Plant physiologist Cynthia Henson and colleagues at the ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit (Madison, Wisc.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6517-552) have designed three thermophilic barley enzymes, which perform exceptionally well at around 70°C. As a result, the enzymes can yield up to 30% more…
Since its introduction to the market in 1959, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (better known as CPVC) has proven suitable for use in a wide variety of chemical process environments. Because it is inert to most mineral acids, bases, salts…
ADA-ES, Inc. (Littleton, Colo.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-550) has been awarded a contract from the U.S. DOE to develop an improved process for manufacturing activated carbon (AC). AC is the key chemical used in ADA-ES’s mercury-control technology (CE, December 2004, p. 18) —…
Nanotechnology, in the form of nanomaterials, is already a significant business for the chemical process industries (CPI). One recent study says that this year’s global nanotechnology market is worth more than $10 billion, of which 86% is attributable…
This versatile pump is a compact contortionist The E8 3/8-in. Mini-Matic pump (photo) weighs just 3 lb but can pump as much as 6.8 gal/min and deliver pressures up to 100 psi. It can be mounted upright,…
Next year, DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-538) plans to introduce a new family of thermoplastic nanocomposites that yield “substantial improvements” in key, desirable properties. With proper dispersion in a polymer, small amounts of a naturally occurring material form nanoscale reinforcement structures…
Intelligent selection and specification help to assure getting representative, uncontaminated samples from multiple process lines to a shared analyzer Process engineers rely heavily on analytical instrumentation to ensure product quality. Properly designed systems help prevent contaminated fluids and gases from…
In the pharmaceutical, biotech and food processing industries, ingredients are transported, mixed, heated and cooled assuming the assurance of product purity required by lawmakers and taken for granted by consumers. Integral to the design of fluid-handling systems that…
In widespread use throughout chemical process plants, centrifugal pumps are often employed (and taken for granted) in severe service conditions. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that problems can arise during their operation. A major difficulty facing the chemical…
Merck (see item above) received the Greener Synthetic Pathways Award for discovering a catalytic synthesis for sitagliptin (a chiral β-amino acid derivative), an active ingredient for the company's new treatment for type 2 diabetes, Junuvia. The synthesis generates 220 pounds…