When in 1997 a United Nations’ conference at Kyoto, Japan, called into being the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it seemed that greenhouse-gas emissions regulations were just around the corner. Not so fast, was the world’s answer.…
Portable and fixed detectors for toxic and flammable gases are offering more choice and better value for the money, say experts, thanks to technology developments and strong market competition. In Europe, competition triggered by consolidation in the last…
Accidents do happen. While not everything can be predicted, addressing safety concerns throughout the design of a process can help to prevent accidents from occurring. Designing with safety in mind can also help to minimize potentially serious consequences…
Understanding why rupture disks fail can help ensure that they don’t Even with the best process design, the unexpected can happen. Anticipating this, rupture disks are often installed as the last line of defense against the over-pressurization of equipment used…
DNV Software (Oslo, Norway; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-533) and The SimSci-Esscor unit of Invensys (Lake Forest, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-534) have developed a link between the former’s Phastfx flammable-effects-software module and the latter’s Visual Flow safety-system-design software. The link allows process engineers to quickly and…
Although there has been big surge in biodiesel production recently, such fuels are not without problems of their own, such as low mileage, poor performance at lower temperatures, and adverse effects on engine components. Also, the production process for making…
A five-year research project to study the long-term potential for carbon-capture and storage (CCS) technology has been launched by the European Commission’s Director General for Research (Brussels). The so-called COâ‚‚ReMoVe project (for Research on COâ‚‚ Monitoring and Verification) will study…
Hardly a day goes by that there is not some story in the daily press related to climate change. This was especially true last month, due to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change taking place in Nairobi, Kenya (November…
For the first time, polyols derived only from castor oil can be used to produce tough coatings, flexible adhesives, soft sealants and elastomers. The Polycin GR Series is the latest polyol line from Vertellus Performance Materials Inc. (Indianapolis, Ind.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-543).…
Mascoma Corp. (Cambridge, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6519-547) has raised $30 million in its second round of Venture funding — led by General Catalyst Partners (Cambridge, Mass.) — to further develop a new way to make bioethanol from cellulose. Mascoma aims to reduce…