Processing & Handling
New microreactors and flow loops improve asphaltene management
Asphaltenes are an ultra-complex fraction of crude petroleum that comprise a diverse population of molecules that vary in size, solubilities, aggregation states and hetero-atom contents. Asphaltene buildup and deposits create many operational and safety issues, and can occur anywhere in…
Next-generation encapsulation technology
Nucleic acid-based medications, such as mRNA vaccines, are opening up new therapeutic approaches. These active ingredients must be enclosed inside nanoparticles to ensure that they get to where they are needed inside the body’s cells. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production…
Extracting useful proteins from beer-brewing leftovers
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the most significant byproduct of the beer-brewing industry, making up 85% of the total waste. Globally, about 36.4 million ton/yr of spent grain are produced. This spent grain is typically discarded after its primary use…
Thyssenkrupp Uhde and Johnson Matthey join forces to offer an integrated solution for ‘blue’ ammonia technology
Thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany) and Johnson Matthey plc (JM; London, U.K.) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly offer a fully integrated low-carbon (blue) ammonia technology, building on a nearly 25-year ammonia relationship between the companies. In the…
Cepsa selects Siemens Energy’s PEM technology for 100-MW of electrolysis capacity for the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley
Cespa (Madrid, Spain) has selected Siemens Energy AG (Munich, Germany) for the supply of 100 MW) of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology for green hydrogen production at its La Rábida Energy Park in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), southern Spain.…
Cepsa selects thyssenkrupp nucera as preferred supplier of a 300-MW electrolyzer for a ‘green’ hydrogen plant in Spain
Thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA (Dortmund, Germany) is the preferred supplier of a 300-MW electrolyzer for Cepsa’s (Madrid, Spain) green hydrogen plant in Spain. Under an agreement, announced at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, the Spanish energy company…
A faster way to manufacture bipolar plates
Bipolar plates (BPPs) are a key component in electrolyzers and fuel cells. BPPs include two key components: the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), in a fuel-cell system; and the catalyst-coated membrane (CCM), in an electrolyzer. In a fuel-cell stack, for example,…
Functionalized ceramic particles allow for heat-rejecting coatings
NanoTech Materials Inc. (Houston; www.nanotechmaterials.com) is expanding its commercial partnerships for the use the company’s Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP) technology, which can be used in fireproof coatings, as well as in a range of applications for roof coatings that lower…
Chementator Briefs
RO Membranes Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toray.com) has developed a highly durable reverse osmosis (RO) membrane that is said to offer double the resistance to cleaning chemicals of conventional counterparts. This reduces performance degradation from membrane wear and simplifies…
Storing and processing anhydrous hydrogen chloride as an ionic liquid
Hydrogen chloride is an important byproduct of the chemical industry, with over 9-million ton/yr generated by industrial chlorination processes, such as the production of chloromethanes and polymers (polyurethanes and polycarbonates). Although HCl can be easily recovered by gas scrubbing with…