Latest Nonmetals Stories

By SHILLINGTON, David Combustion has become widely-researched and highly-effective process, but what is it doing to the environment? ------------------ -- Combustion processes (including wood burning) have been extensively researched, particularly since the advent of the internal combustion engine and the development of the aerospace industry. As a result motor cars of today are far more fuel efficient. The term combustion is used to describe the process whereby a fuel source is oxidised...

By Digging In TRACEY HOBSON For the Journal Q. My daughter and I were discussing fertilizers a while ago and she mentioned epsom salts being a fertilizer. Is that true? I've always thought that was a wives' tale. A. It's true. Epsom salts may be applied as part of a balanced diet. Not really a "fertilizer," think of its application as a multivitamin for the plant kingdom. Fertilizers consist mainly of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Those are the three "biggies" for plant needs....

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Chemicals industry industry is available in its catalogue. World Selenium Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p090610/World-Selenium-Market.html This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Selenium in Metric Tons. The specific end-use segments analyzed are Glass Manufacturing, Metallurgy, Chemicals, Electronics, Pigments, and Others including Agricultural Feeds. The report provides separate comprehensive...

Novel University of Leicester research uses ingredient found in dandruff shampoos to monitor oxygen levels in oceansScientists at the University of Leicester are using an ingredient found in common shampoos to investigate how the oxygen content of the oceans has changed over geologically recent time.The same ingredient, which was also used to fight off alien invaders in the film "Evolution", is a widely available dietary supplement used by many people.The ingredient, selenium, is an...

Science fiction usually sticks hibernating spaceflyers in glowing capsules of goo, but a real-life ingredient for suspended animation may not be too far off, scientists say. Hydrogen sulfide is the key stinky compound in rotting eggs and swamp gas. New research shows it can slow down a mouse's metabolism, or the consumption of oxygen, without dampening the flow of blood. "A little hydrogen sulfide gas is a way to reversibly and, apparently, safely cut metabolism...

Jülich scientists synthesize stable catalyst for water oxidationJülich scientists have made an important step on the long road to artificially mimicking photosynthesis. They were able to synthesize a stable inorganic metal oxide cluster, which enables the fast and effective oxidation of water to oxygen. This is reported by the German high-impact journal "Angewandte Chemie" in a publication rated as a VIP ("very important paper"). Artificial photosynthesis may...

Heart rate and metabolism drop, while blood pressure and oxygen levels maintainedLow doses of the toxic gas responsible for the unpleasant odor of rotten eggs can safely and reversibly depress both metabolism and aspects of cardiovascular function in mice, producing a suspended-animation-like state. In the April 2008 issue of the journal Anesthesiology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that effects seen in earlier studies of hydrogen sulfide do not depend on a reduction...

Researchers at University of Utah reported Monday that a single strand of  hair can reveal a history of which areas within the United States a person has been living or spending time.The scientists compared variations in isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen found in strands of hair to those of tap water in various areas of the country. They found the isotopes corresponded, and were able to use this information to determine a person's location during recent weeks to years.Isotopes are forms of...

CSIs now have a new tool in their belt: the chemical signatures left by local drinking water in human hair. Scientists at the University of Utah have found that the ratios of different forms of hydrogen and oxygen in local drinking water vary from region to region across the country. These elements are incorporated into the hair as it grows. Traces in the hair can show where a person has recently lived or traveled, and could help police track the recent movements of criminals....

Plants trees and algae do it. Even some bacteria and moss do it, but scientists have had a difficult time developing methods to turn sunlight into useful fuel. Now, Penn State researchers have a proof-of-concept device that can split water and produce recoverable hydrogen. "This is a proof-of-concept system that is very inefficient. But ultimately, catalytic systems with 10 to 15 percent solar conversion efficiency might be achievable," says Thomas E. Mallouk, the DuPont Professor...