Recycling
4 articles in this category
An algorithm designs cast iron that gets stronger from the impurities in scrap
Instead of cleaning up scrap, an algorithm found a cast iron recipe in which impurities from waste strengthen the metal. Castings made only from scrap came out stronger and 8% cheaper, so far in tests.
Plastic trash turned into a sponge that pulls water from dry air
Vienna chemists turned plastic trash into sponges that pull water from the air and release it when gently warmed, for example by sunlight. For now, this is laboratory research.
Europe imports gallium. Factories pour it down the drain
Europe pays a fortune for gallium used in electronics, while chip factories pour it down the drain. A German spin-off pulls the metal back out with biomolecules — for Poland, a faster “mine” than drilling.
58 percent less. Why no one believed in battery recycling for 20 years
A team from Stanford University has proven that recycling lithium-ion batteries reduces the environmental impact by at least 58% compared to mining. Poland, as the largest battery producer in Europe, has 5 years to build its own recycling.