Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iran-Made Welding Machine Consumes Less Electricity
The researchers of a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in making a welding machine with minimal electricity consumption while in use.
“Our products are welding machines. At first, we formed a research and development team and reverse engineered this device. Then we made changes in it and finally presented a product that has different specifications compared to the foreign samples,” Ali Mahmoudi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“The biggest difference of our welding machine with others is that we have packed a large amount of power into a small volume; also, our devices are easily portable and can work with a generator in areas where there is no electricity,” he added.
“Previous samples of this machine were in such a way that the electrode would stick to the workpiece while working with the machine, but we have settled this problem too,” Mahmoudi said.
“The next point is that all electrode ranges, cast iron and steel electrodes can be easily welded by using our product,” he added.
Technology, Innovation Tower Put into Operation in Isfahan
The technology and innovation tower stationed at Isfahan science and research town in Central Iran was put into operation in the presence of Iranian Vice-President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Rouhollah Dehqani.
The technology tower was built on a land of 4,800 square meters and with a base of 23,000 square meters in 14 floors. The tower built in a collaborative project between the private and public sectors hosts the administrative and research and development offices of technological companies and institutions, and units providing technology commercialization services.
The technology tower can host 70 technological and knowledge-based companies and institutes, and in addition to providing deployment services, it also provides consulting, management, marketing and product development services to established technology centers and companies.
Iranian Researcher Presents New Method to Increase Efficiency of Methane Conversion
Research results for increasing methane conversion efficiency and hydrogen production by Fatemeh Ahmadi Nouri, a PhD graduate of Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran, were published in an international journal of Chemical Engineering with an impact factor of 15.1.
Today, methane combustion gives rise to the tremendous release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Finding an efficient method to convert methane into value-added compounds has attracted significant attention, along with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
In this research, the spark discharge-assisted laser-induced plasma (SD-LIP) was investigated in conjunction with the palladium (Pd) catalyst. In the proposed electro-photocatalyst reactor, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with a pulse duration of 10 ns- 120 mJ/pulse is utilized to ignite the spark discharge.
“In this project, it was proposed to use laser induced plasma along with the common method of spark discharge in the presence of palladium catalyst to increase and improve the efficiency of methane to hydrogen conversion. For this purpose, various types of tests and experiments were conducted to check the efficiency of this system, the results of which clearly confirm the improvement of efficiency and increase of conversion efficiency in this proposed system,” said Ahmadi Nouri.
Iranian Physicians Performs Successful Surgery to Treat Urethral Stricture
The first surgery to cure urethral stricture with the latest technology was performed at Khatam Ol-Anbia Hospital in Shahroud city, a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University said.
“For the first time, in Semnan province, we were able to successfully conduct urethral stricture surgery with the latest technology of the world by using a new generation of stenting,” Seyed Vahidollah Sadr Bolourian, a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University’s Shahroud branch, told ANA.
“The urethral stricture surgeries are very long, dangerous and complicated, and the operation that was performed today was with the stent technique,” he added.
Noting that the surgery’s technique is similar to the method used by cardiac stents which keep the coronary arteries open, Bolourian said, “In this new technique, the same place where the urethra is narrowed is replaced with a stent.”
He explained that the urethral stricture is a disease which recurs from time to time, adding that with this technique, which is considered a non-invasive method, the aforementioned complications are not observed.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Launches Steel Mill Dusts Processing Unit at Mobarakeh Steel Company
Rouhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, Iran’s Vice-President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, inaugurated processing steel mill dusts unit developed by a domestic knowledge-based company at the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan Province.
According to a report by Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, in a ceremony in the presence of the scientific vice president Rouhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, a processing steel mill dusts unit was opened at the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan Province.
With inauguration of the project, the ground is laid for the annual reconstruction of 25,000 tons of material transport charge dust through granulation.
The granulation process is used in practice for the consolidation (pelleting) of iron ore and non- ferrous metals, coal dust, and mineral raw.
The project was developed and launched by a domestic knowledge-based company.
In this processing unit, high-pressure wet extruding technology and protective nanomaterial technology are used.
With operationalization of this processing unit, not only the environmental problem of dust dispersion is resolved, but also it will be possible to continuously charge the manufactured product to the furnace and eliminate additional costs imposed in the previous method.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Iron Concentrate, Nano Oxides from Industrial Waste
A knowledge-based company in Iran has opened a sludge and steel oxide powders processing plant that produces 25,000 tons of industrial waste concentrate annually.
