Clean technology
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IEA finds CO2 emissions flat for third straight year
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I’m copying IEA’s press release word for word as I believe this is an interesting article to read. Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were flat for a third straight year in 2016 even as the global economy grew, according to the International Energy Agency, signaling a continuing decoupling of emissions and economic activity. This was…
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Recycled PET news: INVISTA and Avery Dennison
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US-based INVISTA has introduced its new COOLMAX EcoMade denim fabrics which is made from 97% recycled resources in time for the spring 2018 selling season. Through a six-step process, the recycled plastic bottles are transformed into fiber suitable for apparel use. INVISTA’s COOLMAX brand is said to be breathable and moves moisture away from the…
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Waste chewing gum to TPEs
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I honestly love this idea of waste chewing gum being converted into a raw material for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). According to this press release from UK-based custom compounding expert, Teknor Apex Company, it has been working with Gumdrop Ltd. to advance its technology of recycling waste chewing gum to produce commercial-scale quantities of TPE compounds…
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Pilot Plant Demonstrates the Potential to Co-Process Biomass Streams with Petroleum
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It’s Saturday and I am still working on my Biomaterials newsletter (poor me!) but I just want to post this press release from the US DOE as I find this technology very interesting. Cut and paste story below: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), together with leading petroleum refining technologies supplier W.R. Grace, and leading…
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Renmatix bags $14m from Bill Gates, Total
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Renmatix announced its recipient of a $14 million investment led by Bill Gates and Total, which will reportedly help drive towards the first wave of Renmatix licensees building Plantrose-enabled biorefineries in diverse global markets such as Canada, India, Malaysia, the US, etc. The Plantrose process uses supercritical water to reduce costs in conversion of biomass…
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LanzaTech produces jet fuel via low carbon ethanol
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The blog does not usually reports as much on biofuels but it has been awhile since we last posted about activities from LanzaTech. The company recently announced that it has produced the world’s first jet fuel (around 1,500 gallons) based on LanzaTech’s CO-to-ethanol fermentation process. The jet fuel reportedly passed all initial performance tests with…
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EPA issues rules on methane capture from landfills
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Something to think about for companies developing technologies that uses methane for feedstock in chemical/polymers production. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its new final rule on steps to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills by capturing and controlling landfill gas emissions at levels that are one-third…
