Search Results - Environment

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Process to Upcycle Mixed Polyolefins

Executive Summary Polyolefins are used in a myriad of applications including packaging. Increasingly, there is a growing need for identifying ways of recycling mixed polyolefins that appear in municipal waste streams as the polyolefins are not compostable or biodegradable. While methods such as pyrolysis have been used to transform the plastic mixtures...
Published: 6/10/2024   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Laurent Matuana, Tanyaradzwa Muzata
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Environment, Materials, Packaging, Recycling

Biobased Films with Improved Oxygen Barrier

Executive Summary Biobased materials such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) are attractive materials for packaging films due to their positive sustainability aspects including biodegradability. However, their oxygen barrier properties limit the use of these materials to certain applications....
Published: 4/30/2024   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Mohamed Abdelwahab
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Environment, Materials, Packaging, Recycling

Biodegradable Barrier Coating for Paper

Executive Summary Coated paper is used in a variety of packaging applications including fresh produce, cheeses, confectionary, frozen fish and fast food. To achieve sufficient barrier properties, the paper is often coated with petroleum based waxes or polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). However, these coatings are not environmentally attractive and...
Published: 4/30/2024   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Hazem Elkholy, Syeda Shamila Hamdani
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Environment, Materials, Packaging, Recycling

Efficient Room Temperature, Ambient Pressure Liquid Ammonia Storage System

Executive Summary Liquid ammonia is current stored and transported in very large quantities in refrigerated units, railcars, tanker trucks and pressurized containers. While the majority of existing uses are as a nitrogen fertilizer for agricultural uses, increasing attention has been turned to ammonia as a green, carbon free energy storage medium for...
Published: 5/17/2023   |   Inventor(s): Mi Chenija, Reza Ghazfar, Milton Smith, Iii, Thomas Hamann
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Chemicals, Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Transportation

Sustainable Chain Extenders for Recycling Polyesters

Executive Summary Polyesters comprise a significant portion of plastics entering landfills. One issue that limits their recycling is degradation during melt processing which lowers their molecular weight and melt viscosity. Reactive chain extenders are often used in this case to build back the molecular weight of the polyester during reprocessing....
Published: 7/22/2024   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Mohamed Abdelwahab, Ajmir Khan
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Materials, Environment, Packaging

A Robust Algal Assemblage for Biomass Production and Carbon Dioxide Capture

­Executive Summary: Stable algal assemblage cultured for biomass production and carbon dioxide capture is robust under different bioreactor configurations, environmental conditions, and CO2 supplements. Background: Carbon dioxide accounts for 82% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Sustainable carbon capture is essential for decreasing...
Published: 6/25/2024   |   Inventor(s): Wei Liao, Yan (susie) Liu
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Agricultural, Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Environmental

Tunable Degradation of Fibers

­ Executive Summary Degradation of polymeric materials is an important process in recycling, composting and rendering them innocuous to the environment. Controlling the rate by which the materials degrade remains challenging and impacted by the nature of the materials and their use in applications where combinations of materials exist to fulfil...
Published: 2/17/2023   |   Inventor(s): John Dorgan, Bin Tan
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Advanced Materials, Environment, Packaging

Process for Depolymerizing Recycled Polystyrenes

­Executive Summary Each year, billions of lbs of polystyrene and styrene copolymers are discarded as waste and very little is recycled. While some technologies have attempted pyrolysis in fluidized bed reactors or solvent processes to convert the polystyrene back to monomer, high costs, long process times and a myriad of reaction products have...
Published: 7/11/2023   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Ajmir Khan, Vikash Kumar
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Chemicals, Environment, Materials

Rapid Process for Depolymerizing Recycled PET

­Executive Summary Each year, billions of lbs of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) are discarded as waste. While some of the material is separated, recycled and incorporated into new materials, the degradation of the polymers back to their original monomers (a.k.a. chemical recycling) remains prohibitive...
Published: 2/17/2023   |   Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz, Ajmir Khan
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Chemicals, Environment, Materials

Recombinant Protein for Rare Earth Element Binding

Executive Summary Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential materials used in advanced technologies such as electronics, process catalysts, magnets, batteries and MRI contrast agents. Although used in small quantities for each application, they end up in surface water and soil during mining, processing and waste disposal. This presents growing environmental...
Published: 7/2/2024   |   Inventor(s): Harvey Lee, Connor Grady, Assaf Gilad
Keywords(s):   Category(s): Medical, Biotechnology, Environment, Test and Measurement
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