The company was inaugurated in a ceremony with the participation of Iran’s Vice-President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
According to a report by Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, operationalization of the plant will not only have a positive impact on the environment of the region, bit also will meet the needs of the industry.
With the opening of this factory, which was built by the knowledge-based Eksir Fadak Steel Company, 25,000 tons of concentrate is produced annually from the accumulated waste in Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan Province, which not only generates revenues from waste, it also plays a part in reducing pollutants emission into the environment.
In this plant, which is built over a land over an area of 10,000 square meters, nanocatalyst and advanced oxidation have been used.
Iran-Made Spray Dryer Meets Needs of Food, Pharmaceutical Industries
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and manufacturing a spray dryer with application in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
“Drying materials by using a spray dryer is a process that involves suspending particles with an atomizer and directing it in a hot dry gas environment (usually air) in order to evaporate the water in the solution; therefore, the fogging of the feed causes different materials to be powdered and it is the process used to produce milk powder, egg powder and various protein powders,” Ali Nozari, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
Noting that spray dryer is widely used in various food industries like coffee powder, tea, fruit juice powder, gelatin powder, plant powder like aloe vera, pharmaceutical industries like vaccines and penicillin, chemical industries like fertilizers and chelates, paint industries and many other industries, he said, “Now, by acquiring the know-how of this technology, we have been able to make this device and take an effective step in the supply chain of these industries.”
“At present, countries like Italy, Germany and China own this technology. This product was previously imported, but we were able to meet the needs of industries. The quality of this product is equal to similar foreign samples, and it is more affordable in terms of price,” Nozari said.
Iranian Scientists Present New Injectable Formulation of Risperidone Drug
Iranian researchers at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences discovered a new formulation for making the injectable form of the risperidone drug.
‘Preparation of formulation and evaluation of injectable hydrogel system containing triblock PLGA-PEG-PLGA made by carbon dioxide supercritical fluid method and PLGA containing risperidone’ is the title of the research project of Farzin Hadizadeh, a professor of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, which was completed with the support of the National Science Foundation of Iran.
“Schizophrenia is one of the severe brain problems that has affected more than 21 million people in the world. To control this disease, there are two categories of drugs, including old first generation drugs and new second generation drugs; the latter drugs have less side effects and are more tolerated by the patient,” said Hadizadeh.
Noting that resperidone is a second-generation drug that is used for various diseases like autism, hyperactivity, and bipolar disease, he said, “To reduce patient non-cooperation with oral consumption, slow-release dosage forms have been developed for several drugs controlling these disorders.”
“One of the advantages of these pharmaceutical forms is the reduction of acute symptoms compared to oral formulations. Also, the main advantage of the injectable slow-release system is that it maintains the drug in a therapeutic concentration for a long time; for instance, one month, and there is no need to take the drug repeatedly orally,” Hadizadeh said.
Islamic Azad University to Set Up Design, Sale Chain of Jewelry by Iranian Experts
The head of the gold and jewelry industry innovation center of the Islamic Azad University’s Najafabad branch announced that the design and sale chain of jewelry will be completed and launched soon with the help of the technological units stationed at the center.
“With the aim of branding the Islamic Azad University’s Najafabad branch in the design and manufacturing gold and jewelry at the national and international level, we have prepared the required hardware and administrative facilities with the help of the technological units stationed at the center and the chain to design and sell jewelry will be completed and set up soon,” said Mohammadreza Yousefi.
“This chain starts from the initial design and after creating the computer codes of the design, it enters the stages of gold making, jewelry making and auctioning and finally will be sold in the galleries created by the university,” he added.
“Recently, the production lines of micronized gold and silver powders were completed and entered the market by one of the units stationed at the center,” Yousefi noted.
“29 technological centers, two technological companies, two knowledge-based companies and two research and development offices have been established in the gold and jewelry industry innovation center so far,” he underlined.
Iranian Company Makes Robotic Arm with 7 Degrees of Freedom
Specialists of an Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and building a robotic arm with seven degrees of freedom which can carry loads of up to 250 kg.
