Smart Economy

Smart Bio Plastics from CO2 Flue Gas

Oakbio Makes Bioplastic at Cement Plant using

CO2 from Flue Gas and Electricity 

Milestone for cement industry
and renewable products

 

SUNNYVALE, CA (July 10,  2012) - Today Oakbio Inc.

announced the successful production of bioplastic

polymers in their bioreactor systems. Oakbio's

system creates bioplastic using inputs of cement

plant flue gas and electricity. The technology
uses bioreactors driven by non-toxic microbes

to capture CO2 and convert it to a variety of

sustainable products directly from the plant's

gas emissions.

 

This is the latest  development from an on-site

research collaboration at Lehigh Southwest Cement
Company's Permanente cement manufacturing

plant in Cupertino. Lehigh Southwest is part of

Lehigh Hanson, Inc., the North American operations

of the  Heidelberg Cement Group, a world leader

in construction materials with  approximately

52,000 employees in more than 40 countries.

 

Chief Scientist Brian
Sefton stated, "Our carbon conversion process

yields over 50% bioplastics in  microbe biomass

by dry weight from inputs of raw flue gas and

electricity. The type of plastic we make is not

only renewable, but biodegradable as
well.

 

"The effective conversion of captured CO2 into

a valuable bioplastic product represents an

important technical achievement for potential

large-scale bioplastics production. This result

also points the way to a new method for

greenhouse gas capture, making emissions

gas CO2 a feedstock for mass scale manufacturing."

 

CEO Russell Howard added:
"At Oakbio we see industrial CO2 as a carbon

resource. By converting virtually unlimited amounts

of low cost CO2 available from various industries

worldwide into sustainable products like biodegradable

plastics, Oakbio's technology can answer multiple

needs: full scale chemicals production without the

use of petroleum oil or agricultural feedstock;

replacement of petroleum oil-derived plastics

with bio-degradable renewable products; and

the capture of CO2 to prevent greenhouse gas

accumulation. The ability of our microbes to

perform their magic in cement flue gas is an

important step toward achieving this vision".

 

 

About Oakbio, Inc.

Oakbio is a private
technology-based company in Sunnyvale dedicated to sustainable production of
specialty chemicals using novel microbial production processes that combine GHG
reduction with manufacture of sustainable specialty chemicals (see www.oakbio.com).

Media
Contact:

Russell Howard, CEO,
Oakbio, (408) 930-7004; rhoward@oakbio.com

Smart Bio Plastics from CO2 Flue Gas

Oakbio Makes Bioplastic at
Cement Plant using CO2 from Flue Gas and Electricity 

Milestone for cement industry
and renewable products

 

SUNNYVALE, CA (July 10,  2012) - Today Oakbio Inc. announced the successful production of
bioplastic polymers in their bioreactor systems. Oakbio's system creates
bioplastic using inputs of cement plant flue gas and electricity. The technology
uses bioreactors driven by non-toxic microbes to capture CO2 and convert it to a
variety of sustainable products directly from the plant's gas
emissions.

 

This is the latest
development from an on-site research collaboration at Lehigh Southwest Cement
Company's Permanente cement manufacturing plant in Cupertino. Lehigh Southwest
is part of Lehigh Hanson, Inc., the North American operations of the
HeidelbergCement Group, a world leader in construction materials with
approximately 52,000 employees in more than 40 countries.

 

Chief Scientist Brian
Sefton stated, "Our carbon conversion process yields over 50% bioplastics in
microbe biomass by dry weight from inputs of raw flue gas and electricity. The
type of plastic we make is not only renewable, but biodegradable as
well.

 

"The effective conversion
of captured CO2 into a valuable bioplastic product represents an important
technical achievement for potential large-scale bioplastics production. This
result also points the way to a new method for greenhouse gas capture, making
emissions gas CO2 a feedstock for mass scale manufacturing."

