Turning Waste Material into Ethanol

User rating: 4.3 / 5 after 22 vote(s)

In this transmission electron micrograph of the mesoporous nanospheres the nano-scale catalyst particles show up as the dark spots. Using particles this small ( 3nm) increases the overall surface area of the catalyst by roughly 100 times.
In this transmission electron micrograph of the mesoporous nanospheres, the nano-scale catalyst particles show up as the dark spots. Using particles this small (~ 3nm) increases the overall surface area of the catalyst by roughly 100 times.
Click here to enlarge image

(PhysOrg.com) -- Say the word “biofuels” and most people think of grain ethanol and biodiesel. But there’s another, older technology called gasification that’s getting a new look from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. By combining gasification with high-tech nanoscale porous catalysts, they hope to create ethanol from a wide range of biomass, including distiller’s grain left over from ethanol production, corn stover from the field, grass, wood pulp, animal waste, and garbage.


Full story »
All News summaries from Nanotechnology news
All News summaries for August 13, 2008

Nontoxic nanoparticle can deliver and track drugs

11 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
A nontoxic nanoparticle developed by Penn State researchers is proving to be an all-around effective delivery system for both therapeutic drugs and the fluorescent dyes that can track their delivery.

Nanocoatings boost industrial energy efficiency

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Friction is the bane of any machine. When moving parts are subject to friction, it takes more energy to move them, the machine doesn't operate as efficiently, and the parts have a tendency to wear out over ...

Can a single molecule behave as a mirror?

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- “We have shown for the first time, theoretically, that a single molecule can behave as a perfect mirror,” Mario Agio tells PhysOrg.com. “Imagine that your mirror at home becomes a single molecule and ...

Toward a new generation of paper-thin loudspeakers

Nov 17, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
In research that may redefine ear buds, earphones, stereo loudspeakers, and other devices for producing sound, researchers in China are reporting development of flexible loudspeakers thinner than paper that ...

Nanoparticles Deliver Their Cargo, Then Disappear

Nov 15, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- Medical researchers are looking at any number of new methods to get drugs to specific locations in the body. Some methods are efficient but less safe, while others are safe but often fail ...
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive