Cork: Taking Off In Unexpected Ways

As metal and plastic replacements for cork wine stoppers are starting to take off and the cork industry is starting to see marked revenue declines, researchers in Portugal are looking for new, innovative applications for their major export. Their answer is somewhat unexpected: aviation.

Cork is naturally light weight, porous and fire-retardant, as it acts as a tree’s first line of defense from forest fires; all of which makes it well suited for use in air planes. DynAero aircraft in Portugal’s central-south Alentejo region – the world’s main cork growing area – is looking to use the material in the fuselage, wings and flaps of light aircraft to replace the use of light and porous PVC. The partners on the project, titled Aerocork, state, “We know that after a few years PVC will no longer be used, certainly by us and most likely by others in the industry. It is a nightmare in terms of ecological aspects,” Sence said. “Our idea is to sell cork-carbon parts to other firms in the future.”

Beyond rejuvenating a major industry of Portugal that employs over 12,000 workers, exports over 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) a year in cork, and provides 157,000 tonnes of cork, just over half of the world’s total, the new application will help ensure the preservation of Portugal’s cork forests. Desertification in southern Europe is on the rise and the cork forests help significantly to mitigate those impacts. The potential loss of the sustainably maintained forests if not protected by industrial use could have serious consequences.

In addition to alternative uses, researchers are also looking at protecting their cork asset through genetic engineering. As desertification becomes more significant, biologists are studying the cork oak genome to select for individuals more likely to be able to withstand drought. The normal genetic selection process is difficult to apply to cork oaks since it takes 40 years for a tree to be mature enough to be harvested; too long for a geneticist to observe its performance in droughts. By looking to the genetic structure of an individual tree, scientists can select and breed trees from an early point to grow a hardier crop.

Via Reuters.

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Harnessing Human Power

Nanotechnology researchers at Caltech and Princeton have developed a new piezoelectric material capable of harnessing energy from movements as small as breathing. Piezoelectric refers to materials that generate electricity when pressure is applied. The new material, PZT or lead zirconate titanate, is a ceramic material that is made into nano-strips so small 100 fit side-by-side in a millimeter. The PZT is then embedded into silicone rubber chips which can generate power for small electric devices.

While other piezoelectric materials are currently available, such as quartz, what sets PZT apart is its remarkable efficiency. Able to convert 80% of the mechanical energy applied to it into electric energy, PZT can revolutionize power sources for electronic devices. The scientists have envisioned not only applying it to shoes to charge cell phones, a more obvious consumer application, but also see it being placed next to the lungs to generate power for pacemakers. This application would virtually eliminate the need for repeat surgeries to replace pacemaker batteries. McAlpine, a Princeton researcher on the project says, “You don’t generate that much power from walking or breathing, so you want to harness it as efficiently as possible.” PZT certainly seems capable of that feat.

Via cnet and ecogeek.

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Greener, Cleaner Dishes… Without Detergent

Dr. Youngblood at work. Via Treehugger.

A water-favoring, anti-oily treated surface. Via Discovery News.

Imagine the possibility of grease and grime being lifted from your dishes with just water. Jeffrey P. Youngblood, an associate professor at Purdue University, and his colleagues are currently in the process of formulating a coating for dinnerware that will eliminate the need for polluting dishwater soap.

This coating, made up of long chains of polymers, is based on perfluorinated end-cap polyethylene glycol amphiphilic macromers that had been polymerised with a variety of comonomer. This eco-friendly alternative to the harsh chemicals of traditional phosphorous soap contains a Teflon-like molecule that repels oil while allowing water to filter through and rinse off surfaces.

Youngblood and team have engineered the polymer chains to have different properties, leading to different cleaning solutions. One causes oil to gather into easier-to-clean beads, and, like other potential methods, simply has the oil “remove itself.”

One may argue that the coating material itself is not very eco-friendly due to the usage of the Teflon-like molecule, but Youngblood states that the elimination of soaps and detergents streaming into our waterways will be more than a good tradeoff for the minimal polymer coating that will run off from treated products.

The next step for Youngblood and his team of researchers is working with plastic substrates, anti-fog products, as well as easy to clean paints.

Via Treehugger. Read on at Discovery News + Chemistry World. Read more on the harmful effects of phosphorous soap at Treehugger.

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New Glass Sponge: Tough On Groundwater Toxins

A new “swelling glass” sponge developed by Absorbant Materials is soon to be released on the market. The new material, called Obsorb, is a hydrophobic glass that will absorb groundwater toxins but not the water itself.

