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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Researchers Discover New Family of Pressure-Induced Materials Which Could Boost New Hydrogen Storage Technologies
November 23, 2009
| The structure of the new material, Xe(H2)7. Freely rotating hydrogen molecules (red dumbbells) surround xenon atoms (yellow). Credit: Nature Chemistry. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found for the first time that high pressure can be used to make a unique hydrogen-storage material. The discovery paves the way for an entirely new way to approach the hydrogen-storage problem. The paper was published online 22 November in the journal Nature Chemistry.
The researchers found that the normally unreactive noble gas xenon combines with molecular hydrogen (H2) under pressure to form a previously unknown solid with unusual bonding chemistry. The experiments are the first time these elements have been combined to form a stable compound. The discovery debuts a new family of materials, which could boost new hydrogen technologies.
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Researchers Demonstrate Quantum-Coupled Thermal to Electric Conversion With Efficiency as High as 40% of Carnot Limit, With Calculated Potential of Up to 90%
November 18, 2009
| Basic scheme of the quantum-coupled converter. Shaded boxes indicate electron reservoirs. Arrows represent couplings. Letter U represents the electrostatic interaction while letter V represents the tunneling. Source: Hagelstein, 2007. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from MIT, with colleagues from IISc in Bangalore, India and HiPi Consulting in Maryland have experimentally demonstrated the conversion of heat to electricity using thermal diodes with efficiency as high as 40% of the Carnot Limit. Their calculations find that this new kind of system could theoretically reach as much as 90% of that ceiling.
By contrast, current solid-state thermoelectric devices only achieve about one-tenth of the Carnot Limit, according to MIT Associate Professor Peter Hagelstein, co-author of a paper on the new concept published 13 November in the Journal of Applied Physics.
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Delphi’s Plastic Case Radio Design Wins Society of Plastics Engineers Innovation Award
November 16, 2009
| Delphi’s award winning ultra-light radio. Click to enlarge. |
Delphi Corporation’s ultra light radio design with insert-molded electro magnetic compatibility (EMC) shielding, available on Chevrolet and GMC full size pick-ups and sport utility vehicles, won top recognition at the 39th Annual Society of Plastics Engineers International (SPE) Automotive Innovation Awards ceremony, last week in Livonia, Michigan. The competition, conducted by the automotive division of the Society of Plastics Engineers International, honors the most innovative use of plastics in automotive applications.
The application breadth of SPE award ceremony highlights the increasing plastic content in automotive applications, in applications ranging from powertrain to interiors to exteriors. Jack Cahn, formerly with GM and now Automotive Account Manager, Polyethylene with Total Petrochemicals USA Polyolefins Divisions, told Green Car Congress that the plastic content in automobiles has increased so significantly for a variety of reasons, including design flexibility; lightweighting with its attendant fuel economy benefits; cost; and safety.
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Federal-Mogul Introduces New Diesel Piston Design to Support Downsized Engines with Higher Output
November 15, 2009
| DuraBowl technology optimizes the grain size around the piston rim to provide much improved resistance to cracking under both mechanical and thermal loads. Microstructure of a typical piston alloy (a), as cast, showing a coarse structure and (b), re-melted, showing a finer structure. The dark grey areas are silicon particles; the light grey areas aluminium. Click to enlarge. |
Federal-Mogul Corporation has developed an innovative aluminum piston design that can reliably withstand the mechanical and thermal loads produced by heavily boosted engines, thereby enhancing diesel engine performance and supporting diesel downsizing.
Called DuraBowl, Federal-Mogul’s design strengthens the crown of a piston by locally re-melting the alloy around the bowl, resulting in an enhanced microstrucutre in the alloy which significantly improves the fatigue strength of the aluminum where it is most needed. The result is an extension of engine life to between four to seven times that achieved with a conventional cast piston.
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Ford and Ontario Bio-Car Initiative Develop Wheat Straw-Reinforced Plastic; First Application in 2010 Flex
November 11, 2009
| Wheat Straw Bio-Filled Polypropylene. Click to enlarge. |
Ford Motor Company, working with academic researchers in Canada and one of its suppliers, has developed a wheat straw-reinforced plastic; the natural fiber-based plastic contains 20% wheat straw bio-filler. First application is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.
Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative—a multi-university effort between Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.
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Carbon Nanotube Sponges Can Absorb Oils and Solvents up to 180x Their Own Weight; Potential for Enhanced Oil Spill Cleanup
November 09, 2009
| The carbon nanotube sponge is hydrophobic, but can absorb up to 180x its own weight in organic matter. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Peking University and Tsinghua University have developed a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sponge that can soak up organic pollutants—such as oils and solvents—from the surface of water. No water is absorbed and the sponge can then be wrung out and reused, like an ordinary household sponge. Absorbing up to 180 times its own weight in organic matter, the sponge is light and tough and has the potential to significantly enhance oil spill cleanup.
