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Oleophobic hydrophobic magnetic sponge selectively soaks up oil, sparing water and wildlife

Green Car Congress

A Northwestern Engineering-led team has developed a highly porous smart sponge that selectively soaks up oil in water. With an ability to absorb more than 30 times its weight in oil, the sponge could be used to clean up oil spills inexpensively and efficiently without harming marine life. —Vikas Nandwana.

Water 243
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Looking to get in a hybrid for cheap? Used Toyota Prius 1.5 HSD 2004-2009 Review

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I knew I wanted something for her that was cheap to maintain, had a reliable automatic transmission, came with cruise control, AC. Power steering is electric and as a result we don’t need to check the power steering oil level as there isn’t any. Priuses can burn oil. Two out of our four Priuses burn oil. That is normal.

2004 409
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Cemvita demonstrates “gold hydrogen” production in situ, sets up subsidiary

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Gold Hydrogen is a novel source of carbon neutral hydrogen produced from depleted oil reservoirs that are ready for plug and abandonment, extending the life of wells that would otherwise be a significant burden. Cemvita Factory’s mission is to reimagine heavy industries such as oil & gas and mining for the net-zero economy.

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Zhejiang team develops photo-chemo-biocatalytic pathway to convert triolein to biogasoline

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Researchers from Zhejiang University in China have developed a photo-chemo-enzymatic multi-step combination pathway for the highly efficient and environmentally friendly preparation of biogasoline from cheap and sustainable triolein using solar energy and atmospheric O 2 under mild conditions. —Xu et al. doi: 10.1039/D2GC01992B.

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A*STAR team combines fungal culture and acid hydrolyses for cost-effective production of fermentable sugars from palm oil waste

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Researchers from A*STAR in Singapore have developed a fungal culture for use in a cheap and efficient method to transform waste oil palm material into biofuels and environmentally friendly plastics. After the harvest of the fruit from oil palm trees, large amounts of leftover biomass known as empty fruit bunch remain.

Waste 150
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Researchers develop cheaper, greener biofuels processing catalyst using waste metals and bacteria

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A team from the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and Aarhus University, have developed a nanosized bio-Pd/C catalyst for upgrading algal bio-oil. For the palladium to do its job, the bio-oil needs to flow past it during processing. —Kunwar et al.

Waste 150
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Lux Research projects methanol-to-gasoline most competitive route for liquid fuels from natural gas or waste

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The price disparity between crude oil and other resources, coupled with the emergence of cheap and abundant shale gas, especially in the United States, is opening up opportunities to produce cheaper gasoline, according to a new report from Lux Research. Waste biomass is a ubiquitous alternative. times the current production.

Waste 236