Anyone still like Labour?

[Johnsond]

5 hours ago, tree-fancier123 said:

At least labour aren't going so mad in the opposite direction - what a joy it would be to see Trump spend the rest of his days down a coal mine as payment for this

The middle ground is where it should be heading. Both extremes are pure stupidity. Modern health and safety systems/eqpt and dust suppression would go a long way to make things a lot safer. Or simply use opencast mining techniques. 

[Johnsond]

5 hours ago, Yournamehere said:

Coal mining is hard dirty dangerous work. It used to be said that when you retired, at 65, you came home and sat on the step and waited to die: there was not enough left of you to do anything else. ^Bloke in pic above is done for at 45. No working man should EVER want to see the coal mines opened up again.

 

Coal mines were needed and should NEVER  have been shut at the rate they were in the first place. Why would working people not want to see an industry operating that would/should employ thousands 🤷‍♂️. Raised in Lynemouth whose pit was part of the Ellington/Lynemouth combine which employed thousands, I saw first hand the effects it had upon the whole area once it was shut down. Not just underground jobs, area workshops, apprenticeships, drivers, welders,electricians, kitchen jobs for women, secretaries, pipe fitters, mining engineers, local social clubs and miners welfare institutions, shops etc etc etc. Not like we stopped using coal was it ?? The figures for imports for Russian coal alone were huge without even looking at others. Many industries my own included have come a long way in regards health and safety, you can’t compare then with now. The utter stupidity of stopping using your own resources destroying jobs and communities whilst still requiring the commodity just like we see at the moment with oil and gas is inexcusable. I’m sure the numbers for tonnage of coal imported from other countries are easy enough confirmed. 

[Johnsond]

5 hours ago, Yournamehere said:

Coal mining is hard dirty dangerous work

You said you were ex forces did you not ??

Good training, Good planning, Good risk assessments, Good procedures, The correct eqpt and the correct PPE. These things would go a long way to mitigate the previous mistakes made in any number of industries from the past. 
Tree work 🤷‍♂️

[Yournamehere]

6 minutes ago, Johnsond said:

You said you were ex forces did you not ??

 

No.

I mentioned being at Aldershot, which might be what you are getting at.

It was only ever in a civilian capacity. My apologies, I didn't mean to mislead.

[Mark J]

4 hours ago, Johnsond said:

Coal mines were needed and should NEVER  have been shut at the rate they were in the first place. Why would working people not want to see an industry operating that would/should employ thousands 🤷‍♂️. Raised in Lynemouth whose pit was part of the Ellington/Lynemouth combine which employed thousands, I saw first hand the effects it had upon the whole area once it was shut down. Not just underground jobs, area workshops, apprenticeships, drivers, welders,electricians, kitchen jobs for women, secretaries, pipe fitters, mining engineers, local social clubs and miners welfare institutions, shops etc etc etc. Not like we stopped using coal was it ?? The figures for imports for Russian coal alone were huge without even looking at others. Many industries my own included have come a long way in regards health and safety, you can’t compare then with now. The utter stupidity of stopping using your own resources destroying jobs and communities whilst still requiring the commodity just like we see at the moment with oil and gas is inexcusable. I’m sure the numbers for tonnage of coal imported from other countries are easy enough confirmed. 

It does make sense to use our own resources if we are going to keep on burning coal. I do think that burning coal is old technology and that phasing it out is probably the right thing to do. Perhaps they can send robots down there to dig it, and make graphene filters for the smoke when burnt, in the interim - That technology is already available. 

[GarethM]

3 minutes ago, Mark J said:

It does make sense to use our own resources if we are going to keep on burning coal. I do think that burning coal is old technology and that phasing it out is probably the right thing to do. Perhaps they can send robots down there to dig it, and make graphene filters for the smoke when burnt, in the interim - That technology is already available. 

You know what graphene is don't you ?.

 

It's basically just pure carbon, ESD filters are already used as is using gypsum filtering.

 

That's one of the reasons we make plasterboard as a byproduct.

