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…
Current electrolyzers for producing hydrogen use purified water as feedstock, but in the future, this could exacerbate freshwater shortages in some areas. Seawater is highly abundant, but the ions it contains undergo electrode side reactions, and cause corrosion in proton-exchange…
A new flow-battery design is based on quinones — a plentiful material historically derived from coal tar and used in dyestuff manufacturing — rather than traditional battery electrolytes. “Our feedstocks use no critical materials like lithium, cobalt or nickel, and…
Goals to sustainably feed a growing population with limited land resources are driving massive efforts to develop new food sources Today, it is common to see plant-based “meat” products on the shelves of grocery stores. Although soy-based meat products have…
The ability to quantify liquid motion in a stirred tank is a basic step toward understanding how mixing influences process results. Quantifying mixing according to a mixing index (MI) can evaluate and predict mixing intensity related to fluid velocities in…
KBR (Houston) announced today the launch of SCOREKlean, a proprietary ethylene and propylene process technology utilizing 100% hydrogen-fueled burners for zero emissions from the ethylene cracking furnaces. By achieving zero emissions from ethylene cracking furnaces, SCOREKlean will play a major…
Carbon nanomaterial developer Canatu Oy (Vantaa, Finland) has upgraded its carbon nanotube (CNT) film manufacturing to meet the rising demand for ADAS heater products in the automotive industry. Canatu has improved its step-and-repeat (SAR) CNT film production line by adding…
The international energy company Uniper SE (Düsseldorf, Germany), and Shell UK Ltd. (London), have awarded Shell Catalysts & Technologies a contract to deliver a process design package for the Humber H2ub project, using the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process (SBHP). The…
Perovskite materials have great potential as a lightweight and low-cost option for solar panels, but in the past have not been seen as stable or durable enough for widespread use in large-scale solar-power installations. Now, a new coating developed by…