 

CEO Russell Howard added:
"At Oakbio we see industrial CO2 as a carbon resource. By converting virtually
unlimited amounts of low cost CO2 available from various industries worldwide
into sustainable products like biodegradable plastics, Oakbio's technology can
answer multiple needs: full scale chemicals production without the use of
petroleum oil or agricultural feedstock; replacement of petroleum oil-derived
plastics with bio-degradable renewable products; and the capture of CO2 to
prevent greenhouse gas accumulation. The ability of our microbes to perform
their magic in cement flue gas is an important step toward achieving this
vision".

 

 

About Oakbio, Inc.

Oakbio is a private
technology-based company in Sunnyvale dedicated to sustainable production of
specialty chemicals using novel microbial production processes that combine GHG
reduction with manufacture of sustainable specialty chemicals (see www.oakbio.com).

Media
Contact:

Russell Howard, CEO,
Oakbio, (408) 930-7004; rhoward@oakbio.com

Plants that can move inspire new smart adaptive structures

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---The Mimosa plant, which folds its leaves when they're touched, is inspiring a new class of adaptive structures designed to twist, bend, stiffen and even heal themselves. University of Michigan researchers are leading their development.

Mechanical engineering professor Kon-Well Wang will present the team's latest work Feb. 19 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's 2011 Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. He will also speak at a news briefing earlier that day. Wang is the Stephan P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

"This is quite different from other traditional adaptive materials approaches," Wang said. "In general, people use solid-state materials to make adaptive structures. This is really a unique concept inspired by biology."

Researchers at U-M and Penn State University are studying how plants like the Mimosa can change shape, and they're working to replicate the mechanisms in artificial cells. Today, their artificial cells are palm-size and larger. But they're trying to shrink them by building them with microstructures and nanofibers. They're also exploring how to replicate the mechanisms by which plants heal themselves.

"We want to put it all together to create hyper-cellular structures with circulatory networks," Wang said.

The Mimosa is among the plant varieties that exhibit specialized "nastic motions," large movements you can see in real time with the naked eye, said Erik Nielsen, assistant professor in the U-M Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

The phenomenon is made possible by osmosis, the flow of water in and out of plants' cells. Triggers such as touch cause water to leave certain plant cells, collapsing them. Water enters other cells, expanding them. These microscopic shifts allow the plants to move and change shape on a larger scale.

It's hydraulics, the researchers say.

"We know that plants can deform with large actuation through this pumping action," Wang said. "This and several other characteristics of plant cells and cell walls have inspired us to initiate ideas that could concurrently realize many of the features that we want to achieve for adaptive structures."

Nielsen believes nastic movements might be a good place to start trying to replicate plant motions because they don't require new growth or a reorganization of cells.

"These rapid, nastic motions are based on cells and tissues that are already there," Nielsen said. "It's easy for a plant to build new cells and tissues during growth, but it's not as easy to engineer an object or machine to completely change the way it's organized. We hope studying these motions can inform us about how to make efficient adaptive materials that display some of the same types of flexibility that we see in biological systems."

When this technology matures, Wang said it could enable robots that change shape like elephant trunks or snakes to maneuver under a bridge or through a tunnel, but then turn rigid to grab a hold of something. It also could lead to morphing wings that would allow airplanes to behave more like birds, changing their wing shape and stiffness in response to their environment or the task at hand.

 

###

At U-M, Michael Mayer, associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, is also involved in the research. At Penn State, the project involves Charles Bakis, distinguished professor of engineering sciences and mechanics, and Christopher Rahn, professor of mechanical engineering. This project is currently funded by the National Science Foundation.

For more information:

Kon-Well Wang: https://me-web2.engin.umich.edu/pub/directory/bio?uniqname=kwwang
Erik Nielsen: http://www.mcdb.lsa.umich.edu/faculty_nielsene.html
AAAS Session: If Termites Can Do It, Why Can't Humans? http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2011/webprogram/Session2709.html

EDITORS: Professor Kon-Well Wang will speak at a news briefing on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. in room 202B at the Washington Convention Center. He will give his full presentation, "Learning from Plants: Bio-Inspired Multi-Functional Adaptive Structural Systems," during the session "If Termites Can Do It, Why Can't Humans?" 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, in room 145A.

