Thursday, March 29, 2012

Weary Venus Williams loses at Key Biscayne

BC-TEN--Key Biscayne, 5th Ld-Writethru ,710Weary Venus Williams loses at Key BiscayneAP Photo FLWL102, FLJC111, FLJC110, FLWL108, FLWL101, FLWL106Eds: Restores previous material. With AP Photos.By STEVEN WINEAP Sports Writer

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) ? Venus Williams sagged in the wooden changeover chair as if it were a cushy recliner, her head tilted back, her tank on empty.

She rose slowly to play the final two games and lost both, but grinned as she walked to the exit, perhaps because she was headed for a well-deserved rest.

Weary after winning three consecutive three-set matches, Williams was eliminated Wednesday by Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open, 6-4, 6-1.

"It was disappointing not to be able to feel my best today," Williams said. "I was able to keep it close in the first set and try different strategies, but it was definitely a mental battle, and today I didn't conquer the mental part of it."

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka lost for the first time this year when she was beaten by Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-3.

Azarenka had won 26 consecutive matches, a streak that dated to the beginning of 2012. Her start was the best on the women's tour since Martina Hingis went 37-0 to begin 1997.

The No. 7-seeded Bartoli will play No. 5 Radwanska in the semifinals Thursday. The other match will be between No. 2 Maria Sharapova and No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki.

Williams' serve lacked its usual velocity, and by the final game she wasn't even chasing shots in the corner. The tournament was her first since the U.S. Open last August, where she withdrew after being diagnosed with a fatigue-causing autoimmune disease.

"It has been a great tournament," she said. "Obviously I'm disappointed and would have liked to have gone further, but it's a great start."

Eager to keep points short in the 85-degree sunshine, Williams charged the net often but frequently had to lunge for shots. She committed 38 unforced errors to 10 for Radwanska, and won only five of 26 points on her second serve.

"It was pretty hot out there," Radwanska said. "Maybe that was why she didn't look that good."

In the men's quarterfinals, 2009 champion Andy Murray overcame an upset stomach and early deficit to beat No. 9-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Two Williamses were eliminated in 18 hours. Younger sister Serena lost Tuesday night to Wozniacki.

Venus needed a wild card to enter the tournament because she's ranked 134th. The three-time Olympian's goal has been improve her ranking enough to qualify for the London Games, and she's projected to climb next week back into the top 90.

In the past, the cutoff for making the Olympics has been around 68th. Teams will be chosen based on rankings in early June.

Radwanska, ranked a career-best No. 4, advanced to the Key Biscayne semifinals for the first time. She's 0-4 this year against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 24-0 against everyone else.

She beat Williams in 2006 but had since lost five consecutive meetings.

"Of course she had some time off last couple of months," Radwanska said. "But she's still a great player. I really had to play very well today to beat her."

Williams overcame a match point in the third round against Aleksandra Wozniak on Sunday night, and said she was up until 4 a.m. afterward. She recovered to beat No. 15-seeded Ana Ivanovic on Monday.

Williams said her ailment requires her to save all her energy for tennis, but she strayed from that approach with a day off Tuesday.

"I should have rested more probably," Williams said. "After a while you start to feel like maybe everything's behind you. I definitely learned maybe if you're doing something right, don't change it."

Her energy reserve appeared low from the start of the quarterfinal, and she lost the first seven points. Radwanska took advantage of Williams' lethargy by hitting several drop shots for winners and pouncing on weak second serves.

When Williams had a chance at an easy overhead, she walked up to the ball flat-footed. Facing break point early in the second set, she mustered only a 72-mph first serve, well below her norm of 110 or more.

Williams lost the final six points, dumped her last shot into the net and began looking ahead to the clay-court season. She plans to play next week at Charleston, S.C.

"I've definitely learned a lot about ways maybe I could prepare during the tournament," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-03-28-Key%20Biscayne/id-8a340fb971f94c5d86741a3f9133bdfb

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A Simple Guide On How To Budget Your Expenses ? Best Finance ...

