them together, visitors to the show will appreciate the long history of people seeking answers to life’s biggest questions, and how people have approached it in their own unique way.
The exhibition will be accompanied by the book Divinations, Oracles & Omens, edited by Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, which will be published by Bodleian Library Publishing on 5 December 2024.
Courtesy: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
I’m not sure why the preceding image is used to illustrate the exhibition webpage but I find it quite interesting. Should you be in Oxford, UK and lucky enough to visit the exhibition, there are a few more details on the Oracles, Omens and Answers event webpage, Note: There are 26 Bodleian Libraries at Oxford and the exhibition is being held in the Weston Library,
EXHIBITION
Oracles, Omens and Answers
6 December 2024 – 27 April 2025
ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library
Free admission, no ticket required
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Note: This exhibition includes a large continuous projection of spider divination practice, including images of the spiders in action.
Exhibition tours
Oracles, Omens and Answers exhibition tours are available on selected Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1–1.45pm and are open to all.
An October 15, 2024 news item on phys.org highlights research into soil remediation, Note: A link has been removed,
One of the pressing problems that the world faces in the era of climate change is how to grow enough healthy food to meet the increasing global population, even as soil contamination rises. Research recently published in Nature Food by an international team of scientists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Guangdong University of Technology, and Central South University of Forestry and Technology, has shown that nutrients on the nanometer scale can not only blunt some of the worst effects of heavy metal and metalloid contamination, but increase crop yields and nutrient content.
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Caption: Nanomaterials can enter plants through above-ground tissues and root tissues. Soil rhizosphere microorganisms, soil particles, organic matter and rhizosphere deposits can also influence NM uptake in plants. Credit: 10.1038/s43016-024-01063-1 Courtesy of University of Massachusetts Amherst
“Much of the world’s arable soil is contaminated by heavy metals, like cadmium, lead and mercury, as well as metalloids, like arsenic and selenium,” says Baoshan Xing, University Distinguished Professor and director of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst. Xing, who is also the paper’s senior author, notes that such contamination puts severe stress on the ability to grow staple crops, which also affects the nutritional value of the crops that manage to survive. “We need to come up with solutions to reduce the heavy metals that wind up in our food,” says Xing, and one approach that has shown promise is the use of nutrients at nanoscale, or what he calls a “nano-enabled” agriculture.
The bulk fertilizers that you may be more familiar with are made up of large particles, which aren’t as readily absorbed by the crop. This means that farmers need to apply more, which then increases the levels of fertilizer runoff into streams, lakes and the ocean. However, crop nutrients at the nanometer scale can be specifically designed and mixed for particular crops, growing conditions and application methods, and engineered so that the target plant can most efficiently absorb the nutrients into its system, cutting down on the amount of fertilizer needed, keeping costs down and limiting runoff.
Though nanomaterials are already available on the agricultural market and have plenty of peer-reviewed science looking at their effect on the soil and crop growth, Xing and his colleagues’ research is the first comprehensive account of the effectiveness of nanomaterials as a class, with results that offer practical insights to help steer sustainable agriculture and global food safety.
“We collected data from 170 previous publications on the effectiveness of nanoparticles in reducing heavy metal and metalloid uptake,” says Chuanxin Ma, the paper’s co-lead author who completed his doctoral training at UMass Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture and is now a professor at China’s Guangdong University of Technology. “From those 170 papers, we collected 8,585 experimental observations of how plants respond to nanomaterials.”
The team then conducted a meta-analysis on this enormous trove of data, running it through a series of machine-learning models to quantify the effect of nanomaterials on crop growth and metal and metalloid uptake, before finally testing a flexible quantitative approach, known as the “IVIF-TOPSIS-EW method,” that can illuminate how to choose different types of nanomaterials according to a range of realistic agricultural scenarios.
The results show that nanomaterials are more effective than conventional fertilizers at mitigating the harmful effects of polluted soil (by 38.3%), can enhance crop yields (by 22.8%) and the nutritional value of those crops (by 30%), as well as combat plant stress (by 21.6%) due to metal and metalloid pollution. Nanomaterials also help increase soil enzymes and organic carbon, both of which help drive soil fertility.
“Of course, nanomaterials are not a silver bullet,” explains Xing. “They need to be applied in distinct ways based on the individual crop and soil.” Which is where the team’s IVIF-TOPSIS-EW method comes into play. “Our method can help policy makers choose the best course of action for their particular situation,” says Ma.
