Innovations

The North-West University (NWU) has pioneered the novel use of Europium-Tellurium-Oxide (ETO) in the production of clean energy. ETO is a light-chargeable catalyst material that exhibits sustained and enhanced activity after light excitation has ended. Its unique characteristics present an

The invention relates to a novel process of partial oxidation of un-agglomerated chromite ore in ferrochrome production processes. The process includes the steps: Providing a source of un-agglomerated chromite ore; subjecting the source of un-agglomerated chromite ore to pre-oxidation at a

The invention relates to the use of maghemite nanoparticles at pH less than 5 to remove sulphate, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc metal ions from acid mine drainage (AMD). In conventional AMD treatment, these pollutants are only removed at higher pH, and that requires costly alkaline

Industrial electrowinning is one such example where archaic technology has become the norm, with innovation being limited simply because the process is “good enough”. After doing a fundamental analysis on the electrowinning process, the design team has invented a dynamic solution which improves on

Air quality is a concern worldwide. Consequently, efficient means to monitor air pollutants are critical. Current commercially available carbon-based sorbents used for sampling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air typically require solvent extraction prior to analysis, and they cannot be reused

Using a metallurgical waste product, the invention consists of a method to treat acidic water from mining sites. The treated water can be used for industrial applications or, with additional steps, be treated for potable usage. Water is currently a scarce resource in South Africa, and the depletion

A new technology that provides the first ever high-throughput 3D imaging of locked diamonds within kimberlite rocks. Locked diamonds of up to 10cm in diameter can now be located within rocks before the crushing process begins. Conventional sorting as well as other more recent sorting technologies

Prosopis Glandulosa commonly referred to as Honey Mesquite, has been discovered to strengthen skeletal muscle and boost healing of contused skeletal muscle. The plant is easy and cheap to cultivate. Harvesting of the plant will not deplete any natural resources. Tests on rat models scientifically

A cost-effective tip appendage design that reduces tip leakage vortices in axial flow fans to improve fan performance. The appendage is robust in that it is applicable to various axial flow fan designs and can be installed on currently operational units through retrofitting due to its simplistic

A biological solution using yeast strains which naturally remove chitinase enzymes responsible for haze formation. Adding these yeast cells to wine or grape must results in a crystal-clear product without the need for bentonite or synthetic additives.

Fluorobiotech’s technology drastically decreases the amount of time spent recovering target proteins from producer cells. Reducing the extraction time from 1 hour’s hard labour with multiple steps to an effortless one-step process that can take less than 15 minutes. This allows for parallel

Removable containers placed into the appliance base are lit up and dispensed when selected by the mobile app. Automotive MOSFETS control pulsing solenoid actuators which dispense set volumes with each pulse using one-hot encoded input/output command protocol. Intentional design of the circuit and