One of the things that people find little success with is budgeting. No matter how hard they try, the ability to make both ends meet seems to be elusive for most people. The sight of fashionable clothes, the latest gadgets, vacation in the island is simply too tempting to pass up. Finding it hard to budget your expenses? Here are some tips on how you can master the art of making both ends meet.

Before learning how to budget, try to determine the reasons for not being able to meet your budget. There are plenty of reasons for such failure. For one, you might not have prioritized your expenses. Come up with a list and then sort them from the most important to the least important. Likewise, determine which is discretionary expenses. These are items that you usually buy but can afford to live without.

Food and shelter should be on the top of your list. These are basic needs that support your survival. The next most important are the utilities such as water and electricity. A car loan is discretionary expenses because it is part of your budget but you can live without it. Unnecessary expenses should be at the bottom of your list.

After you have listed down your priorities, classify them into monthly and weekly expenses. While learning how to budget, you will come to the realization that your expenses will be greater than your income. Deduct the expenses from the income and you will come up with your potential savings for the month.

To cut down on your expenses, you need to take away your bad habits. If you have a vice such as smoking or drinking, it could also affect your budget plan. Reduce your intake of alcohol or cigarettes and you will see your expenses come down. Doing this will also have some beneficial effects on your health.

There are many ways you can cut down on your expenses. For example, rather than buy coffee from Starbucks, buy a coffee maker or travel mug and make your own coffee instead. If you are living in an expensive apartment, consider moving to a smaller unit. If you are going to a location just a few blocks away from your house, why don?t you walk instead? You will not only reduce your gasoline expenses but also get some form of exercise.

For credit card bills, always contact the credit card company if you will be unable to pay your bills on time. Explain to them your current situation. I am sure they will be able to help you out in coming up with a more affordable payment plan.

Personal budgeting entails supplementing your income and reducing expenses. This way, you will be able to better manage your personal finances. However, if your financial problem is already overwhelming and budgeting is no longer working, it is best to seek professional help.

Perhaps the best advice for learning how to budget is to live within your means. If you cannot afford to have an LCD or plasma television, a standard cable television will suffice. Bear in mind that success will not come in a blink of an eye. You need to work hard until you are able to master the art of budgeting.

Mags Malvar is a content writer for a marketing giveaways company selling quality giveaways. Check out his blog at http://melvin-magadia.blogspot.com/

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Source: http://bestfinancenetwork.com/a-simple-guide-on-how-to-budget-your-expenses.html

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Milky Way image reveals detail of a billion stars

ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2012) ? More than one billion stars in the Milky Way can be seen together in detail for the first time in an image captured by an international team of astronomers. Scientists created the colour picture by combining infra-red light images from telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres. Large structures of the Milky Way galaxy, such as gas and dust clouds where stars have formed and died, can be seen in the image.

Dr Nick Cross of the University of Edinburgh will present the new work on March 29 at the National Astronomy Meeting in Manchester.

The picture represents part of a 10-year project involving scientists from the UK, Europe and Chile, who gathered data from the two telescopes. The information has been processed and archived by teams at the Universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge, who have made it available to astronomers around the world for further studies.

Archived information from the project -- known as the VISTA Data Flow System -- is expected to enable scientists to carry out groundbreaking research in future years without the need to generate further data.

The image shows the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, which is often described as looking like two fried eggs back-to-back, with a flat disc in the middle. Earth is close to the edge of this disc, and the image shows a cross-section through the disc as seen from Earth's perspective.

It combines data from the UKIDSS/GPS sky survey taken by the UK Infrared Telescope in Hawaii with the VVV survey from the VISTA telescope in Chile.

Astronomers used infra-red radiation instead of visible light to enable them to see through much of the dust in the Milky Way and record details of the centre of the galaxy.

