although effective in imparting fire retardancy, some of these halogenated fr are extremely toxic, environmentally persistent and leach out from polymers increasing our risk to a variety of health disorders, including cancer. realizing this hazard, the use of certain types of halogenated fr has already been banned by the european union and in several states in u.s.a. still, over a billion pounds of fr additives are used commercially worldwide each year.

the umass lowell research team has developed a new class of non-halogenated flame retardant materials by transforming naturally occurring phenols into polymeric fr additives. the synthesis can be performed using clean and environmentally friendly biocatalytic / biomimetic methods as well as using conventional chemical methods. one of the raw materials used is cardanol (a natural phenol) – an inexpensive, renewable and biodegradable byproduct (oil) derived from cashew nut processing.

this project demonstrates the ability to transform a waste byproduct obtained from a renewable source into a value added product with the potential to replace toxic halogenated fr. this new class of fr can eliminate or reduce the use of toxic halogenated fr, contribute to preserving our ecosystem and have a profound positive impact on people’s health and lives.

cows are king of converting plant material into energy so it’s no wonder that researchers have begun to look to bovine for answers. everyday the average cow digests 150 pounds of plant material- and while you may think it’s because they have four stomachs, its actually much more scientific than that. researchers have discovered an enzyme in the digestive system of cows which allows for the excessive plant intake.

this enzyme presents a great new solution to break down biomass in order to create bio fuel. the goal of the researchers is to find the enzyme that can “efficiently break down the toughest fibers in switch grass.”

switch grass is tough, but it can be used to make ethanol and other biofuels. also because it is so rugged it can grow in places that other crops can’t. however this pesky plant may be the solution, given the right enzyme.

gross as using cow gut technology is, it very well could be the answer to producing biofuels efficiently and with little consequence.

for more information visit these sites:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/27/us-biofuel-cow-idustre70q7h620110127?pagenumber=1
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110127141705.htm”>

more ideas about biofuels can be found here: biofuels