Michigan Engineering:

The University of Michigan College of Engineering is ranked among the top engineering schools in the country. At $180 million annually, its engineering research budget is one of largest of any public university. Michigan Engineering is home to 11 academic departments, numerous research centers and expansive entrepreneurial programs. The College plays a leading role in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute and hosts the world-class Lurie Nanofabrication Facility. Michigan Engineering's premier scholarship, international scale and multidisciplinary scope combine to create The Michigan Difference. Find out more at http://www.engin.umich.edu/.

 

Walter Derzko

---

Biological Legos build 3-D organs and structures

Tissue engineers create a new way to assemble artificial tissues

New method uses 'biological Legos' -- cells transformed into bricks

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  -- Tissue engineering has long held promise for building new organs to replace damaged livers, blood vessels and other body parts.  However, one major obstacle is getting cells grown in a lab dish to form 3-D shapes instead of flat layers.

Researchers at the MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) have come up with a new way to overcome that challenge, by encapsulating living cells in cubes and arranging them into 3-D structures, just as a child would construct buildings out of blocks.

The new technique, dubbed "micromasonry," employs a gel-like material that acts like concrete, binding the cell "bricks" together as it hardens.  Ali Khademhosseini, assistant professor of HST, and former HST postdoctoral associate Javier Gomez Fernandez describe the work in a paper published online in the journal Advanced Materials.

The tiny cell bricks hold potential for building artificial tissue or other types of medical devices, says Jennifer Elisseeff, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved in the research.  "They're very elegant and have a lot of flexibility in how you grow them," she says.  "It's very creative."

To obtain single cells for tissue engineering, researchers have to first break tissue apart, using enzymes that digest the extracellular material that normally holds cells together.  However, once the cells are free, it's difficult to assemble them into structures that mimic natural tissue microarchitecture.

Some scientists have successfully built simple tissues such as skin, cartilage or bladder on biodegradable foam scaffolds.  "That works, but it often lacks a controlled microarchitecture," says Khademhosseini, who is also an assistant professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital.  "You don't get tissues with the same complexity as normal tissues."

The HST researchers built their "biological Legos" by encapsulating cells within a polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG), which has many medical uses.  Their version of the polymer is a liquid that becomes a gel when illuminated, so when the PEG-coated cells are exposed to light, the polymer hardens and encases the cells in cubes with side lengths ranging from 100 to 500 millionths of a meter.

Once the cells are in cube form, they can be arranged in specific shapes using templates made of PDMS, a silicon-based polymer used in many medical devices.  Both template and cell cubes are coated again with the PEG polymer, which acts as a glue that holds the cubes together as they pack themselves tightly onto the scaffold surface.

After the cubes are arranged properly, they are illuminated again, and the liquid holding the cubes together solidifies.  When the template is removed, the cubes hold their new structure.

Gomez Fernandez and Khademhosseini used this method to build tubes that could function as capillaries, potentially helping to overcome one of the most persistent problems with engineered organs — lack of an immediate blood supply.  "If you build an organ, but you can't provide nutrients, it is going to die," says Gomez Fernandez, now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard.  They hope their work could also lead to a new way to make artificial liver or cardiac tissue.

Other researchers have developed a technique called organ printing to create complex 3-D tissues, but that process requires a robotic machine that is not in widespread use.  The new technique does not require any special equipment.  "You can reproduce this in any lab," says Gomez Fernandez.  "It's very simple."

To get to the point where these engineered tissues could become clinically useful, "the short-term next step is really looking at different cell types and the viability of tissue growth," says Elisseeff.  The researchers are now doing that, and they are also exploring the use of different polymers that could replace PEG and offer more control over cell placement.

### Source: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123410503/abstract

Scope of Hydrated Fullerene (C60- HYFN) Research in Ukraine; Nanomedicine, nanomaterials on demand, sports medicine, cosmetics, pharmacology, agriculture, veterinary medicine etc

UPDATE  Nov 2010: HYFNs have been approved for manufacturing as Fullerene Water Solution (FWS)  drink in Ukraine by the  Ministry of Health  as of Nov 2010. It's the first nanotech based health drink in the world. For information about availability  contact me privately by email.