The work was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Dr Nick Cross, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy, said: "This incredible image gives us a new perspective of our galaxy, and illustrates the far-reaching discoveries we can make from large sky surveys. Having data processed, archived and published by dedicated teams leaves other scientists free to concentrate on using the data, and is a very cost-effective way to do astronomy."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/AcJn19iK3P8/120328203721.htm

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TummyTrimmer.net ? Blog Archive ? T-shirts For Computer Gamers

The gaming industry is gaining more and more fans daily so why not carry your favorite games with you daily? If you are curios how to do for that reason, it is quite easy as a matter of fact. On the Internet, there are plenty of websites that offer t-shirts with a computer game theme. It doesn?t definitely matter if you enjoy one game or another, thanks to the rich selection of t-shirts available, it is almost impossible not to find your favorite t-shirt.

Searching for such a website shouldn?t be a problem but it?s highly recommended to search for websites that have the following functions:

1. The first feature a website like this should have is a search option so that the visitors may find their favorite computer game t-shirt very fast.

2. The second feature a high quality website have to offer is a category section in which all the stuff are divided into relevant categories for that reason the users should know from which room they should start searching for their t-shirt.

3. The availability of the rating alternative is a huge plus because users can find out which computer t-shirts are fashionable among other visitors of the website.

4. Additional information related to the computer t-shirts like sizing, availability, pricing, taxes and other similar issues should be obtainable for each product along with lots of pictures of the styles.

These websites are the gamers heaven due to the fact they can carry their favorite games all the time, wherever they go. A true fan of a certain game can?t miss out on this opportunity to have a computer game based t-shirt. These t-shirts can?t be found on the local t-shirt shop as several of the patterns can be found exclusively on the Internet that is why the uniqueness of such a t-shirt will make a fanatic gamer stand out and attract all the attention with that special t-shirt.

As more games are available daily so are the t-shirts, with other words, every time a new computer game is launched, so are dozens of t-shirts related to that game obtainable for purchase, most of the period only on the Internet so it is highly recommended to take a closer gaze on these websites simply because only here you may find a let?s say, a Half Life-based special t-shirt that will make you look cool and stylish.

As far as auxiliary issues are concerned, prices are in almost all cases, lower in comparison to the prices you see at your local shops. Transportation is quick and safe, usually in 1-2 days you could have your t-shirt at the door. Shipping taxes shouldn?t be a real concern; respectable websites have got a section regarding shipping taxes for this reason everything is crystal clear.

All things considered, purchasing a t-shirt enjoy this is the great way to express your feelings regarding a certain computer game that you enjoy. Another reason for buying a t-shirt like this is to grab something different, something you don?t see everyday on the street for that reason if you are sick and tired of identical old t-shirt designs, get yourself the newest Crysis-based t-shirt.

Need more information? feel free to visit our fashion tips blogs and online store. And if you?re a moslem you can also visit one of our web store about islamic fashion which is sell grosir busana muslim, jual baju anak, and many more. Have a great day.

Source: http://tummytrimmer.net/2012/03/t-shirts-for-computer-gamers/

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A new dimension for solar energy

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Intensive research around the world has focused on improving the performance of solar photovoltaic cells and bringing down their cost. But very little attention has been paid to the best ways of arranging those cells, which are typically placed flat on a rooftop or other surface, or sometimes attached to motorized structures that keep the cells pointed toward the sun as it crosses the sky.

Now, a team of MIT researchers has come up with a very different approach: building cubes or towers that extend the solar cells upward in three-dimensional configurations. Amazingly, the results from the structures they've tested show power output ranging from double to more than 20 times that of fixed flat panels with the same base area.

The biggest boosts in power were seen in the situations where improvements are most needed: in locations far from the equator, in winter months and on cloudier days. The new findings, based on both computer modeling and outdoor testing of real modules, have been published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

"I think this concept could become an important part of the future of photovoltaics," says the paper's senior author, Jeffrey Grossman, the Carl Richard Soderberg Career Development Associate Professor of Power Engineering at MIT.