Professors Anyuan Cao (Peking University) and Dehai Wu (Tsinghua University), who are publishing their breakthrough in the journal Advanced Materials, say “the sponges have new properties that integrate the merits of fragile aerogels with their high surface area [the lowest density solid material known is an aerogel], and conventional soft materials with their robustness and flexibility.”
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Study: Bio-Based Plastics Could Ultimately Replace Up to 90% of Total Global Consumption of Plastics in 2007
November 08, 2009
| Projections of the worldwide production capacity of bio-based plastics through 2020. Source: PRO-BIP 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Replacement of up to 90% (270 Mt) of the total global consumption of plastics in 2007 with bio-based plastics is ultimately technically possible, according to new study by authors at Utrecht University, commissioned by the associations European Bioplastics and the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE). How fast this substitution will occur depends on a multitude of factors.
Study authors Martin K. Patel, Li Shen and Juliane Haufe project that by 2020, worldwide bio-plastics capacity could increase to as much as 4.40 Mt (about 1.5% of 2007 consumption) under a high growth scenario—approximately 30% higher than the projections based on company announcements (3.45 Mt) and the companies’ expectations (3.44 Mt).
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ARPA-E Award Supporting Development of High-Performance Hydroxide Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells
November 05, 2009
Researchers at the University of California at Riverside (UCR), led by Dr. Yushan Yan, have been awarded a $760,705 grant from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program (earlier post) to support the development of a new generation of hydroxide (OH-) exchange membranes (HEM) for fuel cells that are dramatically more ion-conductive, durable and tolerant of abuse than previous devices. Their work was featured as a cover story in an issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie earlier this year.
In a hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell, the membrane conducts hydroxide ions instead of hydrogen ions. Hydroxide exchange membranes fuel cells (HEMFCs) have the potential to solve the catalyst cost and durability problems of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) while achieving high power and energy density.
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ARPA-E Awards Consortium $4.4M to Develop Next-Generation Magnets; Applications in Motors in Hybrids, EVs, Wind Turbines
November 02, 2009
| Schematic representation of the bottom-up assembly concept to develop high-energy nanocomposite materials for next-generation magnets. Source: Univ. of Delaware. Click to enlarge. |
A consortium led by the University of Delaware won a $4.4 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) (earlier post) to develop high-performance, next-generation permanent magnet materials, with a 2x target increase over the state-of-the art magnetic energy density.
High-energy permanent magnets are critical components in the new energy economy due to their widespread use in advanced motors for hybrids and electric vehicles and in advanced wind turbine generators, and the currently dominant Nd-Fe-B (neodymium, iron and boron) magnets use materials that are not domestically available and are subject to critical supply disruptions.
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SGL Group and BMW Group Establish Carbon Fiber-Joint Venture; BMW Will Use Output in the Megacity Vehicle
October 30, 2009
SGL Group and BMW Group have formed a 51:49 joint venture to manufacture carbon fibers and fabrics for the automotive industry. The joint venture will be operated through two companies, one based in North America (SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC), and the other in Germany (SGL Automotive Fibers GmbH & Co KG). The investments in the first stage of development for both production sites will be €90 million (US$134 million).
In the final stage of development, annual carbon fiber and fabric consumption is expected in the range of several thousand tons p.a. Construction of the production facilities will begin in 2010. Production is expected to start in the first half of the next decade. The transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities.
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GM Receives $2.7M ARPA-E Award to Explore Thermomechanical Waste Heat Recovery Using SMA Heat Engine
October 28, 2009
| Concept diagram of an SMA heat engine for power generation from waste engine heat. Source: GM. Click to enlarge. |
As one of 37 projects selected by the US Department of Energy’s ARPA-E (earlier post), General Motors R&D will receive $2.7 million (subject to final negotiation with DOE) to support building a prototype thermomechanical waste heat recovery system using a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) heat engine to generate electricity from the heat in automotive exhaust. GM was the only automaker to receive an ARPA-E award in the first round of funding.
According to Jan Aase, Director of the Vehicle Development Research Laboratory at GM R&D in Warren, Michigan, the team calculates that they might be able to deliver up to a 15% improvement in fuel economy using as little as a 15-20 °C differential between hot and cold in the system. (Prior to joining GM R&D, Aase was at GE Global Research.)
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UK Manufacturer Axon Automotive Unveils Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
October 27, 2009
| The Axon Automotive PHEV. Click to enlarge. |
UK-based Axon Automotive, a spin-off from Cranfield University, previewed a pre-production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of its lightweight city car at the Milton Keynes Science Festival. The Axon gasoline-powered city car uses existing engine technology and carbon fibre material advances to offer 100 mpg UK (83.3 mpg US, 2.8 L/100km).
