Research
Reusable molecular fabric could cut energy needed to separate industrial chemicals
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- A team from UT Austin and Zhejiang University reports a reusable molecular fabric for separating industrial chemicals.
- The separation targets a toxic chemical from processes used to make nylon, paint, furniture foams and detergents.
- The current separation methods require a lot of energy and effort, which the new material is meant to reduce.
Why it matters
Chemical separation is energy-intensive across many manufacturing industries, so a reusable separation material could lower process energy costs if it performs at scale.
Who’s affected
- chemical engineers and process designers
- manufacturers of nylon, paints, foams and detergents
- #chemical separation
- #materials science
- #energy efficiency
- #industrial chemistry
- #polymers
Separating out a particular toxic chemical from industrial processes linked to the manufacture of nylon, paint, certain foams found in furniture and even detergents requires a lot of energy and hassle. Now a team of scientists from UT Austin and Zhejiang University has struck…