 

Plus power station coal is basically dust burnt in a fluidised bed, UK coal was pretty low sulphur and was also why we sold steam coal due to it's purity.

[devon TWiG]

With the levels of health and safety and environmental protections etc etc if we did re-open coal mines it would be the worlds most expensive coal !!!

[Mark J]

4 minutes ago, GarethM said:

You know what graphene is don't you ?.

 

It's basically just pure carbon, ESD filters are already used as is using gypsum filtering.

 

That's one of the reasons we make plasterboard as a byproduct.

 

Plus power station coal is basically dust burnt in a fluidised bed, UK coal was pretty low sulphur and was also why we sold steam coal due to it's purity.

Fill your boots:

 

Graphene-based air filtration systems show significant promise for industrial-scale carbon capture and gas separation, particularly in filtering emissions from coal combustion. These systems leverage graphene's unique properties—such as atomic thickness, mechanical strength, and tunable porosity—to address key challenges in post-combustion gas separation. Below is a detailed analysis of their advantages, applications, and limitations:

Key Advantages of Graphene Filters

1. High Selectivity and Permeance
   Graphene membranes with engineered pores (3–4 Å diameter) selectively allow CO₂ to pass while blocking larger molecules like nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂). For example:

   • Polymer-functionalized graphene membranes achieve 96% nitrogen rejection while maintaining CO₂ permeance of 6,180 GPU (gas permeation units), surpassing U.S. Department of Energy targets7.

   • Humidity-activated graphene oxide membranes exploit CO₂'s solubility in water droplets trapped in the membrane, enabling efficient separation from flue gas14.

2. Scalability and Cost Reduction
   Recent breakthroughs address historical manufacturing challenges:

   • EPFL researchers developed a method to grow high-quality graphene on low-cost copper foils, slashing material expenses4.

   • Ozone etching creates uniform pores over large areas, enabling industrial-scale production47.

3. Self-Cleaning and Durability
   Graphene's thermal stability allows filters to regenerate via Joule heating (up to 300°C), burning off accumulated pollutants and microorganisms without structural degradation68. This reduces maintenance downtime in coal plants.

Industrial Applications for Coal Emissions

• Post-Combustion Carbon Capture
  Graphene membranes target flue gas from coal-fired power plants, where CO₂ concentrations range from 10–15%. Holey graphene frameworks demonstrate exceptional CO₂/N₂ selectivity under dry conditions, ideal for direct integration into existing exhaust systems57.

• Multi-Pollutant Control
  Filters combining graphene oxide and transitional metals (e.g., iron) enhance removal of sulfur oxides (SOₓ) and particulate matter while capturing CO₂28.

Current Limitations and Solutions

1. Pore Engineering Precision
   Early membranes suffered from inconsistent pore sizes, but advanced ozone etching and polymer functionalization now enable atomic-scale control47.

2. Durability in Harsh Conditions
   Coal flue gas contains corrosive elements (e.g., SO₂), but graphene's chemical inertness and hydrophobic properties improve resistance compared to traditional polymer membranes56.

3. Energy Efficiency
   Membrane-based systems consume ~50% less energy than amine scrubbing, with further gains expected as permeance improves37.

Recent Breakthroughs (2025)

A 2025 scalable production method from EPFL achieves:

• 1,000x faster CO₂ transport than commercial polymers.

• 90% cost reduction via copper foil substrates and roll-to-roll manufacturing4.
  This positions graphene filters as a viable alternative to amine-based carbon capture by 2030.

Outlook

While challenges remain in mass production and long-term stability, graphene-based filtration is transitioning from lab-scale prototypes to pilot projects in coal plants. Advances in material engineering and scalable fabrication suggest these systems could play a pivotal role in achieving net-zero industrial emissions.

