Research Bits: July 22


Getting the gold Researchers from Flinders University proposed a new extraction technique for recovering gold from electronic waste and ore that avoids the use of mercury and cyanide, which are often used in small-scale gold recycling and mining operations. “The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water,... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Nov. 11


Smaller DACs and ADCs Researchers at the National University of Singapore invented a novel class of Digital-to-Analog (DAC) and Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) that use a fully-digital architecture. This digital architecture means design time for sensor interfaces can be reduced from months to hours with a fully-automated digital design methodology, the team said. It also has the benefit... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: April 4


Self-sustaining microbial fuel cell Researchers at Binghamton University developed the first micro-scale self-sustaining microbial fuel cell, which generates power through the symbiotic interactions of two types of bacteria. A mixed culture of phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria were placed in a 90-microliter cell chamber, or about one-fifth the size of a teaspoon. Phototrophic bacter... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: June 2


Printing RF antennas with graphene ink Researchers from the University of Manchester, together with BGT Materials Limited, a graphene manufacturer in the United Kingdom, printed a radio frequency antenna using compressed graphene ink. The antenna performed well enough to make it practical for use in RFID tags and wireless sensors, the researchers said. Even better, the antenna is flexible, e... » read more