Yini Cao from Central South University of Forestry and Technology also contributed greatly to collecting and analyzing the data in this work.
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA).
It seems to me that this year there’s been more interest than usual in harvesting energy from heretofore untapped resources, from an October 17, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily,
Imagine tires that charge a vehicle as it drives, streetlights powered by the rumble of traffic, or skyscrapers that generate electricity as the buildings naturally sway and shudder.
These energy innovations could be possible thanks to researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developing environmentally friendly materials that produce electricity when compressed or exposed to vibrations.
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The RPI team developed a polymer film infused with a special chalcogenide perovskite compound that produces electricity when squeezed or stressed. The device could be used in consumer goods, such as a shoe that lights up when the user walks, though it has potential applications in transportation and infrastructure. Credit: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, the team developed a polymer film infused with a special chalcogenide perovskite compound that produces electricity when squeezed or stressed, a phenomenon known as the piezoelectric effect. While other piezoelectric materials currently exist, this is one of the few high-performing ones that does not contain lead, making it an excellent candidate for use in machines, infrastructure as well as bio-medical applications.
“We are excited and encouraged by our findings and their potential to support the transition to green energy,” said Nikhil Koratkar, Ph.D., corresponding author of the study and the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering. “Lead is toxic and increasing being restricted and phased out of materials and devices. Our goal was to create a material that was lead-free and could be made inexpensively using elements commonly found in nature.”
The energy harvesting film, which is only 0.3 millimeters thick, could be integrated into a wide variety of devices, machines, and structures, Koratkar explained.
“Essentially, the material converts mechanical energy into electrical energy — the greater the applied pressure load and the greater the surface area over which the pressure is applied, the greater the effect,” Koratkar said. “For example, it could be used beneath highways to generate electricity when cars drive over them. It could also be used in building materials, making electricity when buildings vibrate.”
The piezoelectric effect occurs in materials that lack structural symmetry. Under stress, piezoelectric materials deform in such a way that causes positive and negative ions within the material to separate. This “dipole moment,” as it is known scientifically, can be harnessed and turned into an electric current. In the chalcogenide perovskite material discovered by the RPI team, structural symmetry can be easily broken under stress leading to a pronounced piezoelectric response.
Once they synthesized their new material, which contains barium, zirconium and sulfur, the researchers tested its ability to produce electricity by subjecting it to various bodily movements, such as walking, running, clapping, and tapping fingers.
The researchers found that the material generated electricity during these experiments, enough to even power banks of LED’s that spelled out RPI.
“These tests show this technology could be useful, for example, in a device worn by runners or bikers that lights up their shoes or helmets and makes them more visible. However, this is just a proof of concept, as we’d like to eventually see this kind of material implemented at scale, where it can really make a difference in energy production,” Koratkar said.
Moving forward, Koratkar’s lab will explore the entire family of chalcogenide perovskite compounds in the search for those that exhibit an even stronger piezoelectric effect. Artificial intelligence and machine learning could prove useful tools in this pursuit, Koratkar said.
“Sustainable energy production is vital to our future,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., dean of the RPI School of Engineering. “Professor Koratkar’s work is a great example of how innovating approaches to materials discovery can help address a global problem.”
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Piezoelectricity in chalcogenide perovskites by Sk Shamim Hasan Abir, Shyam Sharma, Prince Sharma, Surya Karla, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Johnson Samuel & Nikhil Koratkar. Nature Communications volume 15, Article number: 5768 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50130-5 Published: 09 July 2024
This October 9, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily floats an idea that’s a big improvement over letting a bag of ice cubes melt on your body so you can cool down,
A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.
As heatwaves become more prominent, cooling textiles that can be incorporated into clothes, hats, shoes and even building surfaces provide a glimpse into a future where greenhouse gas-emitting air conditioners may no longer be needed in our cities.
Engineers from Zhengzhou University and the University of South Australia say the wearable fabric is designed to reflect sunlight and allow heat to escape, while blocking the sun’s rays and lowering the temperature. They have described the textiles in the latest issue of Science Bulletin.
The fabric promises to bring relief to millions of city dwellers experiencing warmer and more uncomfortable temperatures caused by global climate change and fewer green spaces.
UniSA visiting researcher Yangzhe Hou says the fabric leverages the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process where materials emit heat into the atmosphere, and ultimately into space.
“Unlike conventional fabrics that retain heat, these textiles are made of three layers that are engineered to optimise cooling,” Hou says.
