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:
Deputy Minister: Iran Produces 21 Million Tons of Natural Gas in 3 Months
Deputy Oil Minister and the CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Saeed Tavakkoli said that the country managed to produce 21 million tons of natural gas in 3 months in the past Persian calendar year (ended on March 20).
“Last winter, a record of 880 million tons of dry gas was recorded, and this was the result of coordinated management in the ministry,” Tavakkoli said.
“In three months, the production process reached 31 million tons of dry gas and 21 million tons of natural gas,” he added.
“This year, we have started major repairs ahead of schedule and hope to complete the repairs by October. Also, innovative measures are underway to increase the technical skills of operators,” Tavakkoli said.
Iranian Firm Makes Smart Medical Assistant System, Automatic Tree Grafting Device
A knowledge-based company in Iran has presented new solutions to increase productivity and improve quality by the development of an automatic tree grafting machine and a smart medical assistant system.
Amir Hossein Seyyedi, the managing director of the company, stressed the challenges of electronic prescription writing by the physicians, saying that the company has designed an artificial intelligence-based system to settle the problem.
“The system, called Houpad Med, uses similarity algorithms to recognize the doctor's handwriting and allows the prescription to be written with a pen on an LCD screen. After approval, the prescription is automatically registered in the insurance organization's system, eliminating the need for the doctor to visit insurance portals,” he added.
“In addition to increasing work efficiency by 40 percent, this system has also integrated modules such as electronic patient records, online scheduling, and accounting tools,” Seyyedi said.
He described automatic tree grafting machine as another product of his company, and said, “It was originally designed for pistachio trees but is now used for all garden crops.”
Seyyedi noted that 60 percent of manual grafting is unsuccessful, while the accuracy of this machine has reached 90 percent.
Iranian Company Produces Nanosilica in 3 Grades
Technologists of an Iranian company have managed to produce widely used nanosilica in the three industrial, color, and agricultural grades.
“One of the strategic and widely used products made by our company is nanosilica or silicon dioxide nanopowder, which is considered as one of the most widely-used nanopowders in the world,” said Fakhari, the managing director of the company.
“The distinctive feature of nanosilica is that with slight changes in its structure and properties, diverse and specialized applications can be extracted from it,” he added.
“In the concrete industry, the use of nanosilica leads to the production of concrete with very high mechanical strength, and this material plays an important role as an effective additive in improving the performance of concrete in harsh environmental conditions, specially in urban and civil infrastructure,” Fakhari said.
“In the paint industry, nanosilica is also used as a rheological additive. This material helps to improve the quality and durability of industrial paints by improving the physical properties of the paint, including increasing resistance to moisture, scratches, and corrosion. Nanosilica has a special application in traffic paints that require high abrasion resistance and durability against harsh weather conditions,” he added.
Iran to Inaugurate New Crude Oil Refinery in Early 2026
A high-ranking energy official said that a new oil refinery will go on stream in Southern Iran in March 2026.
Mohammad-Sadeq Azimifar, the CEO of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), said that a 60,000-barrel refinery in the Sirraf region will become operational by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2026).
He added that utilizing small refineries and attracting new investors could play a key role in expanding refining capacity.
“Because the refining industry is capital-intensive, the more we can utilize the capacity of small refineries, the more funding will be attracted. Therefore, a small project in the Siraf region with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day is being put into operation, which, given that it also has quality-enhancing processing units, can help with the gasoline imbalance. Another 60,000-barrel refinery will also be put into operation next year.”
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Manufactures Explosion-Proof Compressors
Mehdi Hadavi, the secretary of Iran’s Knowledge-Based Economy Development Headquarters for Manufacturing Machinery, announced that an Iranian company has succeeded in production of explosion-proof compressors.
Hadavi visited one of the compressor manufacturing companies during which the latest achievements of the company in the field of designing and manufacturing industrial compressors and process gases were displayed.
The company has been able to indigenize explosion-proof screw compressors and special types of corrosive, toxic and neutral gases, and in addition to meeting the needs of domestic industries, has paved the way for these products to enter the regional markets in accordance with international standards.
At present, the company has a certificate of innovation and has put in place the necessary processes to receive knowledge-based certificate approval from the authorities.
Iranian Journal of "Countries Studies" Indexed in Int’l Scopus Database
The Iranian Journal of ‘Countries Studies’, one of the scientific research journals of the University of Tehran, has been indexed in the international Scopus database.
The Journal of Countries Studies, which has been published by the Faculty of World Studies of the University of Tehran and edited by Ehsan Rasoulinejad, an Associate Professor, in the field of countries studies since spring 2023, has been indexed in the Scopus database.
This quarterly journal, with an interdisciplinary approach, deals with issues like economics, international relations, and politics and culture of countries.
It has previously been indexed in the DOAJ database and has obtained the rank (A) of the Journals Commission of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.
Iranian Researchers Find New Algorithm to Reduce Analysis Time of Masonry Structures
Iranian researchers used a combination of advanced optimization methods and intelligent modeling to decrease the time of calculations by an average of 30 to 46 percent while maintaining high accuracy.
A scientific article by Ali Nik-khou, a faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering, and Ali Sa’adollah, a faculty member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Science and Culture, in international collaboration with Farid Hejazi from the University of the West of England, was published in the prestigious International Journal of Civil Engineering.
The article, is titled ‘Reducing the Calculation Time in the Analysis of Stone Structures Using Nonlinear Topology Optimization Methods’.
In this research, a new method for reducing the time of analysis of masonry structures (like stone walls) is presented. Using a combination of advanced optimization and intelligent modeling methods, the researchers succeeded in decreasing the time required to perform calculations by an average of 30 to 46 percent while maintaining high accuracy. This method can be widely used in faster design and better evaluation of masonry structures, specially in situations where accurate and rapid analysis is required for engineering decision-making, like earthquakes or the reconstruction of historical monuments.
