The best Earth-based images ever of Neptune and of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, were reported by researchers from DOE's Lawrence Livermore Lab, University of California at Berkeley, UCLA and Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The infrared images were captured on Keck-II telescope using a new form of adaptive optics to compensate for Earth's atmospheric turbulence. The unprecedentedly clear images reveal giant storms on Neptune and possible hydrocarbon lakes on Titan. The chemical industry plays a vital role in the nation's economy, representing 10 percent of all manufacturing and employing more than 1 million Americans. It uses about 3.8 million tons of solvents per year, most of which are potentially hazardous to health, safety and the environment.
Solvents are necessary as media for chemical reactions, chemical separations and cleaning.
A new approach utilizes newly developed chemicals, called surfactants, to disperse insoluble substances in carbon dioxide. It is being pioneered by DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory , the University of North Carolina, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Texas. The U.S. photovoltaics industry wants them to have it. The recently released Report of the PV Industry Roadmap Workshop provides a guide. The National Center for Photovoltaics, which includes researchers from DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, coordinated the roadmapping effort.