The upper layer, made of polymethyl pentene fibres, allows heat to radiate effectively. The middle layer, composed of silver nanowires, enhances the fabric’s reflectivity, preventing additional heat from reaching the body. The bottom layer, made of wool, directs heat away from the skin, ensuring that wearers remain cool, even in the hottest urban environments.
“In our experiment, when placed vertically, the fabric was found to be 2.3°C cooler than traditional textiles, and up to 6.2°C cooler than the surrounding environment when used as a horizontal surface covering.
“The fabric’s ability to passively reduce temperatures offers a sustainable alternative to conventional air conditioning, providing energy savings and reducing the strain on power grids during heatwaves.”
Zhengzhou University researchers Jingna Zhang and Professor Xianhu Liu say the technology not only addresses the immediate problem of urban heat islands, but also contributes to broader efforts to mitigate climate change and move towards more sustainable urban living.
It is hoped the technology could be adapted for even broader applications, including construction material, outdoor furniture and urban planning.
While the fabric holds significant promise, researchers say the current production process is costly, and the long-term durability of the textiles needs further investigation and government support before it can be commercialised.
“Whether consumers are willing to pay more for wearable fabrics depend on the cooling effect, durability, comfort and their environmental awareness,” the researchers say.
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Radiation cooling textiles countering urban heat islands by Xianhu Liu, Jingna Zhang, Yangzhe Hou, Chuntai Liu, Changyu Shen. Science Bulletin Volume 69, Issue 21, 15 November 2024, Pages 3318-3320 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.09.008 Available online 12 September 2024, Version of Record 5 November 2024
The United Kingdom’s government announced changes to its winter fuel policy in July 2024. These changes included the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance for what amounted to millions of pensioners. (You can find out more in an October 11, 2024 Reuters Fact Check.)
Unfortunately, this October 9, 2024 news item on Azonano doesn’t point to immediate relief for those affected by the changes but it seems to give hope, Note: A link has been removed,
In light of the recent ]UK] Government announcement regarding the planned changes to the winter fuel policy, which will see a reduction in support for pensioners, Haydale is working with strategic partner Staircraft, which is owned by Travis Perkins plc, to develop a solution to help mitigate rising energy costs.
Our newly developed graphene-based underfloor heating system, has just completed initial successful trials, offering a revolutionary way for households to significantly reduce their heating bills.
With energy prices on the rise and Government support being scaled back, our innovative heating technology promises to ease the burden on household finances.
Graphene’s exceptional heat conductivity allows for a faster, more efficient distribution of warmth, using considerably less energy than traditional heating systems., Independent trials have demonstrated that our low voltage underfloor heating system can reduce energy consumption, leading to major cost savings— of up to 70% vs traditional underfloor heat systems using main power and copper wires – exactly what’s needed as heating bills increase.
“Our mission has always been to provide practical, affordable solutions to everyday problems, and the timing of this innovation couldn’t be more important,” said Keith Broadbent, CEO of Haydale. “At a time when many pensioners and vulnerable households are facing higher costs with less support, we believe our graphene heating technology can provide real relief.”
Dr Luke Whale, Technical Director at Staircraft Group said “Our initial trials on graphene underfloor heating panels bonded to our pre-cut chipboard flooring panels are demonstrating extremely efficient room heating can be achieved at much lower running costs than traditional underfloor heating methods. We will now be discussing its potential with house builders, in the hope that site trials can be undertaken as a next step.”
This cutting-edge system not only lowers heating expenses but also promotes sustainability by reducing energy consumption, making it an eco-friendly option for households concerned about their carbon footprint.
Haydale is committed to bringing this affordable and efficient technology to the market, helping consumers – especially pensioners – stay warm without breaking the bank.
No mention of when this product might come to market or what it will cost pensioners.
Science World Spotlights: Storytelling Through Film
Join us for the final Science World Spotlights session of the year! The evening will be an engaging and thought-provoking session which brings to life our Earth Matters exhibition by exploring important topics around climate and sustainability in “Storytelling Through Film.”
This special event brings together local documentary filmmakers who have a passion for nature and bring storytelling to life, by using film to highlight crucial environmental issues and inspire change.
Storytelling Through Film offers a unique opportunity to explore how documentary filmmaking can drive awareness and action on environmental issues. Whether you are a film enthusiast, a science lover, or simply interested in learning more about the critical issues facing BC and beyond, this session promises to be both enlightening and inspiring.