The MIT team initially used a computer algorithm to explore an enormous variety of possible configurations, and developed analytic software that can test any given configuration under a whole range of latitudes, seasons and weather. Then, to confirm their model's predictions, they built and tested three different arrangements of solar cells on the roof of an MIT laboratory building for several weeks.

While the cost of a given amount of energy generated by such 3-D modules exceeds that of ordinary flat panels, the expense is partially balanced by a much higher energy output for a given footprint, as well as much more uniform power output over the course of a day, over the seasons of the year, and in the face of blockage from clouds or shadows. These improvements make power output more predictable and uniform, which could make integration with the power grid easier than with conventional systems, the authors say.

The basic physical reason for the improvement in power output ? and for the more uniform output over time ? is that the 3-D structures' vertical surfaces can collect much more sunlight during mornings, evenings and winters, when the sun is closer to the horizon, says co-author Marco Bernardi, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE).

The time is ripe for such an innovation, Grossman adds, because solar cells have become less expensive than accompanying support structures, wiring and installation. As the cost of the cells themselves continues to decline more quickly than these other costs, they say, the advantages of 3-D systems will grow accordingly.

"Even 10 years ago, this idea wouldn't have been economically justified because the modules cost so much," Grossman says. But now, he adds, "the cost for silicon cells is a fraction of the total cost, a trend that will continue downward in the near future." Currently, up to 65 percent of the cost of photovoltaic (PV) energy is associated with installation, permission for use of land and other components besides the cells themselves.

Although computer modeling by Grossman and his colleagues showed that the biggest advantage would come from complex shapes ? such as a cube where each face is dimpled inward ? these would be difficult to manufacture, says co-author Nicola Ferralis, a research scientist in DMSE. The algorithms can also be used to optimize and simplify shapes with little loss of energy. It turns out the difference in power output between such optimized shapes and a simpler cube is only about 10 to 15 percent ? a difference that is dwarfed by the greatly improved performance of 3-D shapes in general, he says. The team analyzed both simpler cubic and more complex accordion-like shapes in their rooftop experimental tests.

At first, the researchers were distressed when almost two weeks went by without a clear, sunny day for their tests. But then, looking at the data, they realized they had learned important lessons from the cloudy days, which showed a huge improvement in power output over conventional flat panels.

For an accordion-like tower ? the tallest structure the team tested ? the idea was to simulate a tower that "you could ship flat, and then could unfold at the site," Grossman says. Such a tower could be installed in a parking lot to provide a charging station for electric vehicles, he says.

So far, the team has modeled individual 3-D modules. A next step is to study a collection of such towers, accounting for the shadows that one tower would cast on others at different times of day. In general, 3-D shapes could have a big advantage in any location where space is limited, such as flat-rooftop installations or in urban environments, they say. Such shapes could also be used in larger-scale applications, such as solar farms, once shading effects between towers are carefully minimized.

A few other efforts ? including even a middle-school science-fair project last year ? have attempted 3-D arrangements of solar cells. But, Grossman says, "our study is different in nature, since it is the first to approach the problem with a systematic and predictive analysis."

###

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Thanks to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for this article.

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Goodell might let Payton coach during appeal

FILE - This Dec. 26, 2011 file photo shows New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans. The NFL has suspended Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players. Also Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games. (AP Photo/Rusty Costanza, File)

FILE - This Dec. 26, 2011 file photo shows New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans. The NFL has suspended Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players. Also Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games. (AP Photo/Rusty Costanza, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2010 file photo, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a media conference at the New Orleans Saints training facility in Metairie, La. The NFL has suspended New Orleans head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players. Also Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

FILE - This Jan. 10, 2011 file photo shows New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton speaking at a news conference at the team's practice facility in Metairie, La. The NFL has suspended Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players. Also Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2011, file photo, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson looks on before the first half of an NFL football game between Saints and the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. The NFL has suspended Saints head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's bounty program that targeted opposing players. Also Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Goodell suspended Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of 2012, and assistant coach Joe Vitt has to sit out the first six games. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks, File)

(AP) ? Sean Payton's season-long suspension for New Orleans' bounty system begins at the end of the week.