The glass is released into the water and absorbs volatile molecules such as fuel oil and solvents and then floats to the top where it can be easily skimmed off the surface of the water, the toxins removed, and the glass reused hundreds of times. The material has a huge absorption capacity, able to retain 8 times its original weight. This new technology could be the key to cleaning contaminated water sources as it is a more time and cost effective method than current strategies.

Still in testing, the material has shown tremendous promise. By adding nanoZVI (Zero Valence Iron) and additional reactive metals to Obsorb, the glass becomes specially formulated to capture and remediate TCE plumes. TCE (Trichloroethylene, a colorless liquid for cleaning metal parts) is especially difficult and expensive to clean through traditional means. Often, a site is shut down to let the vapors dissipate naturally, a process that could take decades. Obsorb, however, can do the job in months or even mere weeks. In a test run by Absorbant Materials, Obsorb + nanoZVI was introduced to an extremely concentrated amount of TCE, 5000 ppb (parts per billion). In only 14 days the concentration was down to less than 5 ppb, with two of the samples showing 0 ppb.

With over 4,000 listed contaminated sites in the U.S. alone, the potential for Obsorb is enormous. The venture development group Jumpstart LLC recently invested $250,000 in the product and similar solution for air pollutants called Obsorb Air Mesh is in the development stages.

Via Cleantechnica and Inhabitat.

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Very, Very Durable Concrete.

Imagine that the structures architects design and build today are still defining the landscape in 16,000 years. With the new concrete under development by MIT civil engineers, that vision is becoming possible enabling us to let the world grow old according to Freya Matthews’s vision.

At MIT, engineers have discovered that by reducing creep (the time-dependent deformation of structural concrete) through nano technology they can create lighter, stronger, more durable concrete that can last many civilizations allowing the relics of our society to remain for future generations to enjoy and reducing the need for repair and the construction of new structures.

Concrete is one of the most frequently used and widely produced man-made building materials on earth, with over 20 billion tons produced per year globally. It’s production and life-cycle is responsible for 5-10% of global CO2 emissions. Imagine the impact of a more durable, longer-lasting concrete. “More durable concrete means that less building material and less frequent renovations will be required.” says Franz-Josef Ulm, an engineer working on the project. The new material promises to be seven times more durable than its current counterpart thus reducing the environmental impact by 1/7.

Via inhabitat.

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Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees, But Bones Do?

Image via Treehugger

Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics in Faenza, Italy have developed a method to transform trees into synthetic bones. In this innovative process, rattan, (used for woven furniture) is heated under high pressure while calcium and phosphate are added to generate a coal-like, carbon-dense material that is load-bearing and durable. It is structured so similarly to human bone it becomes accepted by the body and fuses with the original bones. Eventually it becomes almost impossible to see the transition between the old bone and the new addition. Furthermore, the substitute allows for blood and tissue cells to permeate and incorporate into its structure.

The advantages are immense. Wood most closely resembles the physical structure of the natural bone, “which is impossible to reproduce with conventional processing technology”. These similarities, especially the material’s durability, means that it will never have to be replaced, setting the new material apart from today’s ceramic and metal bone replacements.

In the U.S., bone grafts are second only to blood transfusions on the list of transplants. This demonstrates a large demand for the new technology which could be implemented in cancer patients and those who have been in accidents. While the material has been tested with incredibly positive results on sheep, scientists predict it is 5 years out from being used on human patients.

Check out the video here.

Via Treehugger + gizmag.

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MIT Graduates Develop A Color-Changing Roof Tile

A team of recent MIT graduates has developed roof tiles that change color based on the temperature. The the tiles are white when the temperature is hot, allowing them to reflect away most of the sun’s heat. The reverse happens when the temperature is cold, they turn black to retain heat.

“The team’s lab measurements show that in their white state, the tiles reflect about 80 percent of the sunlight falling on them, while when black they reflect only about 30 percent. That means in their white state, they could save as much as 20 percent of present cooling costs, according to recent studies. Savings from the black state in winter have yet to be quantified.”

Read more at www.impactlab.com

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Recycled Beverage Containers

Image from iF Material Award 2009

For those of us who are always on the go and cannot live without a cup of coffee every morning, check out these tumblers made of yogurt and ice cream containers! According to Aladdin’s research, it’s difficult to use recycled polypropylene (PP) for direct food contact surfaces but these tumblers passed both FDA and EU safety regulations. You can throw these in the dishwasher and the microwave. The material, eCycle® is engineered for Aladdin’s SUSTAIN® Collecion and featured in iF Material Award 2009.

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