Silicon for solar cells becoming more environmentally friendly
New discoveries are making silicon production cleaner, and solar cells of the future will become even more environmentally friendly.
Materials
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Are discarded mobile phones and electronic waste polluting our seas?
The Norwegian research organisation SINTEF will investigate whether rare earth element minerals contribute to pollution in costal areas. Research scientists from Norway, Denmark and Germany are taking part in the project.
Trees and plants could become new additives in “light” food products
To reduce the fat content in food products, starch has to be added to achieve a good consistency. Cellulose might be able to take over this role in reduced-fat products. And it’s calorie free, too!
Great progress for electronic gadgets of the future
A new discovery is an important step towards smaller, more advanced electronics. And maybe more environmentally friendly gadgets, too.
Kavli Prize in nanoscience goes to four pioneers
Four men share the Kavli Prize in nanoscience for their work on electron microscopy.
A simple way of describing friction — by making it complicated
We all know what friction is — but it turns out to be very difficult to describe. Researchers have simplified a commonly used, century-old model for use at the nanoscale — by making it more complicated.
NTNU establishes a factory to produce coronavirus tests
NTNU researchers recently figured out a whole new method for testing people for the coronavirus. The university is now producing tests on a continuous basis, under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Currently 100 000 tests a day are being manufactured, with production soon likely to be scaled up dramatically.
Norway to start broad-based testing by month’s end using NTNU test kits
Norway’s Ministry of Health and Care Services confirmed Friday that it will roll out coronavirus test kits developed by researchers from NTNU and St Olavs Hospital by the last week of April/early May. The kits will more than triple Norway’s testing capacity during the rollout.
Home Office: 5 Tips For Good Indoor Air Quality
Is your home office in the living room, or is your whole family working at home? Here’s some good advice to make sure your indoor climate is healthy.
Water was a winner in capturing CO2
Reducing the level of CO2 in the atmosphere will probably require carbon capture. A surprising substance just might be the ticket.
Artificial bees from a pressure cooker?
What if we could create artificial bees that helped us with food production? Ola Gjønnes Grendal cooks up the materials needed to do just this.
Turning waste heat into hydrogen fuel
Hydrogen as an energy carrier can help us move away from fossil fuels, but only if it is created efficiently. One way to improve efficiency is to use waste heat that’s left over from other industrial processes.
Super-strong magnetic supercrystals can assemble themselves
Materials scientists who work with nano-sized components have developed ways of working with their vanishingly small materials. But what if you could get your components to assemble themselves into different structures without actually handling them at all?
What doesn’t crack them makes them stronger
It sounds a bit strange, but some materials become stronger when subjected to stress. Why is that, and why do they eventually fail anyway?
Building computers the way our brains work
We are approaching the limit for how much more microprocessors can be developed. Gunnar Tufte proposes building computers in a completely new way, inspired by the human brain and nanotechnology.
Recently-developed material makes hydrogen production more efficient
Norwegian scientists have developed a material which can make hydrogen from water vapor, instead of liquid water. It pays off, because heat is cheaper than electricity.
Sun and wind in a box
Renewable energy is fine, but often it’s needed at times other than when the wind is blowing or the sun makes an appearance. The energy needs to be stored – and a new method is on the horizon.
Bringing industry back home
Some Norwegian companies have moved industrial production home from low-cost countries. Could reshoring become a trend?
New nanomaterial to replace mercury
Ultraviolet light is used to kill bacteria and viruses, but UV lamps contain toxic mercury. A newly developed nanomaterial is changing that.
This solar panel is the first in the world to store both electricity and heat
Moreover, researchers have succeeded in increasing its output dramatically by providing the panel with its own cooling system.
Could Trondheim be Norway’s new seabed mining capital?
Stavanger is Norway’s oil capital. Trondheim could become the country’s capital for seabed mining. It will be an important contribution to the UN’s climate goals.
World’s tiniest circuit takes shape
Components are falling into place for the technology of the future. They can provide smaller, faster and cheaper electronics with minimal energy consumption.
Minerals and Materials for a Sustainable Future
For the first time this week, the Nature Research Group, publishers of Nature, will host an international conference in Trondheim in cooperation with NTNU, SINTEF and the Geological Survey of Norway. The theme for the conference, which runs from 11-13 September, is the sustainable use of minerals and materials.
New super laboratory coming to Trondheim
Research on minerals and materials is important in helping society make the transition to a greener economy. NTNU, the Geological Survey of Norway and SINTEF have joined forces to establish a national laboratory to that end.