06.25.18
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Organic printing inks may restore sight to blind people


A simple retinal prosthesis is being developed in collaboration between Tel Aviv University in Israel and LiU. Fabricated using cheap and widely-available organic pigments used in printing inks and cosmetics, it consists of tiny pixels like a digital camera sensor on a nanometric scale. Researchers hope that it can restore sight to blind people. Researchers led by Eric Glowacki, principal investigator of the organic nanocrystals subgroup in the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linkoping University, have developed a tiny, simple photoactive film that converts light impulses into electrical signals. Read More

 

Who doesn’t like blue jeans? They’re practically wrinkle-proof. The indigo dye that provides their distinctive color holds up to detergents, but ages into that soft, worn look. No wonder the average American wears jeans four days a week. No wonder it’s a $66 billion a year industry, with three billion pairs of jeans manufactured each year. ndigo is one of the oldest dyes used for coloring textiles. Commercial synthesis of indigo dye replaced the plant source around 1900. Today, the jean industry uses about 40,000 tons of indigo a year. But there is a dark side. Industrial synthesis of indigo from petroleum is a “dirty” chemical process. Read More
Fast paced developments in the automotive industry demands a new outlook for pigments and coatings market. By Debarati Das: Its not just the speed and the throttle that determines the X-factor of a car, but also the sheen, the shine and the gloss that ups the oomph of these automobiles. And hence, the right pigment for that perfect coating determines the market success of the whole package. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global automotive coatings market is expected to reach $36.31 billion by 2025 owing to the increasing vehicle production. Read More

University of Portsmouth researchers are at the forefront of a drive to develop environmentally-friendly materials from agricultural waste for use in the automotive, marine and aerospace industries. A team from the University’s School of Engineering are producing and developing lightweight materials from farming leftovers (agriculture biomass) – a process that could provide significant environmental benefits. The sustainable composite materials are produced from flax, hemp, jute and waste biomass date palm fibres to provide parts like car bumpers and door linings – mainly non-structural components. Read More

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