MSU Technologies

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Heavy Metal Sensing

VALUE PROPOSITION Heavy metal pollution in soils is widespread in the world, resulting from both natural sources and human activities (e.g., mining and smelting, industrial emission, fossil fuel combustion, etc.). Due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and environmental persistence, elevated levels of heavy metals in the environment pose major threats...

Published: 11/14/2024 | Inventor(s): Wen Li, Hasan Banna, James Siegenthaler

Keywords(s): Category(s): Agriculture, Analytical Instruments, Environment, Test and Measurement

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: 11/12/2024 | 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

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: 10/14/2024 | Inventor(s): Harvey Lee, Connor Grady, Assaf Gilad

Keywords(s): Category(s): Medical, Biotechnology, Environment, Test and Measurement

Novel Chain Extenders for Recycling Polyesters

Executive Summary Polyesters comprise a significant portion of plastics entering landfills. One issue that limits their recycling is natural degradation during melt processing which lowers their molecular weight and melt viscosity. Reactive chain extenders are often used to build back the molecular weight of the polyester, however, their use can...

Published: 2/17/2023 | Inventor(s): Muhammad Rabnawaz