Plastic packaging in grocery stores protects fruits and vegetables from spoilage, but also creates significant amounts of waste. Together with the retailer Lidl Switzerland, Empa researchers have now developed a protective ...
Biochemistry
Jan 4, 2022
0
18
Manufacturers rely on rare earth elements, like neodymium, to create strong magnets used in motors for electronics including hybrid cars, aircraft generators, loudspeakers, hard drives and in-ear headphones. But mineral deposits ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 24, 2021
0
38
Glitter is the bane of every parent and primary school teacher. But beyond its general annoyance factor, it's also made of toxic and unsustainable materials, and contributes to plastic pollution.
Materials Science
Nov 11, 2021
0
184
In many countries, farmers and gardeners use mulch films to increase their crop yields. The films are often made of polyethylene and can be used to control weed growth, soil temperature and water consumption. Unfortunately ...
Biotechnology
Oct 1, 2021
0
30
Princeton researchers have developed a new way to make fuel from cellulose—Earth's most abundant organic compound, found in all plant cells—speeding up a notoriously slow chemical process and in some cases doubling energy ...
Biotechnology
Sep 8, 2021
0
7
Scientists from the Institute of Science and Engineering at Kanazawa University have developed new solvent mixtures to break down the tough structure of plant cellulose for the production of bioethanol. These new solvents ...
Polymers
Aug 10, 2021
0
124
Some three quarters of the biomass in hop plants used in beer-making ends up in landfills. But a group of Japanese researchers has developed a technique that 'upcycles' that waste hop into cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). A paper ...
Materials Science
Jul 5, 2021
0
9
Boosting production of biofuels such as ethanol could be an important step toward reducing global consumption of fossil fuels. However, ethanol production is limited in large part by its reliance on corn, which isn't grown ...
Biochemistry
Jun 25, 2021
2
1068
The fabrication device for the battery revolution looks quite unconspicuous: It is a modified, commercially available 3D printer, located in a room in the Empa laboratory building. But the real innovation lies within the ...
Materials Science
Jun 3, 2021
1
171
Good acoustics in the workspace improve work efficiency and productivity, which is one of the reasons why acoustic materials matter. The acoustic insulation market is already expected to hit 15 billion USD by 2022 as construction ...
Materials Science
Jun 2, 2021
0
5
