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

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

This technology uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) fitted with a camera to calibrate heliostats in large Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) or Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) tower systems. The UAV does not have a single fixed position and provides several advantages over traditional methods using

A computer implemented method, system or programme for combining a three-dimensional PET scan and a CT scan of a body into a combined image for segmentation, comprising of: Co-registering each of the PET scan and the CT scan as an input with reference to each other. Extracting metadata from the

The PureLite Reactor™ provides a highly efficient and customisable platform for various applications. Its energy-efficient LED light sources, advanced control systems, and versatile design give researchers precise control over photochemical reactions, making it a vital tool in environmental science

A method for inference based on multivariate message-based graph structures and not the well-known Tanner Graph structure. Tanner graphs are known to have poor convergence with variables greater than 1, to compensate LDPC codes are created to avoid this scenario. The invented method allows for