Maybe.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday an appeal by Payton could leave him in charge of the Saints ? at least temporarily.

"I said in a letter they have to appeal by April 2, I believe," Goodell said at the owners meetings. "If he decides to appeal, I probably will allow him to continue and I would expedite the hearing and I would expedite my decision.

"We did meet twice and went through the information. If he has something else for me to consider, I will."

Otherwise, Payton will be gone until after the Super Bowl for his involvement in the bounty program that ran for three seasons, including the team's 2009 championship run.

Asked if Payton's punishment was as much for lying to him as it was for the actual bounties program, Goodell told a packed news conference about a pattern of untruths.

"This is a violation of a very serious rule," Goodell said. "We have made player health and safety very clear as a priority. During the process of when this first was raised two years ago, there were denials. They were not forthright and that continued through our investigation.

"This is something with zero tolerance and is not acceptable."

Payton's agent, Donald Yee, said "no decisions have been made about an appeal" by his client.

"Sean fully supports the league's player safety goals," Yee said. "Given this, he probably won't address the entire league" when he arrives at the owners meetings.

Payton has not addressed the media since the suspension, but has issued two written statements apologizing for the bounty system. He could speak when NFC coaches meet the media Wednesday morning.

Goodell also is waiting for recommendations from the players' union before punishing any players for participating in the bounty system that targeted opponents for big hits. He has discussed the bounties with NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith.

"We would like to do (the players' sanctions) as soon as reasonable," Goodell said. "I expect to talk to him by the end of the week. We shared our confidential reports with him."

The league's investigation is continuing, Goodell added.

"We will continue to follow on any information we have," he said, "and will look for violations. If we get info, we will follow on it.

"Let's be clear. We discussed it with the clubs today and I think it is fair to say non-contract bonus payments were happening around the league ... and that'll discontinue."

Goodell added the league approached the Saints before their playoff game with the Lions in January and warned them to make sure the bounties had ceased. He sent Jeff Pash, the NFL's lead counsel, and Jeffrey Miller, its director of security, to speak with owner Tom Benson.

"The point was to make it clear we had new and credible info and he should make it extremely clear with the game the next day there should be no bounty system in place," Goodell said.

Goodell said the Saints are free to go outside the organization to hire a coach. Payton's assistant head coach is Joe Vitt, who was given a six-game suspension, while general manager Mickey Loomis received eight games. The team was fined $500,000 and lost second-round draft picks this year and next.

Gregg Williams, who as Saints defensive coordinator oversaw the bounty pool, has been suspended indefinitely. He left New Orleans for the same coaching position in St. Louis earlier this year.

Benson continues to back both Loomis and Payton, a person familiar with the situation has told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Saints have made no announcements about Payton's future.

Bill Parcells said Monday he has not been approached about becoming interim coach of the Saints, but he has spoken to Payton about how to handle the season. The coach who led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories is a mentor to Payton, and hired Payton as an offensive assistant in Dallas in 2003.

Goodell termed "inaccurate" reports that one player turned in the Saints in the bounties investigation.

"You're assuming it's a player," he said. "We have several sources on this. We're not disclosing who our sources are."

As Goodell and the NFL emphasize player safety, they will consider several rules changes this week. One that they already made ? moving the kickoff up 5 yards to the 35-yard line last year ? paid the dividends they sought.

"The kickoff rule had an effect on the game," said Rich McKay, chairman of the league's competition committee. "There was a 40 percent reduction in concussions on that play."

Mckay admitted surprise that total kickoff returns dropped 53 percent.

For all plays, concussions were down 12.5 percent, from 218 in 321 games in 2010 to 190 in 320 games last season; there was no Hall of Fame game last year because of the lockout.

