Oxygen Deficiency Hazards (ODH) are a significant safety issue in cryogenic facilities. ODH occurs when inert gases such as nitrogen, helium or argon displace room air and thus lower the percentage of oxygen in the space below that required for human life. OSHA defines an area as oxygen deficient if the percentage of oxygen is … Continue reading Oxygen Deficiency Hazards
Month: February 2012
Academics rallying to boycott Elsevier
Over 4,000 scientists have signed an online petition in protest over the pricing and distribution policies of Elsevier, a publisher which sells over 2,000 academic journals along with 20,000 other books. Many of the signatories are distinguished academics at such institutions as Harvard, Yale, McGill, Cambridge and Oxford. They promise not to submit work to Elsevier journals, or to referee or edit papers appearing in them. The number is growing daily.
MSU Board approves next step of FRIB project
The Michigan State University Board of Trustees has given its approval to the next step in the development of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a world-class nuclear research facility that will attract scientists from all over the world to East Lansing while creating more than $1 billion in economic activity in the region.
Scientist recounts superconductivity discovery
Like many young men from Alabama, Jim Ashburn's path to fame involved football, good timing, a fair dose of serendipity (or good luck, if you prefer), timely coaching and a strong team. Ashburn's path also included a love of science, especially mathematics.
The capability for producing niobium sheets
The International Linear Collider will need about 16,000 superconducting radiofrequency cavities, devices that accelerate electrons and their antiparticles, positrons, along microwaves to near speed of light. These cavities are made out of pure niobium, which means the ILC community needs 500 tonnes of high-purity niobium processed into nice, smooth sheets.
Berkeley Lab selects Richmond Field Station as preferred site
The University of California announced that it has identified the Richmond Field Station as its preferred site for the proposed consolidation of the biosciences programs of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
Goddard Center Director announces departure from agency
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Director Robert Strain announced he will leave the agency on March 4, 2012, to take a position in private industry.
Linde deepens LNG commitment with purchase of new truck fleet
Linde, a global leader in the growing liquefied natural gas fueling market, is deepening its commitment to the fuel with the purchase of 20 LNG-fueled trucks.
CryoPort introduces new high-volume dry vapor LN2 shipper
CryoPort, Inc. has announced it is increasing its line of deep frozen shipping containers with the introduction of the CryoPort Express® high-volume dry vapor liquid nitrogen shipper. The new shipping container can accommodate much larger shipments of cryogenically frozen biological materials.