Solvents are commonly used for performing photochemical reactions. Many of these solvents are toxic, and require additional downstream processing to purify the product and treat waste. Now, by combining light with mechanical energy in ball mills, researchers at Ruhr University…
As refiners respond to shifting product demand, pressure to decarbonize operations builds. Investments in low-carbon hydrogen technologies, process optimization and integration projects are on the rise The petroleum-refining sector sits in a unique place: global demand for refined products —…
Viscosity is an important property for understanding the flow behavior of liquids, mixtures, emulsions, slurries and other materials in industrial processes. This one-page reference provides a refresher on conceptualizing viscosity. Intermolecular forces Viscosity is a measure of a material’s resistance…
Understanding the different types of activated carbon products, their specific properties and best practices for use is essential to the design of effective environmental treatment processes Activated carbon is a type of manufactured carbon material used for a range of…
Good Things Come in Smaller Packages Standard Xchange, a Xylem brand, is pleased to announce the addition of two new compact, low-cost, high-energy efficiency models to its Plateflow® line of gasketed plate and frame heat exchangers. Through advanced engineering and high-efficiency technology, Standard Xchange High Energy Efficiency Plateflow®…
The demand for vanillin vastly outstrips the natural resources of this flavoring agent. A chemical process is thus used to produce the required large quantities of vanillin from petroleum, which is far less expensive than obtaining the substance from fermented…
Chemists at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; www.global.hokudai.ac.jp) and the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery have developed what is said to be the first high-performance catalyst specifically designed and optimized for solid-state, mechanochemical synthesis. The new approach was…
Last month, the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) awarded $3.2 million in funding for the Solar MEAD project, which aims to decarbonize cement production. This joint project is headed by Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico;…
For the first time, a hydrocarbon-based membrane has passed the performance and durability testing standards set by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) for heavy-duty fuel-cell applications. Typically, membranes in fuel cells are made of perfluorinated materials…
Chemical recycling of waste polyolefins is difficult to achieve economically partly because of the stability of carbon-carbon bonds in the plastics. In a new approach, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) and the Technical University of…