Innovations

The North-West University has developed a method in which municipal wastewater is treated to remove ammonia and phosphate while simultaneously recovering struvite as a byproduct. Struvite is used to reduce the acidity of acidity of the acid mine drainage water which leads to precipitate metal

Chalcopyrite is a common but low-grade copper ore, and NWU researchers have developed an innovative method to improve copper dissolution and extraction from this mineral. This is achieved by harnessing galvanic interactions between chalcopyrite and magnetite, they achieved more efficient copper

This technology involves a method for generating hydrogen in an electrolysis cell. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) is used to separate anode and cathode chambers of the cell. The space between the anode and the PEM is filled with aqueous sulfuric acid. In use, gaseous sulphur dioxide is fed to the

This process is used for generating hydrogen by providing a hydrogen chemical carrier in the presence of an active catalyst in a reactor vessel and elevating the temperature inside the reactor by electromagnetic process to allow a dehydrogenation reaction to generate hydrogen. The active catalyst is

The invention relates to a low-cost, portable, self-aligning rooftop wind turbine designed to capture moderate-velocity wind and generate electricity efficiently for household use. Current large-scale wind turbines in South Africa are located far field and the energy generated must be transported

The technology relates to an upright tubular fixed-bed reactor body comprising a heat -dissipating pipe, which extends from the reactor tube wall, to ensure that heat is effectively transferred in highly exothermic reactors such as Ficher-Tropsch, which are prone to heat build-up. The heat pipe is

Postharvest table grapes are susceptible to fungal infection even when stored at the optimal temperature of −0.5°C. The most important pathogen of stored Table Grapes is grey mould, which is caused by Botrytis cinerea. Some countries fumigate their grapes with sulphur dioxide gas. However, if the

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

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 an automated process for fabricating nano and micro structures using high temperature superconducting quantum interference device (SQUIDS). This method overcomes the high cost and complexity in the manufacturing process of superconductors for a commercial scale or mass

The invention relates to a method of fabricating a commercially viable biodegradable and transparent resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) chip with substantially high (>7 orders of magnitude) resistive switching behaviour using low operating power. The method makes use of a simple and affordable

The technology relates to an improved method for reclaiming waste beer from a brewing process. The process ensures the sterilization and re-use of beer that would otherwise be lost in the brewing process due to contamination. The method focuses on recovering beer lost in the fermentation stage