The plug-in version offers full electric mode for local travel and uses a gasoline or bioethanol powered engine for long distance or highway travel. Using a typical UK powerstation mix to account for emissions generated during electricity generation, the Axon PHEV emits just under 50 g/km of CO2 for the mix of electric and gasoline used in the Government test. This is half the level needed for free annual road tax in UK for this car (band ‘A’ is below 100 g/km of CO2 = zero road tax in the UK).
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New MOF-based Membrane Enables Higher-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells
October 19, 2009
| SEM images of the MOF- material [β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.45], illustrating a rod-shape morphology. Source: Hurd et al. (2009), Supplementary Material. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Calgary have developed a new membrane based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (earlier post) that enables a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell to operate at higher temperatures—an important step in terms of increasing the efficiency and decreasing the cost of PEM fuel cells.
A paper on the development by George Shimizu, Jeff Hurd, Ramanathan Vaidhyanathan and Venkataraman Thangadurai of the University of Calgary, and Christopher Ratcliffe and Igor Moudrakovski of the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council, was published online 18 October in the journal Nature Chemistry. Shimizu filed a patent with the US patent office last year.
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Xtrac Suggests Specialty Steels for F1 Gearboxes Could Support Performance Improvements, Lightweighting and Downsizing in Commercial Transmissions
October 13, 2009
| Xtrac transmission components. Click to enlarge. |
The advent of new high performance steels for motorsport gearboxes developed by transmission specialist Xtrac—the latest specification of steel being required to significantly extend the life of a Formula One gearbox—could be broadly applied to a wide range of vehicles to improve their driveline reliability and efficiency according to Xtrac’s chief metallurgist Steve Vanes.
Xtrac, best known for the gearboxes and driveline components it develops for numerous motorsport formulas and high performance road cars, is joining a group of experts from industry and academia this week looking at cutting-edge technologies that could enhance the performance of transmission systems generally.
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New Graphene Nanomaterial Could Result in More Fuel-Efficient Airplanes and Cars; Applications in Energy Storage
July 31, 2009
| Exfoliated Graphite NanoPlatelets. Bottom: lateral and edge views. Source: MSU, XG Sciences. Click to enlarge. |
A Michigan State University (MSU) researcher and his students have developed a nanomaterial—xGnP Exfoliated Graphite NanoPlatelets—that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment and enhanced energy storage systems.
The key to the new material’s capabilities is a fast and inexpensive process for separating layers of graphite (graphene) into stacks less than 10 nanometers in thickness but with lateral dimensions anywhere from 500 nm to tens of microns, coupled with the ability to tailor the particle surface chemistry to make it compatible with water, resin or plastic systems.
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New Method Produces Longest Platinum Nanowires Yet; Implications for Increased Fuel Cell Longevity and Efficiency
March 11, 2009
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| Electron microscope view of platinum nanowires with beads (left) and without beads (right). Credit: University of Rochester. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Rochester (New York) have developed an electrospinning method to produce the longest platinum nanowires with minimal bead formation yet made—an advance that could significantly enhance the longevity and efficiency of fuel cells.
The platinum nanowires produced by Professor James C. M. Li and his graduate student Jianglan Shui are roughly ten nanometers in diameter and also centimeters in length—long enough to create the first self-supporting web of pure platinum that can serve as an electrode in a fuel cell. A report on their work is published in the 11 March issue of ACS journal Nano Letters.
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New Nanoporous Material Has Highest Surface Area Yet
March 09, 2009
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| UMCM-2 is a coordination polymer comprising three different types of cages. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) have developed a new nanoporous material with a surface area of more than 5,000 square meters per gram—significantly higher than that of any other porous material reported to date.
The work, by a team led by associate professor of chemistry Adam Matzger, is described in a paper published online 6 March in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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Researchers Use Biomimicry to Create Toughest Ceramics; Foundation for Bio-Inspired Ceramic-Based Composites
December 07, 2008
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| Specific strength and toughness (i.e., properties normalized by density) for a wide range of materials systems, showing that the bio-inspired ceramic (hierarchical Al2O3/PMMA ) composites (in red), some containing 80 vol.% alumina ceramic, have strength/toughness properties comparable with that of metallic aluminum alloys. Click to enlarge. From Munch et al. 2008. |
Scientists with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have mimicked the structure of mother of pearl to create what may be the toughest ceramics ever produced. Through the controlled freezing of suspensions in water of an aluminum oxide (alumina) and the addition of a well known polymer, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), they produced ceramics that are 300 times (in energy terms) tougher than their constituent components.
The final product is a bulk hybrid ceramic-based material with a high yield strength and fracture toughness [200 megapascals (MPa) and 30 MPa·m1/2] comparable to those of aluminum alloys. The new model materials can be used to identify the key microstructural features that can guide the future synthesis of bio-inspired ceramic-based composites with unique strength and toughness, the researchers said.