Event Highlights
Captivating Film Highlights: Experience clips from passionate influential documentaries that have brought attention to various environmental and ecological themes.
Panel Discussion: Hear from local filmmakers who are passionate storytellers, dedicated to capturing the beauty and challenges of British Columbia, through their unique cinematic lenses.
Q&A Session: Engage with the filmmakers during an interactive Q&A session where you can delve deeper into their expert subjects, creative processes and the impactful stories they tell.
Films
Herring spawn explained
The coast of Vancouver Island turns a bright turquoise blue every spring. But why? It’s fish sperm, or milt, from the herring spawn. This annual breeding event happens for millions of Pacific herring, a small fish that is at the foundation of B.C.’s marine ecosystem. This natural spectacle attracts wildlife in huge numbers to gorge on the fish and eggs. Connel Bradwell and Emily Robertson are on the coast of Vancouver Island to explore how the herring spawn is key to healthy wildlife populations.
Walking with Plants
Styawat/Leigh Joseph is a Sḵwxw̱ú7mesh Nation ethnobotanist. She grew up away from her traditional territory of Squamish, B.C. but in coming to a deeper understanding of her identity as a Sḵwxw̱ú7mesh woman, felt called to move her family home.
As she navigates walking between academic and cultural worlds, she contemplates her relationship with plants and their role as teachers. On the land where her ancestors have harvested since time beyond memory, her life purpose is awakened.
Biophilia (short film)
Biophilia, by definition, is the love of life and living things. In this film, join young architecture aficionado Louisa Whitmore as she investigates the concept of biophilic design and its potential to reconnect us with nature. Louisa crosses Canada to meet with activists, architects and researchers who explain how this important movement can work to fulfill our biological human desire to be surrounded by the natural elements.
The Salmon’s Call
The Salmon’s Call is a powerful documentary that explores the intricate spiritual and cultural relationship between wild salmon and Indigenous people that has lasted centuries. It is told through an Indigenous lens and gives a unique voice to a vital symbol of renewal, transformation, and resilience. The film takes viewers on a breathtaking journey with the Sockeye salmon from the West Coast waters of British Columbia, traversing the Fraser River, through the Chilcotin and the Stuart River (Nak’alkoh) and Stuart Lake (Nak’albun) situated in Northern British Columbia.
If you are experiencing financial concerns and the cost of a ticket will be a barrier for you to attend, please email mpetkov@scienceworld.ca about our registration fee subsidy program.
Unexpectedly, this story centers on coal and in this case, coal ash. A September 12, 2024 Canadian Light Source news release (also received via email)) by Brian Owens explains how coal ash is a source for rare earth elements (RRE), Note: A link has been removed,
As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, the demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is only going to increase. These elements are vital to the production of technologies that will make the transition to green energy possible. While REEs are not technically rare, large deposits are found in only a few locations around the world – mostly in China – and they are difficult to extract.
“If we want to switch to electric vehicles by 2035 and be net-zero by 2050 we’re going to need new sources of these metals,” says Brendan Bishop, a PhD candidate studying REEs at the University of Regina.
Bishop and his colleagues have been studying one potential new source of these valuable elements: the ash that is produced as waste from coal-fired power plants. Researchers have looked into REEs in coal waste in the United States and China, but there has been little work done on ash from Canadian coal.
The team analyzed samples of ash from coal plants in Alberta and Saskatchewan to determine how much REEs the ashes contained, and how they could be extracted. While the concentration of REEs in Canadian coal ash is on par with that found in ash from other parts of the world, questions remained about whether the REEs are dispersed evenly throughout the ash particles or concentrated in certain minerals found within the ashes.
Using the powerful X-ray beamlines at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Bishop probed the ash, in search of a rare earth element called yttrium. They found it was distributed in specific mineral phases within the ash particles, most often in the form of silicates or phosphates such as xenotime which remain unchanged when the coal is burned. The work was published in Environmental Science and Technology.
Bishop says this data can help inform development of an efficient and environmentally friendly process for recovering REEs from the ash. “This will be important when we develop a recovery process because extracting rare earth elements is technologically challenging,” he says. “In this case, since it’s in xenotime which is an ore mineral, maybe we can use an existing process and modify it for coal ash.”
The amount of REEs that could be extracted from coal ash will depend on the recovery process, says Bishop. But he thinks it could be a good short-to-medium-term source of the metals. The concentration is not particularly high, but that is offset by the fact that waste coal ash is plentiful. The concentration throughout the ash is also fairly homogenous, so no complicated grading is required as with mined ores. Once the extraction process is perfected, it will also be much faster than opening new mines, which often have gaps of up to 17 years between exploration and production.
