Benzene, which is an aromatic hydrocarbon and a natural constituent of crude oil, has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a known contributor to cancer. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an estimated 137 billion gallons of gasoline were consumed in the United States last year. This, unfortunately, makes benzene a substantial... Read more »
The deadline for all chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors to be in compliance with the new guidelines for Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) has passed. Beginning December 1st a new requirement for chemical labeling will also go into effect. OSHA first announced the changes in 2012 when they revised the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS, HazCom) to... Read more »
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first discovered in the early 1990s. They are 100 times stronger than steel and one-sixth the weight, have several times the electrical and thermal conductivity of copper and lack most of the environmental or physical degradation issues related to most metals. The drawback is that CNTs have a tendency to aggregate... Read more »
ChemCeed Intern, Marcos Waksman, teaches students about polymer chemistry at this year’s Career Venture held yesterday in Eau Claire. The ChemCeed table was visited by local middle and high school students, and the ChemCeed staff showed them how to make bouncy balls to demonstrate polymer chemistry.
LiquiGlide, a company started by Kripa K. Varanasi, a professor of mechanical engineering at M.I.T., and J. David Smith, a graduate student of Dr. Varanasi’s, has developed a non-stick coating which traps a lubricant on a rough surface. Similar research has been done using superhydrophobic surfaces, where air is trapped on the rough surfaces, allowing... Read more »
In a joint effort, researchers at Münster University, the Münster branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Technology IME, the Technishe Universität München (TUM) and TRM Ltd. (York, UK) have found what they believe to be the key-proteins involved in the production of rubber in dandelions. They were able to demonstrate using... Read more »
Through adsorption to metal surfaces while in solution, benzotriazole and tolyltriazole are able to inhibit corrosion on metal surfaces. Tolyltriazole is especially adept at creating this bond with copper and its alloys. Tolyltriazole is produced from ortho-toluenediamine (oDTA), which is a side stream in the production of toluene diisocyanate (TDI). In the recent weeks we... Read more »
Methane is produced by decomposing trash that can be used to produce electricity or heat. Currently, most landfills do not make enough methane for energy production to make it worthwhile. Therefore, these landfills burn (flare) the methane away. Russell Chinelli, Ph. D., a professor at The University of Texas at El Paso, invented a process... Read more »
Polyurethane, as many of you might already know, is extremely tough and corrosion-and-wear-resistant, which makes it a popular choice for a wide variety of applications. The only real downside is that the petroleum-based product isn’t as environmentally friendly as one would hope. But a new development from Washington State University is sure to change that.... Read more »
An explosion and major fire erupted in China’s Fujian province Monday night, sending six people to the hospital, officials reported. State news agency Xinhua said 177 fire engines and more than 800 firefighters were sent to the scene. The plant, in the city of Zhangzhou, produces the chemical paraxylene (PX), which is the basic raw... Read more »
