Year: 2024

Concrete and steel production are major contributors to CO2 emissions, but researchers from Cambridge University have developed a revolutionary solution that could recycle both materials simultaneously. By introducing old concrete into steel-processing furnaces, the process not only purifies iron but also produces “reactivated cement” as a byproduct. When powered by renewable energy, this method could potentially yield carbon-zero cement.

Scientists have long sought to make concrete more environmentally friendly. Efforts include altering the concrete mix to replace the most polluting ingredients, such as limestone, or designing concrete to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere after being laid. In their new study, Cambridge researchers explored how waste concrete could be transformed back into clinker—the dry component of cement—ready for reuse.

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking technique to synthesize diamonds at normal atmospheric pressure without the need for a starter gem, potentially simplifying the production of these precious gemstones in the lab.

Traditionally, natural diamonds form in Earth’s mantle, the molten zone buried hundreds of miles beneath the planet’s surface. This natural process occurs under immense pressures of several gigapascals and scorching temperatures exceeding 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius).

“It’s exciting to see a phenomenon that no one has seen before,” said Shuqi Xu, a PhD candidate at the Australian National University (ANU). “I don’t want people to think I am a workaholic, but I often come to the lab on Sundays. I can’t wait to find out the results of our experiments.”

Xu’s dedication has led to the world’s first thermal desalination method where water remains in the liquid phase throughout the process. This power-saving and potentially lifesaving approach is detailed in a new study published in Nature Communications.

A groundbreaking development in computing storage, capable of operating at temperatures so high that rock begins to melt, promises to enable computers to function in the harshest environments on Earth and even on Venus for the first time.

Current non-volatile memory (NVM) devices, such as solid-state drives (SSDs), fail at temperatures of 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius). However, scientists have now developed a new ferroelectric diode—a semiconductor switching device—that remains functional for hours at a staggering 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). This advancement means that sensors and computing devices using this diode can be used in extreme environments, such as nuclear plants, deep-field oil and gas exploration, and our solar system’s hottest planet, where previous devices would fail within seconds.