Recovering REEs from the ash is also an important step toward a circular economy. Some ash is used in making concrete, but most just sits in landfills or tailings ponds near power plants. “It not only gets rid of an environmental liability, but it also gives us the metals we need for clean energy technologies,” says Bishop.
This seems like a good idea especially for those of us who live in areas where wildfires have become commonplace, from an August 22, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily,
As climate change creates hotter, drier conditions, we are seeing longer fire seasons with larger, more frequent wildfires. In recent years, catastrophic wildfires have destroyed homes and infrastructure, caused devastating losses in lives and livelihoods of people living in affected areas, and damaged wildland resources and the economy. We need new solutions to fight wildfires and protect areas from damage.
Researchers at Stanford have developed a water-enhancing gel that could be sprayed on homes and critical infrastructure to help keep them from burning during wildfires [emphasis mine]. The research, published Aug. 21 [2024] in Advanced Materials, shows that the new gels last longer and are significantly more effective [emphasis mine] than existing commercial gels.
“Under typical wildfire conditions, current water-enhancing gels dry out in 45 minutes,” said Eric Appel, associate professor of materials science and engineering in the School of Engineering, who is senior author of the paper. “We’ve developed a gel that would have a broader application window – you can spray it further in advance of the fire and still get the benefit of the protection – and it will work better when the fire comes.
Long-lasting protection
Water-enhancing gels are made of super-absorbent polymers – similar to the absorbent powder found in disposable diapers. Mixed with water and sprayed on a building, they swell into a gelatinous substance that clings to the outside of the structure, creating a thick, wet shield. But the conditions in the vicinity of a wildfire are extremely dry – temperatures can be near 100 degrees, with high winds and zero percent humidity – and even water locked in a gel evaporates fairly quickly.
In the gel designed by Appel and his colleagues, the water is just the first layer of protection. In addition to a cellulose-based polymer, the gel contains silica particles, which get left behind when the gels are subjected to heat. “We have discovered a unique phenomenon where a soft, squishy hydrogel seamlessly transitions into a robust aerogel shield under heat, offering enhanced and long-lasting wildfire protection. This environmentally conscious breakthrough surpasses current commercial solutions, offering a superior and scalable defense against wildfires,” said the lead author of the study, Changxin “Lyla” Dong.
“When the water boils off and all of the cellulose burns off, we’re left with the silica particles assembled into a foam,” Appel said. “That foam is highly insulative and ends up scattering all of the heat, completely protecting the substrate underneath it.”
The silica forms an aerogel – a solid, porous structure that is a particularly good insulator. Similar silica aerogels are used in space applications because they are extremely lightweight and can prevent most methods of heat transfer.
The researchers tested several formulations of their new gel by applying them to pieces of plywood and exposing them to direct flame from a gas hand-torch, which burns at a considerably higher temperature than a wildfire. Their most effective formulation lasted for more than 7 minutes before the board began to char. When they tested a commercially available water-enhancing gel in the same way, it protected the plywood for less than 90 seconds.
“Traditional gels don’t work once they dry out,” Appel said. “Our materials form this silica aerogel when exposed to fire that continues to protect the treated substrates after all the water has evaporated. These materials can be easily washed away once the fire is gone.”
A serendipitous discovery
The new gels build off of Appel’s previous wildfire prevention work. In 2019, Appel and his colleagues used these same gels as a vehicle to hold wildland fire retardants on vegetation for months at a time. The formulation was intended to help prevent ignition in wildfire-prone areas.
“We’ve been working with this platform for years now,” Appel said. “This new development was somewhat serendipitous – we were wondering how these gels would behave on their own, so we just smushed some on a piece of wood and exposed it to flames from a torch we had laying around the lab. What we observed was this super cool outcome where the gels puffed up into an aerogel foam.”
After that initial success, it took several years of additional engineering to optimize the formulation. It is now stable in storage, easily sprayable with standard equipment, and adheres well to all kinds of surfaces. The gels are made of nontoxic components that have already been approved for use by the U.S. Forest Service, and the researchers conducted studies to show that they are easily broken down by soil microbes.
“They’re safe for both people and the environment,” Appel said. “There may need to be additional optimization, but my hope is that we can do pilot-scale application and evaluation of these gels so we can use them to help protect critical infrastructure when a fire comes through.”
