Innovations

Surfactants are amphipathic molecules with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that partition preferentially at the interface between fluid phases, such as oil/water or air/water interfaces. Such characteristics confer excellent detergency, emulsifying, foaming, and dispersing traits, which

The invention relates to a membrane technology developed using polymeric material, to recover crude oil found in water due to spillages. Although several techniques have been employed for removing crude oil from bodies of water, these techniques are either focused on dissolving the spilled oil

A method and apparatus for treating a fluid utilising nanoscience. The impurities in the fluid are trapped by the charged nanoparticles. The fluid is contained in a reactor that includes a moving magnetic system. When the reactor is in use, the moving magnetic system excites the charged

The invention relates to the design of a robust membrane for desalination, using membrane distillation (MD). Although MD technology has advanced over the years, its industrial application for the treatment of brackish water and seawater continues to lag behind. This invention exhibits advantages

The invention relates to the design of a robust membrane for desalination using membrane distillation (MD). Although MD technology has advanced over the years, its industrial application for the treatment of brackish water and seawater is still lagging. This invention exhibits advantages over the

The technology involves a method and an apparatus for treating a fluid, using nanoscience. Impurities in the fluid are trapped by nanoparticles. The fluid is contained in a reactor that includes a moving magnetic system. When the reactor is in use, the moving magnetic system excites the charged

The invention The invention uses plastic waste and Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) to produce building and construction material with a density of between 1700 and 1750 kg/m 3 . The plastic is melted and WFS is used to produce a paste for the moulding of building material. Problem solved Plastics are vital

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University has developed a novel solvent-based process for extracting cannabinoids directly from plant-wax waste streams generated during industrial processing. The method uses a simple but effective combination of two immiscible solvents, one

The process consists of two continuous stages carried out under inert, vacuum conditions. In the first stage, cold feedstock is fed into a preheating vacuum oven for ex-situ desulphurization. It is heated to a controlled temperature for a set time to break sulphur–sulphur and sulphur–carbon bonds

A method has been developed by which cannabinoids are extracted from a waste wax that is formed during conventional extraction of cannabinoids from Cannabis plants. During medicinal cannabinoid extraction process, cannabinoids are extracted from the plant material into an alcohol phase, which can be

Planktonic or free-living microbes naturally adhere to the sensing surface of the BioTrac system. These biofilms are representative of the physical biofouling that occurs on surfaces in the test environment. The microbes produce carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a byproduct of metabolic activity. The rate of

This technology utilises the unique properties of a specific type of biosurfactant to selectively recover metals from solution. Using comparatively low concentrations of biosurfactant, the metals can be recovered (and potentially valorised), and the surfactant can even be recycled back for further