Chemical Engineering

Fitness Fads and Their Environmental Price Tag

Tamzin Preece: The ‘home gym’ didn’t feature in many UK homes before the pandemic, but it’s now much more commonplace to own various bits of kit for home workouts. Within the first three months of lockdown alone, exercise bike sales rose…

The computer chip industry has a dirty climate secret

The Guardian: The semiconductor industry has a problem. Demand is booming for silicon chips, which are embedded in everything from smartphones and televisions to wind turbines, but it comes at a big cost: a huge carbon footprint. The industry presents a…

Phospholipids create just the right crystals for silky smooth chocolate – no tempering needed

Chemistry World: Scientists have discovered how a single ingredient can create glossy, tasty, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate without having to go through the complex and lengthy tempering process. One of two phospholipids…

Electrocatalysis improved for green urea production

The Engineer: Scientists have developed a less energy-intensive way of making a key compound in fertiliser, an advance that could lead to more sustainable agriculture. The breakthrough has been made by a team of international scientists led by Nanyang Technological University…