I received this updated list of research directions and activities surrounding hydrated fullerenes (C60) otherwise known as water soluble bucky balls, from my colleagues in Ukraine,who discovered and patented hydrated fullerenes (HyFn's) in the 1990's. They are looking for business and academic research collaborators around the world.

Scope of Hydrated Fullerene (C60- HYFN) Research in  Ukraine

  

Development of nanomaterials.

•  Synthesis of new nanosized composition on the bases of metal, dielectric and semiconducting materials.

•  Development and research of bio-nanocomposites.

  

Physical and chemical research of nanostructures.

•  Research of physical and chemical properties of nanostructural materials, and in the first place – fullerenes in hydrated state.

•  Research of structural organization of water and water solutions. Cluster nature of water.

•  Research of behaviour peculiarities of physical and chemical processes in heterogeneous media, structured by hydrated fullerenes.

•  Research of behaviour peculiarities in water solutions of substances at their small and super small concentrations.

•  Research of the heat-conduction process in media containing nanostructural materials.

•  Research of photocalytic processes in presence of nanomaterials in different media.

  

Biological research of nanostructures. 

•  Toxicological research of nanomaterials.

•  Development of biocompatible materials on the basis of nanostructural composites.

•  Research of biochemical reactions and biological processes in heterogeneous water media, structured by hydrated fullerenes.

•  Research of the biological role of cluster water structures.

•  Research of the influence of specific cluster organization of water on increasing of biological system stability against unfavourable environmental factors, including action of different electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation.

•  Research of the use of nanoparticle solutions as components of nutrient medium for microorganisms growth, producers of specific antibiotics, vitamins, proteins, etc.; and as components of biological test-systems for biomedical analyses.

•  Research of the use perspectives of hydrated fullerenes for preservation, including cryoconservation, of different biological material (biomolecules, cells, blood and its components, organs and tissues).

•  Research of the influence of hydrated fullerenes on the processes of aging and their ability to slow down such kind of processes.

  

Nanostructures for pharmacology.

•  Development of medicinal forms of hydrated fullerenes for parenteral, oral, intranasal and other ways of administration.

•  Efficiency enhancement of existing pharmaceuticals due to incorporation of hydrated fullerenes into their composition.

•  Development and creation of new vaccines and serums with decreased allergenic and side effects.

  

Nanostructures for medicine.

•  Research and application of nanostructures as additional agents and components, enhancing efficiency of standard schemas of treatment of human diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes as antioxidative, immunoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic agents.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes as highly effective radioprotective agents.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of cardio-vascular diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention and treatment of oncological diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of digestive organs’ diseases and kidney and urinary tract diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of bronchopulmonary diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and diseases of ear, throat and nose.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for children’s diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of surgical diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of women's diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for lesions of internal organs in case of alcoholism and toxicomania.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in geriatric practice.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in sports medicine.

•  Research and application hydrated fullerenes in balneology.

  

  

Nanostructures in sports.

•  Enhancement of exercise tolerance in sportsmen and their sport results without use of dopes, stimulators, anabolics, etc.

•  Improvement of adaptive abilities in sportsmen under stress conditions.

  

Nanostructures for cosmetics, perfumery and personal hygiene products.

•  Research and application of nanostructures with bioantioxidative and structure-organizing properties as components that significantly improve consumer properties of cosmetic and perfumery products.

•  Protection of “gentle” components of such products and prolongation of their shelf life.

•  Creation of brand new cosmetic and perfumery products and personal hygiene products with health-improving properties.

  

Nanostructures for food.

•  Research and application of nanostructures with bioantioxidative and structure-organizing properties as components that significantly improve consumer properties of food.

•  Protection of “gentle” components of such products and prolongation of their shelf life.

•  Substitution by hydrated fullerenes of hazardous conserving agents and stabilizers for food products.

  

Nanostructures for agriculture.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in agriculture for accelerated germination and growing of plants.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for enhanced plant resistance to disease-producing agents.

  

Nanostructures in veterinary medicine.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention of animal diseases, including viral ones.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes to enhance reproductive qualities, viability and quality of life of elite animals.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for animals in sports.