“The product of our company is an industrial robot with 7 degrees of freedom that can carry 250 kg of load,” said Alireza Hashempour, a member of the board of directors of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that the arm length of the robot is 2.5 meters and the movement accuracy in the working space is 0.5 of a millimeter, he said, “This robot is used in various industries like auto-making, household appliances, construction industries, foam manufacturing industries, chemical factories and food industries and it is applied to carry out all kinds of transfers, welding, cutting, injecting materials and gluing.”
Hashempour described the industrial robot as a strong and tireless arm for industrial applications, and said, “If this robot is equipped with peripheral equipment, it will be able to perform a variety of industrial tasks.”
Iranian Experts Make Adaptive Relays for Electricity Industry
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and building an adaptive reclosing relay based on detecting the type and duration of the fault for transmission line switches.
“Our knowledge-based product is a single-phase adaptive reclosing relay for transmission lines. The relay designed in Iran's Electricity Clinic is able to detect the type of fault and also the time to clear the fault,” said Mahtab Khalilifar, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
She underlined that at present, none of the world's relay manufacturers claim this adaptive feature in their commercial devices.
“If the relay is installed in the network and issues a blocking command against permanent faults and a reclosing command as soon as possible against transient faults, it has provided the greatest service to the power grid,” Khalilifar said.
Iranian Company Produces Various CNC Machine Tools, Electronic Driver for Servomotors
An Iranian knowledge-based company managed to design and manufacture four types of CNC machine tools and an electronic driver for servomotors.
“Our company has five knowledge-based products, which include four types of CNC machine tools and an electronic driver for servomotors,” said Gholamreza Nikbakht, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that the CNC machines are designed and manufactured for the first time in Iran, he said, “The electronic driver of servomotors is also a product designed, manufactured and commercialized by us and is used for precise jobs like using the CNC machines.”
“Our products enjoy two important factors; first, they can increase the variety of production of CNC machines; second, due to the high weight of these machines, we have problems with importing them but their domestic production has settled this problem,” Nikbakht said.
A CNC machine is the automated control of machining tools (such as drills, lathes, mills, grinders, routers and 3D printers) by means of a computer.
Iranian Researcher Offers New Formulation for Risperidone
A university professor in Iran has completed a research project which offers a new method for injectable slow-release risperidone.
Preparation of formulation and evaluation of injectable hydrogel system containing triblock PLGA-PEG-PLGA made by carbon dioxide Supercritical fluid extraction and PLGA containing risperidone" was the title of a research project conducted by Farzin Hadizadeh, a professor at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, which he completed with the support of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), a report by the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
“Schizophrenia is one of the severe brain problems that has affected more than 21 million people in the world. To control this disease, there are two categories of drugs including old first generation drugs and new second generation drugs, with the latter drugs have less side effects and are more tolerated by the patient,” Hadizadeh said.
“Resperidone is a second-generation drug that is used for various diseases such as autism, hyperactivity, and bipolar disease,” he added.
“Autism is a disorder of unknown origin that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in its occurrence,” the researcher also said.
“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is also a neurological disorder with a well-known pattern of symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity, and irritability, leading to some degree of dysfunction,” he continued.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Domestically Produces Water Purifications Kits
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company have successfully produced quick water purification kits with one-third the costs of similar foreign models.
A knowledge-based company was established in 2022 with the aim of producing a variety of diagnostic kits for use in various industrial fields in Iran. The company’s activity focused on producing detection kits and accurate counting of microbial contamination in various industries such as water and sewage, oil and petrochemical, cosmetics and hygiene, detergent, medicine and food with a new, upgraded and cost-effective technology with easy and fast use based on lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology which was developed by the researchers of the company and registered as a patent.
“The micrometer kit is a multi-purpose product that can be used for all types of samples, be it liquid or solid that contain substances with strong, weak or no biocidal properties. It is designed for microbial analysis of all surfaces from hospitals to equipment and food production halls and clean rooms. It is suitable for microbial testing of special products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and oil-based products,” said Sara Shahbazi, the director of research and development of the knowledge-based company Riz Sanjesh Aria (Aria Micrometer).
“The bacteria detection and counting kit is used in various industries, and it was produced for the first time in the country, which detects and counts bacteria very quickly and without any need for special skills. When industries do not have the opportunity to discharge their batch tanks, these kits are being used,” she added.
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