Ethanol could be produced for less than $1/gal through a new process developed by ZeaChem, Inc. (Lakewood, Colo.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7374-531). The company has piloted the process (flowsheet) and plans to start up a 1.5-million-gal/yr full-scale demonstration plant at the end of…
Industrial designer Tore Christian Bjørsvik at Sintef Health Research (Trondheim, Norway; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7374-545) has developed a safety helmet with a soft, flexible inner layer that instantly becomes a hard shock absorber if the helmet is subjected to impact. The helmet also…
Workers in the chemical process industries (CPI) would certainly benefit from the "perfect" glove that would be thick enough for thermal insulation, thin enough to promote dexterity and tough enough to protect workers from cuts and abrasion. The glove would…
The chemical process industries (CPI) are subjected to countless environmental, health and safety (EH&S) regulations affecting the production, distribution and general use of chemical products. To add to the existing burden, new global initiatives related to product stewardship — most…
Dupont (Wilmington, Del.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7373-533) and its partner Genencor (Palo Alto, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7373-534), a div. of Danisco A/S, plan to invest $140 million to integrate the pretreatment process and fermenting organism — developed with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL: Golden,…
Researchers from the Organic Chemistry Dept. at Newcastle University (U.K.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7373-544) have developed aluminium (salen) complexes that exhibit "exceptional" activity for catalyzing the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides. Cyclic carbonates are widely used for the production of…
Whether noise is encountered on the job or in the community, most people are at risk of hearing loss if they don’t take precautions. The occupational and environmental health and safety professionals of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) believe…
U.S. petroleum companies are investing in new domestic refining capacity on a scale not seen in decades. Over the next five years the industry will add more than one million bbl/d of distillation capacity (see table), according to…
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an area of technology that has received national and international attention. CCS is seen by some as a way to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere and thereby decrease the threat…
To many, the concept of a "smart plant" involves integrating critical process subsystems and instrumentation with the goal of streamlining operations, increasing production and, simply put, making more money. But looking at the bigger picture, the true goal of having…