Naturally-occurring nanoscale materials have been in the environment for
millions of years, yet little is known about their occurrence and inputs.
With an emerging nanotechnology industry, a proper appraisal of their
potential risk is well overdue.
As a technology, thermoforming now has a surprisingly green story to
tell. As Paul Gander reports, this is about energy efficiency as well as
weight reduction.
There are constant warnings about the risks of exhausting supply of
vital resources, including the impact on our way of life. Professor
Animesh Jha, from the Institute for Materials Research at the University
of Leeds, UK, examines the sources of rare earth elements and the
research driving their use in emerging technologies.
Dr Alex Finlay from the Geochemical Reclamation of Industrial Minerals
and Elements (GRIME) research group at Durham University, UK, outlines
plans for the investigation and development of unconsidered waste
materials as a green rare earth element resource.
A polymer network using polyaniline could be the solution to enhanced
hydrogen storage. Dr K Balasubramanian from the Defence Institute of
Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune, India, explains how this could
provide an alternative to traditional energy systems.
Transport costs have escalated for packaging companies. Tim Fawkes,
Business Development Director for transport management company 3t
Logistics, shows how businesses can make logistics more cost-effective.
David Jones and Michael Barnes of Mississippi State University, USA, explain the wood
treatment process and safe handling and disposal of treated wood.
