Tantaline (Lyngby, Demnark; www.tantaline.com) has developed a process that creates a surface alloy of tantalum on a metal substrate (typically stainless steel). As a result, the surface acquires the corrosion resistance of tantalum — the most corrosion resistant metal commercially available…
Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; Tsukuba, Japan; www.aist.go.jp), and the University of Tokyo have developed new photocatalysts that are more efficient at decomposing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than the commonly used titanium dioxide.…
Crane ChemPharma Flow Solutions (Düsseldorf, Germany; www.cranechempharma.com) has developed a new compound diaphragm, the DEPA E4, which is said to increase life span, improve safety and increase efficiency of air-operated diaphragm pumps. The laminated design of the DEPA E4 ensures…
NanoEthics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology. Edited by Fritz Allhoff, Patrick Lin, James Moor, John Weckert. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2007. 385 pages, $39.95, paperback. Reviewed by Christopher M. Kelty, Department…
Training and Parts Aid in Compressed-Air System Maintenance This company is offering a free interactive Air System Maintenance CD that details common maintenance functions for rotary screw compressors, refrigerated and desiccant dryers, filters and drains. Using instructional video, voice…
Although ammonia is still made by the near-century-old Haber-Bosch process, today’s ammonia plants bear little resemblance to those early units — now literally decorating the lawns outside BASF in Ludwigshafen, and Dechema in Frankfurt, Germany. For one thing, the…
The role of valves in a process is far from insignificant. These components enable engineers to control the vitals of a process: temperature, pressure, concentration, and flow. In some cases, the failure of a valve could be catastrophic and in…
A method for identifying less-expensive catalysts, compared to commercial, precious-metal-based ones, is starting to deliver results by researchers at the Center for Atomic-scale Materials Design, Dept. of Physics, Technical University of Denmark (CAMD; Lyngby; www.camd.dtu.dk) and their collaborators. The computer-aided…
In order to make ethanol from cellulose, the polysaccharide must first be broken down into sugars (saccharrified) that can be fermented. Normally, this hydrolysis reaction is catalyzed by sulfuric acid or enzymes. However, H2SO4 -based hydrolysis generates spent acid, which…
Azotobacter are nitrogen-fixing bacteria that do a useful job in soil by converting N 2 to ammonia. As a side reaction they also produce hydrogen, most of which they oxidize for their own energy consumption. In a project of the…