http://www.physorg.com/chemistry-news/chemistry-other/ en-us PhysOrg.com provides the latest news on composition, structure, and properties of matter (PhysOrg.com) -- Refineries could trim millions of dollars in energy costs annually by using a new method developed at Purdue University to rearrange the distillation sequence needed to separate crude petroleum into products. http://www.physorg.com/news180694802.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:02:30 EST news180694802 It is currently estimated that natural gas resources will be exhausted in 130 years; however, those reserves where extraction is cost-effective will only flow for another 60 years or so. http://www.physorg.com/news177164574.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:01 EST news177164574 The long-standing rule of matching wine and food -- red wine with red meat and white wine with fish -- actually has a scientific explanation, according to two scientists working for the Mercian Corporation, a Japanese producer and marketer of wine. http://www.physorg.com/news176060518.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:40:01 EST news176060518 Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have patented a new method to remove toxic mercury from soil, sediment, sludge and other industrial waste. As described in recently awarded U.S. patent number 7,589,248 and application U.S. Publication No. 20080097138, the method allows mercury to be treated in situ - at its original location in the ground. http://www.physorg.com/news172238217.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:57:49 EST news172238217 (PhysOrg.com) -- Any chemist with access to the Internet can now use a powerful tool to help them accurately identify the structure of a protein, thanks to recently published work led by Harold A. Scheraga, Cornell's Todd Professor of Chemistry Emeritus. http://www.physorg.com/news171738311.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:30:02 EST news171738311 Kudzu, the fast-growing vine that has gobbled up some 10 million acres in the Southeast, may prove to be a valuable dietary supplement for metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects 50 million Americans, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). http://www.physorg.com/news171195492.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:40:01 EST news171195492 Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears in the current issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could also help keep the substance out of soft drinks and dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), forms mainly from heating fructose. http://www.physorg.com/news170502342.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:06 EST news170502342 In the first study to look at what happens over the years to the billions of pounds of plastic waste floating in the world's oceans, scientists are reporting that plastics -- reputed to be virtually indestructible -- decompose with surprising speed and release potentially toxic substances into the water. http://www.physorg.com/news169927772.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:25:39 EST news169927772 An innovative new maple spout developed by the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture secured by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, will have a dramatic impact on maple syrup production and will boost job creation and economic development in the state, the senator announced at a press conference August 17. http://www.physorg.com/news169814651.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:44:41 EST news169814651 The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a reusable organic liquid that can pull harmful gases such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide out of industrial emissions from power plants. The process could directly replace current methods and allow power plants to capture double the amount of harmful gases in a way that uses no water, less energy and saves money. http://www.physorg.com/news169810723.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:39:30 EST news169810723 You probably have cocaine in your wallet, purse, or pocket. Sound unlikely or outrageous? Think again! In what researchers describe as the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of cocaine contamination in banknotes, scientists are reporting that cocaine is present in up to 90 percent of paper money in the United States, particularly in large cities such as Baltimore, Boston, and Detroit. The scientists found traces of cocaine in 95 percent of the banknotes analyzed from Washington, D.C., alone. http://www.physorg.com/news169703913.html Chemistry - Other Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:58:59 EST news169703913 Call it a "shrimp cocktail" for your fuel tank. Scientists in China are reporting development of a catalyst made from shrimp shells that could transform production of biodiesel fuel into a faster, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly process. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 20 issue of ACS' Energy & Fuels journal. http://www.physorg.com/news168086524.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:00:04 EST news168086524 Using electrolyzed water rather than harsh chemicals could be a more effective and environmentally friendly method in the pretreatment of ethanol waste products to produce an acetone-butanol-ethanol fuel mix, according to research conducted at the University of Illinois. http://www.physorg.com/news167920738.html Chemistry - Other Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:30:01 EST news167920738 (PhysOrg.com) -- Separating carbon dioxide from its polluting source, such as the flue gas from a coal-fired power plant, may soon become cleaner and more efficient. http://www.physorg.com/news167490968.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:16:51 EST news167490968 Consumers may be able to eat longer-lasting, potentially healthier fish fillets if research at Oregon State University makes its way to the supermarket. http://www.physorg.com/news166982443.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:01:18 EST news166982443 Scientists in New Jersey are describing discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats. Their study is in the current issue of ACS` Journal of the Medicinal Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news165084546.