Anyone wishing to collaborate in joint academic research, outsource their research or start  contract research, please contact me directly. (from your business email)

Here is the Institute's new web page:  http://ipacom.com/index.php?lang=en.

Walter Derzko

Nanoscale SiO2 liquid glass spray makes cleaning products obsolete

Turkish scientists have developed a smart nano-scale thick, spray-on liquid glass called "SiO2 ultra-thin layering". 

According to the German manufacturer Nanopool (marketing hype notwithstanding)  and Physorg.com:

It is transparent, non-toxic, and can protect virtually any surface against almost any damage from hazards such as water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections, making cleaning products unnecessary.  The invisible coating is also flexible and breathable, which makes it suitable for use on an enormous array of products.  According to the manufacturers, liquid glass has a long-lasting antibacterial effect because microbes landing on the surface cannot divide or replicate easily.

The liquid glass spray consists of almost pure silicon dioxide (silica, the normal compound in glass) extracted from quartz sand.  Water or ethanol is added, depending on the type of surface to be coated.  There are no additives, and the nanoscale glass coating bonds to the surface because of the quantum forces involved.

Liquid glass was invented in Turkey and the patent is held by Nanopool, a family-owned German company.  Research on the product was carried out at the Saarbrücken Institute for New Materials.  Nanopool is already in negotiations in the UK with a number of companies and with the National Health Service, with a view to its widespread adoption.

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick.  On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable.  The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth.  It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids.  UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.

Other organizations, such as a train company and a hotel chain in the UK, and a hamburger chain in Germany, are also testing liquid glass for a wide range of uses.  A year-long trial of the spray in a Lancashire hospital also produced "very promising" results for a range of applications including coatings for equipment, medical implants, catheters, sutures and bandages.  The war graves association in the UK is investigating using the spray to treat stone monuments and grave stones, since trials have shown the coating protects against weathering and graffiti.  Trials in Turkey are testing the product on monuments such as the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara.

The liquid glass coating is breathable, which means it can be used on plants and seeds.  Trials in vineyards have found spraying vines increases their resistance to fungal diseases, while other tests have shown sprayed seeds germinate and grow faster than untreated seeds, and coated wood is not attacked by termites.  Other vineyard applications include coating corks with liquid glass to prevent "corking" and contamination of wine.  The spray cannot be seen by the naked eye, which means it could also be used to treat clothing and other materials to make them stain-resistant.  McClelland said you can "pour a bottle of wine over an expensive silk shirt and it will come right off".

In the home, spray-on glass would eliminate the need for scrubbing and make most cleaning products obsolete.  Since it is available in both water-based and alcohol-based solutions, it can be used in the oven, in bathrooms, tiles, sinks, and almost every other surface in the home, and one spray is said to last a year.

Liquid glass spray is perhaps the most important nanotechnology product to emerge to date.  It will be available in DIY stores in Britain soon, with prices starting at around £5 ($8 US).  Other outlets, such as many supermarkets, may be unwilling to stock the products because they make enormous profits from cleaning products that need to be replaced regularly, and liquid glass would make virtually all of them obsolete.

More information: Nanopool: http://www.nanopool.eu/couk/index.htm

N.B Do we really want nondestructive coatings on all our products which bacteria can't degrade in our waste dumps?  or to throw away chemical cleaners? Tough dilemma?--Walter Derzko

African pollution spreads to Americas in dust storms

Source: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2009 conference

We know that African dust affects weather and hurricane severity in America...now we have one more thing to worry about---If only pollution would stay where it originates..it doesn't--Walter Derzko

 

It’s an ill wind that blows: African dust making it across the ocean:

Increasing quantities of African dust have blown across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean and Americas over the past few decades. During that time, the dust’s composition has changed. In this study, African dust air masses in Africa and the Caribbeanwere analyzed for persistent organic contaminants and metals.  These potentially toxic contaminants can originate from the burning of plastics, biomass and waste; widespread use of pesticides, plastics, and pharmaceuticals; and increased industrialization. Multiple pesticides and other contaminants, including carcinogens, suppressors of immune systems, disruptors of endocrine systems, and nervous system or liver toxins were identified from all sample sites.  All are known to persist in the environment, accumulate in organisms, and are toxic at very low concentrations.

