Latest news with #EladGross
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New coating forms strong, lasting rust barrier for iron with 99.6% efficiency
A new dual-layer coating has been developed that offers 99.6% protection against iron corrosion. Iron gives modern infrastructure strength, from soaring skyscrapers to vital bridges. However, a persistent, unseen foe is always at play, eroding its strength: rust. Iron corrodes when exposed to air and moisture, causing structural damage, safety risks, and extremely high maintenance costs. Current protective solutions are often inadequate, providing only temporary defense against this persistent problem. The researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem focused on developing a strong, durable shield for iron that would protect it for decades. "This discovery offers a major leap forward in protecting iron from corrosion," said Professor Elad Gross, who led the development. "By using a specially designed primer, we created a coating that is not only highly effective but also long-lasting. This could reduce maintenance costs, extend the lifespan of iron-based materials, and provide industries with a much more reliable solution," Gross added. Metals naturally corrode over time, but the rate for each differs. Iron is known to rust quickly, but gold and silver can resist deterioration for decades or centuries. A study conducted some time ago indicated that the global expense of corrosion amounted to a whopping US$2.5 trillion. Though protective coatings are available, many frequently break down, failing to provide lasting protection. This development features a dual-layer coating: a thin molecular primer paired with a tough polymer layer. Overall, it creates a durable, long-lasting barrier against rust. The coating development follows a two-pronged approach. First, an ultra-thin molecular primer made of N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) forms an incredibly tight, chemical bond directly with the iron surface. Acting as the ultimate bond, this primer ensures the tough polymer layer adheres strongly, creating an unbreakable protective barrier. The coating remains intact, even in the harshest conditions, like excessive and prolonged exposure to highly corrosive saltwater. Under rigorous testing, the dual-layer coating proved remarkably effective at reducing corrosion. Moreover, thanks to this strong connection, the coating is tougher than standard options that tend to wear down or flake off. The coating, if widely adopted, promises to increase the durability of iron-based products in construction, transportation, and manufacturing. It could reduce maintenance costs for bridges, pipelines, and ships. 'By reducing the need for frequent repairs and replacements, this coating could also contribute to more sustainable and cost-effective material use,' the researchers noted. A recent report indicates that the 'corrosion inhibitor market' is valued at $8.93 billion and is predicted to grow by 3.6% annually between 2025 and 2030. Earlier, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Bombay developed a novel technique to measure the degradation rate of protective coatings on iron. Reportedly, the team used the combination of hydrogen permeation-based potentiometry (HPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This technique could lead to precise measurement of degradation right where the organic coating meets the metal. The new findings were published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Appeals court rules Missouri attorney general did not violate Sunshine Law
Democratic candidate for Missouri Attorney General Elad Gross after filing in February 2024. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). The Attorney General's Office did not violate the Missouri Sunshine Law when it refused to turn over records showing how it fulfilled a request, the Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. In a split decision, a three-judge panel ruled that the office reasonably concluded the records being sought by St. Louis attorney Elad Gross were exempt from disclosure because of his threatened litigation. Gross was seeking records about then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt's participation in a U.S. Supreme Court case seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the Republican Attorneys General Association's robocall efforts encouraging 'patriots' to participate in a march that ended on Jan. 6, 2021, with a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Eric Schmitt denies involvement in call for Trump supporters to march on U.S. Capitol 'This case presents a unique question for which we have found no direct precedent – application of (Sunshine Law exemptions) to records created by a public governmental body in responding to a previous Sunshine Request where the threatened litigation concerns the public governmental body's handling of that previous records request,' Judge Edward Ardini wrote in the 2-1 decision. The Sunshine Law allows government agencies to close records about 'legal actions, causes of action or litigation.' That exception doesn't allow a record that should be open to be closed just because it might become evidence in a court case, Ardini wrote, but it does allow records created in contemplation of possible litigation to be closed. 'The nature of these records rendered them not merely discoverable or admissible in an enforcement action over the AGO's compliance with the Sunshine Law concerning its response to Gross's first request but go to the very core of such an action by disclosing the precise means utilized by the AGO to comply with its legal responsibilities,' Ardini wrote. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Alok Ahuja wrote that there was no prospective or actual litigation when the records were created, so they must be open. An 'open ended application' of the litigation exemption which 'authorizes the closure of any records which may 'go to the very core of' litigation threatened after the records' creation, would result in precisely the sort of 'extreme' consequences of which (an earlier precedent) warned,' Ahuja wrote. Since the lawsuit was filed in 2021, Schmitt has been elected to the U.S. Senate and replaced by Andrew Bailey, who defeated Gross, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, last year. In an email to The Independent, Gross said he would appeal the decision. 'Attorney General Bailey is wrong to prevent taxpayers from seeing what our government is doing with our money,' Gross said. 'We need transparency in our government.' Gross has sued over Sunshine Law questions in the past, losing at the trial court level before gaining a win on appeal. In 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled, in a case brought by Gross, that government agencies cannot charge for time attorneys spend reviewing public records are requested under the Sunshine Law. In the case decided Tuesday, Gross lost a summary judgment decision in Cole County. He raised 12 points in the appeal. Along with arguing the trial court made a mistake by allowing the attorney general's office to close some records, Gross sought to overturn the decision by claiming Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green made other errors. Gross argued Green wrongly terminated the discovery process, limited his ability to question staff witnesses in person, and allowed the attorney general's office to move the date promised for the delivery of records. The decision was unanimous except for Ahuja's dissent related to the question of whether the documents were related to litigation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
