Technology

Platinum is a key industrial catalyst because its electronic structure gives it an exceptional ability to accelerate oxidation and hydrogenation chemical reactions. Among its uses are in catalytic converters in automobiles and in fuel cells that generate electricity from hydrogen. Catalysts are also critical for methods of upcycling plastic waste and converting old plastics into high-quality new products.

Mining tailings are the waste byproduct of mining, consisting of ground rock, water, and processing chemicals that remain after extracting valuable minerals. They have been disposed of for thousands of years, but the industrial mining in the late 19th and 20th centuries is responsible for most of what occupies large, engineered dams. Estimates are that there are over 8,000 active and inactive tailings facilities storing nearly 220 billion cubic meters of material. They pose many environmental dangers, some catastrophic in nature.

In 1973, Steve Sasson, 23 and fresh out of college at RPI, landed a job at Eastman Kodak in the apparatus division of the company’s Applied Research Department. Sasson will deliver the 76th Steinmetz Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial on the campus of Union College.

Hydrogen can play a key role in the transition to clean energy because when it is used as a fuel, it only produces water as a byproduct. Hydrogen is already produced in industrial quantities, but it is primarily made with methods that use fossil fuels like natural gas. But instead of extracting hydrogen from hydrocarbons, it can be obtained by splitting water into its constituent elements.

The global growth of electric cars has continued to rise over the past year, increasing by 20% over 2024. Worldwide, 20.7 million EVs were sold, constituting nearly 23% of all light vehicle sales.

The use of energy by artificial intelligence technology is rapidly increasing. Massive data centers performing the intense computation needed for training large models are consuming huge amounts of energy. Last year, AI consumed over 4% of U.S. electricity, putting a real strain on electric grids. Projections are that AI energy demand will more than double by 2040.

Washing clothes may seem harmless, but each load can release hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic fibers from synthetic fabrics into the water. Some of these microplastics are captured in sewage sludge that is often used as fertilizer, allowing the particles to spread onto agricultural fields. Others pass through wastewater systems and eventually into the ocean, where they accumulate in marine life. Laundry is an overlooked but major source of plastic pollution.

All around the world, Chinese companies are building factories, mines, and refineries that make EVs, batteries, solar panels, and other green energy technologies. Since 2022, Chinese companies have committed to spending $200 billion in clean energy manufacturing investments overseas. These facilities are located in every continent other than Antarctica.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is the primary way to mitigate the effects of climate change. Converting to renewable energy sources to generate electricity and the electrification of vehicles are key requirements for reducing emissions. But industrial plants produce about 20% of global emissions. Major contributors include the production of petrochemicals, cement, and fertilizers. The emissions come from both the heat required for the industrial processes and from the processes themselves.

New York State has some of the nation’s most aggressive policies addressing climate change, including a law that is aimed at all but eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Gas-powered cars, oil-burning heaters and furnaces, and fossil-fueled electric plants are supposed to be on the way out. But the state has recently started putting the brakes on progress towards that green future.