 

[GarethM]

18 minutes ago, Mark J said:

Fill your boots:
 

Graphene-based air filtration systems show significant promise for industrial-scale carbon capture and gas separation, particularly in filtering emissions from coal combustion. These systems leverage graphene's unique properties—such as atomic thickness, mechanical strength, and tunable porosity—to address key challenges in post-combustion gas separation. Below is a detailed analysis of their advantages, applications, and limitations:

Key Advantages of Graphene Filters

1. High Selectivity and Permeance
   Graphene membranes with engineered pores (3–4 Å diameter) selectively allow CO₂ to pass while blocking larger molecules like nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂). For example:

   • Polymer-functionalized graphene membranes achieve 96% nitrogen rejection while maintaining CO₂ permeance of 6,180 GPU (gas permeation units), surpassing U.S. Department of Energy targets7.

   • Humidity-activated graphene oxide membranes exploit CO₂'s solubility in water droplets trapped in the membrane, enabling efficient separation from flue gas14.

2. Scalability and Cost Reduction
   Recent breakthroughs address historical manufacturing challenges:

   • EPFL researchers developed a method to grow high-quality graphene on low-cost copper foils, slashing material expenses4.

   • Ozone etching creates uniform pores over large areas, enabling industrial-scale production47.

3. Self-Cleaning and Durability
   Graphene's thermal stability allows filters to regenerate via Joule heating (up to 300°C), burning off accumulated pollutants and microorganisms without structural degradation68. This reduces maintenance downtime in coal plants.

Industrial Applications for Coal Emissions

• Post-Combustion Carbon Capture
  Graphene membranes target flue gas from coal-fired power plants, where CO₂ concentrations range from 10–15%. Holey graphene frameworks demonstrate exceptional CO₂/N₂ selectivity under dry conditions, ideal for direct integration into existing exhaust systems57.

• Multi-Pollutant Control
  Filters combining graphene oxide and transitional metals (e.g., iron) enhance removal of sulfur oxides (SOₓ) and particulate matter while capturing CO₂28.

Current Limitations and Solutions

1. Pore Engineering Precision
   Early membranes suffered from inconsistent pore sizes, but advanced ozone etching and polymer functionalization now enable atomic-scale control47.

2. Durability in Harsh Conditions
   Coal flue gas contains corrosive elements (e.g., SO₂), but graphene's chemical inertness and hydrophobic properties improve resistance compared to traditional polymer membranes56.

3. Energy Efficiency
   Membrane-based systems consume ~50% less energy than amine scrubbing, with further gains expected as permeance improves37.

Recent Breakthroughs (2025)

A 2025 scalable production method from EPFL achieves:

• 1,000x faster CO₂ transport than commercial polymers.

• 90% cost reduction via copper foil substrates and roll-to-roll manufacturing4.
  This positions graphene filters as a viable alternative to amine-based carbon capture by 2030.

Outlook

While challenges remain in mass production and long-term stability, graphene-based filtration is transitioning from lab-scale prototypes to pilot projects in coal plants. Advances in material engineering and scalable fabrication suggest these systems could play a pivotal role in achieving net-zero industrial emissions.

I don't need AI to tell me about flue gas filters or cyclone filtering.

 

If you've seen the size of drax it's not practical, practicable or feasible as your AI even says it's lab scale.

 

Current tech is about as clean as it'll ever get within you or my lifetime, go have a look at Sweden and it's pretty much the same tech as we already use to burn rubbish.

 

Co2 capture is laughable.

[Mark J]

49 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I don't need AI to tell me about flue gas filters or cyclone filtering.

 

If you've seen the size of drax it's not practical, practicable or feasible as your AI even says it's lab scale.

 

Current tech is about as clean as it'll ever get within you or my lifetime, go have a look at Sweden and it's pretty much the same tech as we already use to burn rubbish.

 

Co2 capture is laughable.

Invest more into science for greater good. 

Current tech isn't good enough. The climate is already on it's way to inhabitable for a huge amount of the critters that live on earth. We are going through the most accelerated extinction event on record. 

The human race is ****************ed unless we pull our fingers out. It might already be kaput given the current political climate, but that might change. Think what you want mate.