This study, Chasing clouds of dust: transoceanic transport of synthetic organic pollutants and trace metals with African dust, will be presented on Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. in Ballroom D. For more information, contact Ginger Garrison at ginger_garrison@usgs.gov or at         727-803-8747     , ext. 3061.

This could be both a threat ( a health concern) and an opportunity ( an engineering or nanotech designer surface chemistry solution waiting to be born) A researcher I once met 6-7 years ago at the Lviv Polytechnic University in Ukraine was developing "smart" designer surfaces and filters that would attract and trap specific volatile organic compounds (VOC's). This seems like a perfect extension. As well, meta-genomics can be used to map the genetics of clusters of the hundreds of microbes that can "eat" or digest heavy metals in the soil. If governments around the world instituted a cradle-to-grave policy on cleanup, then all manufacturers would contribute to collaborative R&D efforts shared by the industry,but we are a long way away frm this type of international enlightenment--Walter Derzko

Walter Derzko

Smart Bottom-up assembly through molecular nanoweaving

 Traditionally, chemical reactions can be initiated by targeting individual molecules using sophisticated tools such as lasers, atomic force microscopes, and scanning tunneling microscopes. However, such bottom-up molecular reactions are typically limited to lab experiments rather than the creation of a commercially viable macroscopic material.

 

This novel University of Chicago patent offers a commercial "free space method" based on field gradients in order to weave macromolecular films.

 

Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of constructing macroscopic films with tailored assemblies of molecules, comprising:

providing starting molecules; and

applying a force selected from the group of a gravitational force, a centrifugal force, a magnetic field force, and an electric field force to the starting molecules causing them to move in space and then chemically react to form tailored assemblies of molecules in a particular pattern in a nanoscale size macroscopic film for removal and subsequent use.

 

see  Molecular nanoweaver- US Patent 7501483

Walter Derzko

Buckyballs or fullerenes keep pipes clear and water systems flowing

Two years ago, we featured a story about a team of Ukrainian scientists, who have shown that C60 or buckeyballs, specifically a modified form known as "hydrated fullerenes" (HyFn) can effectively prevent or bust existing blood clots in animal experiments and in early pre-clinical trials along with about a dozen  other numerous possible medical applications.  .....(which include  a possible treatment for  Alzheimer's and exibiting  strong anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties (HyFn doesn't kill viruses but prevents the spread from cell to cell.) A buckyball, or C60, is one shape within the family of tiny carbon shapes known as fullerenes. They are named after Richard Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, since their shape resembles his famous structure.

Now American scientists have transfered that capability  into an inoganic application--these same microscopic nanoparticles of carbon will in the future be able to keep the nation's water pipes (and possibly oil pipelines) clear in the same way conventional  clot-busting drugs prevent arteries from clogging up.

[The first picture on the left  show a membrane without fullerene treatmenmt. The second picture below shows the effects with fullerene treatment.]

Engineers at Duke University have found that buckyballs hinder the ability of bacteria and other microorganisms to accumulate on the membranes used to filter water in treatment plants. This attribute leads the researchers to believe that coating pipes and membranes with these nanoparticles may prove to be an effective strategy for

addressing one of the major problems and costs of treating water.

"Just as plaque can build up inside arteries and reduce the flow of blood, bacteria and other microorganisms can over time attach and accumulate on water treatment membranes and along water pipes," said So-Ryong Chae, post-doctoral fellow in Duke's environmental and civil engineering department. The results of his experiments were published March 5, 2009 in the Journal of Membrane Sciences

"As the bacteria build up on these surfaces, they attract other organic matter, creating a biofilm that slowly builds up over time," Chae continued, "The results of our experiments in the laboratory indicate that buckyballs may be able to prevent this clogging, known as biofouling. The only other options to address biofouling are digging up the pipes and replacing the membranes, which can be expensive and inconvenient."

