Since February, Lonza Singapore Pte. Ltd. has been using a new I-400 catalyst in a Isomar unit at its Singapore plant, which produces pure isophthalic acid (an intermediate for making resins). The I-400 catalyst was developed by UOP LLC (Des…
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Arlington, Va.) has awarded $5.7 million to a two-company consortium to develop an inexpensive and energy-efficient process for making titanium metal powder. Such powders can be used to make strong, lightweight objects, such…
Chemists at Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6517-546) have discovered a silylation catalyst that attaches a silicon atom to an alcohol group not only with high selectivity, but also in such a way that only one enantiomer is formed. Silyation…
Researchers from 34 institutions from around the world have completed the first DNA sequence for a tree, the black cottonwood or Populus trichocarpa (poplar). This poplar's rapid growth and relatively compact genome size (480 million nucleotide units, or 1/40th as…
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…
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…
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…
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…