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:20:01 EST news165084546 Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar -- a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods -- may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Their study is scheduled for the July 8 issue of ACS` Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news164637520.html Chemistry - Other Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:40:03 EST news164637520 The element 112, discovered at the Centre for Heavy Ion Research (GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung) in Darmstadt, has been officially recognized as a new element by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). IUPAC confirmed the recognition of element 112 in an official letter to the head of the discovering team, Professor Sigurd Hofmann. The letter furthermore asks the discoverers to propose a name for the new element. Their suggestion will be submitted within the next weeks. In about 6 months, after the proposed name has been thoroughly assessed by IUPAC, the element will receive its official name. The new element is approximately 277 times heavier than hydrogen, making it the heaviest element in the periodic table. http://www.physorg.com/news163849658.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:00:41 EST news163849658 In a surprise discovery that may help boxed wine shake off its image as a gauche alternative to bottles, scientists in Canada are reporting that multilayer aseptic cartons (a.k.a. ‘boxes`) may help reduce levels of substances that contribute odors to wine and can lower its quality. Their study, the first comprehensive comparison of packaging type to wine quality, is scheduled for the June 10 issue of ACS` Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news163350187.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:03:45 EST news163350187 For the protection of the environment, and because of the limited amount of fossil fuels available, renewable resources, such as specially cultivated plants, wood scraps, and other plant waste, are becoming the focus of considerable attention. Processes such as pyrolysis or liquefaction allow the conversion of biomass into bio-oil, a highly promising renewable source of energy. http://www.physorg.com/news161343267.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 12 May 2009 10:35:32 EST news161343267 (PhysOrg.com) -- A crucial tool in the evolution of scientific capability in bioscience, the fluorescence microscope has allowed a generation of scientists to study the properties of proteins inside cells. Yet as human capacity for discovery has zoomed to the nanoscale, fluorescence microscopy has struggled to keep up. Now, a team that includes UGA engineer Peter Kner has developed a microscope that is capable of live imaging at double the resolution of fluorescence microscopy using structured illumination. http://www.physorg.com/news160843613.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 06 May 2009 15:47:43 EST news160843613 In an advance that will help speed global development of new drugs and patenting of new commercial and industrial products, a scientist in New Mexico is reporting development of the first computer program that can quickly and accurately translate complex chemical names from one language into another. http://www.physorg.com/news160233216.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:14:01 EST news160233216 As municipalities across the United States reduce their dependence on groundwater sources to mitigate environmental impacts like subsidence and flooding, there is a growing need for better purification processes to keep contaminants found in surface water sources out of the public tap. http://www.physorg.com/news159541848.html Chemistry - Other Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:11:43 EST news159541848 Byproducts from the electronics, fuel, chemical and defense industries can be far from benign. Toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead can seep into our food chain and cause cancer. And if found in the soil, these dangerous materials can render parks off-limits and real estate worthless. http://www.physorg.com/news158851087.html Chemistry - Other Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:19:35 EST news158851087 With the Jewish holiday of Passover beginning at sundown next Wednesday, April 8, a staple of the traditional dinner -- chicken soup with matzoh balls -- may take on medicinal importance based on findings published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news157894915.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:42:27 EST news157894915 Scientists in China are reporting development of a low-calorie, low-sugar vegetable juice custom-designed for millions of individuals with diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions that involve abnormally high blood sugar. They reported on the new drink here at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news157289022.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:24:30 EST news157289022 Chemists reported development of what they termed the first economical, eco-friendly process to convert algae oil into biodiesel fuel - a discovery they predict could one day lead to U.S. independence from petroleum as a fuel. http://www.physorg.com/news157272282.html Chemistry - Other Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:45:22 EST news157272282 In the future, natural gas derived from chunks of ice that workers collect from beneath the ocean floor and beneath the arctic permafrost may fuel cars, heat homes, and power factories. Government researchers are reporting that these so-called "gas hydrates," a frozen form of natural gas that bursts into flames at the touch of a match, show increasing promise as an abundant, untapped source of clean, sustainable energy. The icy chunks could supplement traditional energy sources that are in short supply and which produce large amounts of carbon dioxide linked to global warming, the scientists say. http://www.physorg.com/news157038377.html Chemistry - Other Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:46:55 EST news157038377 (PhysOrg.com) -- For millions of years, green plants have employed photosynthesis to capture energy from sunlight and convert it into electrochemical energy. A goal of scientists has been to develop an artificial version of photosynthesis that can be used to produce liquid fuels from carbon dioxide and water. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have now taken a critical step towards this goal with the discovery that nano-sized crystals of cobalt oxide can effectively carry out the critical photosynthetic reaction of splitting water molecules. http://www.physorg.com/news156004532.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:36:17 EST news156004532 Almost 800 years after farmers in the village of Gouda in Holland first brought a creamy new cheese to market, scientists in Germany say they have cracked the secret of Gouda`s good taste. They have identified the key protein subunits, or peptides, responsible for the complex, long-lasting flavor of the popular cheese. That discovery could lead to development of more flavorful cheeses and other dairy products. Their study is in the current issue of ACS` Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. http://www.physorg.com/news155405557.html Chemistry - Other Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:13:30 EST news155405557