"Biofouling is viewed as one of the biggest costs associated with membrane-based water treatment systems," said Claudia Gunsch, assistant professor of civil engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering and senior member of the research team. "These membranes have very small pores, so they can get stopped up quickly. If we could increase the time between membrane replacements by 50 percent, for example, that would be a huge cost savings."

 

According to Chae, the addition of buckyballs to treatment membranes had a two-fold effect. First, treated membranes showed less bacterial attachment than non-treated membranes. After three days, the membranes treated with buckyballs had on average 20 colony forming units, the method by which bacterial colonies are counted.

"In contrast, the number of bacterial colonies on the untreated membrane was too numerous to count," Chae said.

Chae also found that the presence of the buckyballs inhibited respiration, or the ability of the bacteria to use oxygen to fuel its activities.

"As the concentration of buckyballs increased, so did the inhibition of respiration," Chae said. "This respiratory inhibition and anti-attachment suggests that this nanoparticle may be useful as an anti-fouling agent to prevent the biofouling of membranes or other surfaces."

 

Gunsch said the mechanisms involved are not well-understood.

 

What's the Opportunity Space here? I can envision several.

 

 

Here is one  for  Ukraine,  whose GDP largely depends on steel exports.Ukraine's economic faith could now be saved by its own scientists. The oligarchs who control the steel and pipe production industry and whose fortunes are going down the tubes (pun fully intended) due to low steel demand and falling commodity prices, should team up with their own Ukrainian scientists, who have been largely ingnored by Ukrainian industry. These scientists from Kharkiv, who developed hydrated fullerenes should partner  up with surface science specialists and coatings specialists (which Ukraine has no shortage of) say, at the Patton Institute in Kyiv and approach these oligarchs to fund and fast-track research into developing biofilm-resistent pipes for water and  especially oil, which they could sell all over the world. 

Being realistic, this technology won't be supported or taken up any time soon by the incumbant steel industry and pipe manufacturers, like the Mittels and Victor Pinchuk's of the world, who depend on pipes aging and rusting away so that they can replace them with new ones.This a disruptive thechnology will likely be pushed quietly  by some "outsider" in a new market niche, under the radar screen of the big market players.

UPDATE: Oct 11, 2009.

I've just returned from Ukraine and a Fullerene Water Solution will be available on the Ukrainian Market as a food supplement within weeks. Contact me if you wish more information

Why sustainable power is unsustainable?- advanced "renewable" technologies are too often based upon non-renewable resources

Recessions and depressions are great periods in history because paradoxes and contradictions seem to stand out even more. The big one facing society in the next two decades is the obvious economic one-everything in our conventional economic paradigm is based on annual, year-over-year growth, yet we appear to be entering a period of "peak resources" ranging from peak water, to peak oil, peak gas and most importantly for business, peak minerals-facts that the green eco-movement often ignores, or is hiding in the closet-the dirty green secret.

A story earlier this month in New Scientist, covered a Financial Times conference on energy and sustainability in London England and it concludes:

"Renewable energy needs to become a lot more renewable...[..]... Although scientists are agreed that we must cut carbon emissions from transport and electricity generation to prevent the globe's climate becoming hotter, and more unpredictable, the most advanced "renewable" technologies are too often based upon non-renewable resources, attendees heard. Supratik Guha of IBM told the conference that sales of silicon solar cells are booming, with 2008 being the first year that the silicon wafers for solar cells outstripped those used for microelectronic devices. But although silicon is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust after oxygen, it makes relatively inefficient cells that struggle to compete with electricity generated from fossil fuels. And the most advanced solar-cell technologies rely on much rarer materials than silicon [-that being indium.]"

[..]...Peak Indium? 10 year of global supply left?

"The efficiency of solar cells is measured as a percentage of light energy they convert to electricity. Silicon solar cells finally reached 25% in late December. But multi-junction solar cells can achieve efficiencies greater than 40%.

 

Although touted as the future of solar power, those and most other multiple-junction cells owe their performance to the rare metal indium, which is far from abundant. There are fewer than 10 indium-containing minerals, and none present in significant deposits – in total the metal accounts for a paltry 0.25 parts per million of the Earth's crust.