Owners will vote this week to further enhance player safety by outlawing horse-collar tackles on passers in the pocket, a proposal made by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The owners also will consider expanding protection of defenseless players to those who are hit by crack-back blocks. The proposal calls for outlawing contact to the head area or being blocked by an opponent headfirst.

"We saw some hits we wanted to make sure that players changed their hit points on," McKay said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-03-27-FBN-NFL-Meetings/id-727f933f7c4f4c7880c3ad7e1670074a

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New twist on 1930s technology may become a 21st century weapon against global warming

ScienceDaily (Mar. 27, 2012) ? Far from being a pipe dream years away from reality, practical technology for capturing carbon dioxide -- the main greenhouse gas -- from smokestacks is aiming for deployment at coal-fired electric power generating stations and other sources, scientists saidin San Diego March 27. Their presentation at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society was on a potential advance toward dealing with the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the air each year through human activity.

"With little fanfare or publicity and a decade of hard work, we have made many improvements in this important new technology for carbon capture," said James H. Davis, Jr., Ph.D., who headed the research. "In 2002, we became the first research group to disclose discovery of the technology, and we have now positioned it as a viable means for carbon dioxide capture. Our research indicates that its capacity for carbon dioxide capture is greater than current technology, and the process is shaping up to be both more affordable and durable as well."

The new approach has a back-to-the-future glint, leveraging technology that the petroleum industry has used since the 1930s to remove carbon dioxide and other impurities from natural gas. Davis, who is with the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile, explained that despite its reputation as a clean fuel, natural gas is usually contaminated with a variety of undesirable materials, especially carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Natural gas from certain underground formations, so-called "sweet" gas, has only small amounts of these other gases, while "sour" gas has larger amounts. Natural gas companies traditionally have used a thick, colorless liquid called aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) to remove that carbon dioxide.

Several problems, however, would prevent use of MEA to capture carbon dioxide on the massive basis envisioned in some proposed campaigns to slow global warming. These involve, for instance, capturing or "scrubbing" the carbon dioxide from smokestacks before it enters the atmosphere and socking it away permanently in underground storage chambers. Vast amounts of MEA would be needed, and its loss into the atmosphere could create health and environmental problems, and it would be very costly.

Davis and his group believe that their new approach avoids those pitfalls. It makes use of a nitrogen-based substance termed an "ionic liquid" that binds to carbon dioxide very effectively. Unlike MEA, it is odorless, does not evaporate easily and can be easily recycled and reused.

Davis also described one important advantage the technology has over many other ionic liquid carbon-capture systems. He explained that the presence of water, like moisture in the atmosphere, reduces the effectiveness of many nitrogen-based ionic liquids, complicating their use. Water is always present in exhaust gases because it is a byproduct of combustion. Davis noted that the liquids prefer to interact with carbon dioxide over water, and thus are not hampered by the latter in real-world applications.

Although cautioning that the final application in power plants or factories may look different, Davis envisioned a possible set-up for power plants that would be similar to the one used in his laboratory. He described bubbling exhaust gas through a tank full of the nitrogen-based liquid, which the system could cycle out and replace with fresh liquid. Removing the carbon dioxide would create a new supply of ionic liquid. Once removed, companies could sequester the carbon dioxide by burying it or finding another way to keep it permanently out of the atmosphere. Others have suggested using captured carbon dioxide in place of petroleum products to make plastics and other products.

Davis suggested that in the future, people might also use the technology on a smaller scale in cars or homes, although he cautioned that these applications were likely a long way away. While his group has not fully explored the possible dangers of the chemicals his technology uses, Davis noted that his compounds are quite similar to certain compounds which are known to be safe for consumer use.

His presentation was part of a symposium on research advances involving "ionic liquids," strange liquids that consist only of atoms stripped of some of their electrons, with applications ranging from food processing to energy production.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120327091104.htm

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