Iran to Allocate 6 Billion Dollars for New Petchem Projects
A high-ranking petchem official said that Iran will start implementation operation of 15 petrochemical projects via allocating $6bln.
Hassan Abbaszadeh, the CEO of the National Petrochemical Company, said that construction of a number of 15 petrochemical projects, worth $6 billion, will start in the current Iranian year of 1404 (ending on March 21, 2026).
University of Tehran Experts Produce Automated Electroshock Device for Cardiovascular Patients
Iranian technologists from a knowledge-based company stationed at the Science and Technology Park of the University of Tehran succeeded in designing and making an automated electroshock device to resuscitate patients suffering from cardiac arrest outside medical environments.
The automated electroshock device can be effective in reducing mortality from cardiac arrest.
This automated device, which has recently reached the commercial production stage, can receive the rhythm of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal of a person who has suffered sudden cardiac arrest, and through intelligent pattern recognition algorithms, identify and classify that rhythm. If the device detects that the observed rhythm is ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, it applies an electric shock.
One of the main advantages of the device is that it can adjust the applied energy based on the body's impedance so that in different situations, appropriate energy is transferred to the patient for cardiac resuscitation. The main power source of the device is a battery that is supplied by the company in two types of rechargeable and non-rechargeable, and is capable of applying at least 150 shocks with maximum energy (200 joules) to the patient.
European CE Certification Issued for Exports of Iran-Made Nano Adhesive
A technological company in Iran produced a nano-based adhesives which facilitates the repair and development of concrete structures and is economically cost-effective for the construction of structures.
Rebar planting adhesive is a two-component epoxy resin-based material that, when injected into the drilled hole in the concrete, the two components are simultaneously combined and create a strong mechanical and chemical bond between the rebar and the concrete substrate.
This product, which is offered in cartridge, tube and sausage packaging, can be used in acidic, alkaline environments and various climatic conditions and is suitable for installing heavy machinery and equipment on concrete foundations, reinforcing concrete sections in bridges, highways and water conservancy projects.
The nanotechnology used in this product provides features like high adhesion, chemical resistance and mechanical durability against seismic loads and harsh environmental conditions. This adhesive was developed to meet the needs of domestic construction projects based on geotechnical studies, seismic and climatic conditions and complies with the national and international standards, including CE certification.
Iranian Scientists Achieve CTD Sensor Technology for Optimal Water Management
An Iranian knowledge-based company took an important step towards sustainable water resource management by manufacturing CTD sensors.
“With the ability to simultaneously measure water level, temperature, salinity, and salts, this sensor enables precise monitoring and comprehensive analysis of water quality in various places like power plants, groundwater wells, and even in oceanographic and marine operations,” said Babak Mokhtari, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“Given the increasing water shortage crisis in Iran, specially in a big city like Tehran, the use of such advanced technology can play a significant role in demand-driven water resource management,” he added.
“The information from these sensors allows for more informed and accurate decisions to be made regarding water allocation, preventing waste of resources, and optimizing consumption,” Mokhtari said.
Iranian Company Produces Hard Nanostructure Coatings to Increase Life of Tools
An Iranian company produced a new type of hard nanostructure coatings by using the PVD method to increase the life of tools and improve production quality in different industries.
Alireza Atashi Golestan, a representative of the company based at Islamic Azad University’s Damavand branch, told ANA that coatings are used in two main areas of decorative sector, which is suitable for parts like valves and furniture due to its high durability and variety of colors such as gold and blue, and another application is in the industrial sector, where the high hardness of these coatings increases the wear resistance of cutting tools like drills and dies and more than doubles their useful life.
“Hard nanostructure coatings in the mold-making sector increase the life of dies, reduce production costs, and improve the quality of parts,” he said.
Physical vapour deposition (PVD) is a process used to produce a metal vapour that can be deposited on electrically conductive materials as a thin, highly adhered pure metal or alloy coating.
Iranian Firm Develops Promising Treatment for Deep Wounds in Breast Cancer Patients
An Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and manufacturing a prototype of a portable negative pressure device for healing wounds resulting from breast cancer surgery.
“The production of a negative pressure device for breast cancer wounds is one of our achievements. The prototype has been manufactured and we have received the test results, which have shown promising results,” said Mehdi Pesaran, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that the wounds are for breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy surgery, in which breast tissue is removed, he said, “In this operation, a large area is cut, and since the lymph is active in that area, wound secretions are high. These patients also undergo radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and therefore, the body is not ready to heal the wound quickly.”
“Therefore, the treatment and healing of wounds in these patients takes time. In the world, to treat these types of wounds, they create very slight negative pressure for the patient, and special dressings are used to treat the wound. Inspired by this global idea, we produced the prototype of this product,” Pesaran said.
Iranian Firm Produces Nano-Based Antibacterial Polyester Fabric to Improve Indoor Air Quality
A research team at an Iranian knowledge-based company used nanotechnology to develop an antibacterial polyester fabric that can absorb and decompose volatile organic compounds and gaseous pollutants.
The fabric produced by the company, with an advanced mechanism, can absorb different pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, and decomposes them by producing hydroxyl and superoxide free radicals.
Also, the inherent antibacterial and antiviral properties of this fabric removes all viruses, bacteria, fungi, molds, and yeasts, making it an efficient option for improving the quality of breathing air.
The fabric can be used in various forms, including filters for air purifiers, independent pad filters without the need for a device, and also various types of textiles. The design of this product is such that it shows effective and sustainable performance in both home and office applications and in industrial environments and high-traffic urban areas.
4155/v