 

Most of the rare and expensive element is used to manufacture LCD screens, an industry that has driven indium prices to $1000 per kilogram in recent years. Estimates that did not factor in an explosion in indium-containing solar panels reckon we have only a 10 year supply of it left.

If power from the Sun is to become a major source of electricity, solar panels would have to cover huge areas, making an alternative to indium essential."

Could we see resource wars, {which the US military has extensive plans for}, material rationing or outright prohibition like we saw with alcohol in the 1930's? Will we have to select between indium for our cell phones, flat screen TV's or solar cells? Will nanotech breakthroughs come to the rescue? -will an exotic combination of fullerenes, graphenes and carbon nanotubes be the substitution answer? The nanotech race for an alternative is on.--Walter Derzko

 

They also cover peak Platinum

"The dream of the hydrogen economy faces similar challenges, said Paul Adcock of UK firm Intelligent Energy. A cheap way to generate hydrogen has so far proved elusive. New approaches, such as using bacterial enzymes to "split" water, have a long way to go before they are commercially viable. So far, fuel cells are still the most effective way to turn the gas into electricity. But these mostly rely on expensive platinum to catalyse the reaction.

The trouble is, platinum makes indium appear super-abundant. It is present in the Earth's crust at just 0.003 parts per billion and is priced in $ per gram, not per kilogram. Estimates say that, if the 500 million vehicles in use today were fitted with fuel cells, all the world's platinum would be exhausted within 15 years. Unfortunately platinum-free fuel cells are still a long way from the test track. A nickel-catalysed fuel cell developed at  Wuhan University, China, has a maximum output only around 10% of that a platinum catalyst can offer.

A new approach announced yesterday demonstrates that carbon nanotubes could be more effective, as well as cheaper, than platinum. But again it will be many years before platinum-free fuel cells become  a commercial prospect."

Also , could Lithium shortages in 10-15 years  impede future electric car deployment?

 

Let’s look at the  metal gallium, which along with indium is used to make the next generation of semiconductor materials-indium gallium arsenide for a new generation of solar cells that promise to be up to twice as efficient as conventional designs. Reserves of both metals are disputed, but in a 2007 report Renï  Kleijn, from LeidenUniversity in the Netherlands, concludes that current reserves "would not allow a substantial contribution of these cells" to the future supply of solar electricity. He estimates gallium and indium will probably contribute to less than 1 per cent of all future solar cells - a limitation imposed purely by a lack of raw material."

Other projections I've seen-antimony could run out in 10 years; Silver in 10 years, hafnium in 10-15 years and tribium by 2012 or 4-5 years. Looking for the next geopolitical flash point? The US imports 90% of its rare metals and materials from China.

(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol 103, p 1209), "Virgin stocks of several metals appear inadequate to sustain the modern 'developed world' quality of life for all of Earth's people under contemporary technology."

 

I've always wondered what minerals are hidden in the mountains of Afghanistan.... "It is widely acknowledged that one of the key motives for civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1998 and 2002 was the riches to be had from the country's mineral resources, including tantalum mines - the biggest in Africa. The war coincided with a surge in the price of the metal caused by the increasing popularity of mobile phones." (New Scientist, 7 April 2001, p 46).

 

 

Ever wonder why China is hoarding every gram of our high tech electronic garbage?  It's buying up high-tech scrap to extract metals that are key to its developing industries.

 

One good thing about this recession / depression shakeout-there will be far fewer firms fighting and scrambling over those increasingly precious resources-buying us a few extra years of transition time.

 

The lessons here?...Digging minerals out of the ground will no longer automatically confer economic advantage {Canada, Africa, Brazil and China Listen Up}, instead structuring "smart materials" in novel ways will.--Walter Derzko 

 

 

See full story here and image  

 

© 2005-2009

Walter Derzko -"Changing the world, one idea at a time"©

Expert, Consultant and Keynote Speaker on Emerging Smart Technologies, Innovation, Strategic Foresight, Business Development, Lateral Creative Thinking and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy "

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