Discarded cigarette butts are a major waste disposal and environmental pollution hazard. But chemists at the University of Nottingham have discovered that cigarette butt-derived carbons have ultra-high surface area and unprecedented hydrogen storage capacity. The research was carried

A new report from Columbia University has claimed that energy harvested from evaporation of water in US lakes and reservoirs could provide power for about 70 per cent of the country. Its ‘evaporation engine’ draws power from the expansion and contraction of bacterial spores in the pre

Researchers are looking at advanced materials for roads and pavements that could generate electricity from passing traffic. Engineers from Lancaster University are working on smart materials such as ‘piezolectric’ ceramics that when embedded in road surfaces would be able to harvest a

An electric bus has set a new world record for EVs, racking up 1,101.2 miles on a single charge. The 40-foot Proterra Catalyst E2 Max has 660 kWh of energy storage, which delivers a standard range of between 194 and 350 miles. However, at the Navistar Proving Grounds in Indiana, the h

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have created a new type of paint that absorbs water from the air and splits it to generate hydrogen. Dubbed ‘solar paint’, the material contains synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, a newly developed compound that removes moi

Americano, cappuccino and latte drinkers could help produce the raw material for a greener biofuel that would reduce our reliance on diesel from fossil fuels. Purpose-grown feedstocks (used to extract oils) for biodiesels are controversial because of their cost and the demand they pla

Blackburn-based The Furniture Recycling Group (TFRG) has announced that it recycled 58,000 used mattresses received from retailer John Lewis in 2016. TFRG said that the 2016 figures meant it had diverted about 1,500 tonnes of waste from landfill. John Lewis commented that TFRG has a s

Ground-breaking research into self-healing concrete has received over £4 million in new funding to help create innovative solutions to rising maintenance costs across the UK. The Cardiff University-led Resilient Materials 4 Life (RM4L) project has received the investment from the Engi

A chance discovery made by researchers at the University of Glasgow could dramatically reduce the cost of treating water for drinking. The team, working on an EPSRC-funded project in collaboration with the University of Michigan, analysing bacteria found in drinking water system in th

Plastic bottles recycled from households in Japan are being used in a kitchen range sold by the household goods and furniture giant Ikea. The company’s Kungsbacka kitchen range, which is available in Ikea stores from this month uses a plastic ‘foil’ produced from PET – polyethylene th