In late 2009, Microbia PE, Inc. (Lexington, Mass.; www.microbia-pe.com) will begin commercialization of its initial carotenoid products. Microbia plans to produce β-carotene, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, cathaxanthin and lutein — all five carotenoid products that currently have significant commercial value. These carotenoids…
Here, a design approach for continuous stirred-tank reactors is outlined for both reversible and irreversible second-order reactions Multiple CSTRs (continuous stirred-tank reactors) are advantageous in situations where the reaction is slow; two immiscible liquids are present and require higher agitation…
Frequently, in chemical processing equipment it is possible to place the shaft support bearings in the chemical that is being processed. In some cases, this precludes the use of oil- or grease-lubricated bearings because the operating conditions are not conducive…
Lummus Technology, a CB&I company (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cbi.com) and SYN Energy Technology Co. (Dalian, China; www.syn.ac.cn) have signed a global, cooperative market agreement to license a methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process. The technology, called DMTO, was developed by the Dalian…
Researchers at the Nanotube Research Center of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; Tokyo; www.aist.go.jp) have developed a process for making organic nanotubes of metal complexes (photo, left). The scientists have produced organic nanotubes with metal…
When completed in early 2010, Shell Chemicals’ B.V. (The Hague, Netherlands; www.shell.com) 750,000-m.t./yr facility at the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex in Singapore will be the world’s largest plant to produce mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) using Shell’s Omega process. This plant marks…
Researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE; Washington, D.C.) Ames Laboratory (www.ameslab.gov) and Iowa State University (both of Ames, Iowa) have developed a hard, smooth coating that can be applied to industrial equipment, such as pumps, gears and cutting…
Lubricant contamination in gearbox bearing housings can substantially reduce gear life. In critical applications, dual-face, magnetic bearing-protector seals will keep contamination out (Figure 1). Dual-face, magnetic bearing protectors are preferred in many difficult applications, such as wet cooling tower gearboxes,…
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (Tokyo; www.m-kagaku.co.jp/index_en.htm) has developed a plate-in-frame reactor for performing oxidation reactions, such as for the partial oxidation of propane to form acrylic acid. Because of the reactor’s enhanced heat transfer to the catalyst — sandwiched between the…
AkzoNobel Polymer Chemicals LLC (Chigago, Ill.; www.akzonobel.com/polymer) has launched Perkalite, a new range of synthetic, layered double-hydroxide (LDH) organoclays. With proper compounding, the LDH organoclays delaminate to nanoscale sizes and form a true nanocomposite, says the company. Perkalite nanocomposites feature…