A traditional treatment for damaged knee cartilage is called autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), whereby healthy cartilage-forming cells are taken from an undamaged site of the patient and injected to the damaged site. This procedure takes many weeks, during which time,…
Custom-built blower packages address specific needs This company’s blower packages (photo) are custom built to address specific requirements for elevation, temperature, noise reduction and application. Two models are available: intermediate pressure (15 psig) and low pressure (8 psig). The intermediate-pressure…
At last month’s Achema conference (Frankfurt; May 15–19), Norbert Ullrich, chief engineer at Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-533) announced a first customer for and presented details about a new hydrogen-peroxide-based propylene oxide (HPPO) process, developed by Degussa AG (Düsseldorf, Germany;…
Professor Yasutaka Ishii, and colleagues from the Dept. of Applied Chemistry, Kansai University (Osaka, Japan; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-535), has developed a three-step production process to make epsilon-caprolactam (CPL) from cyclohexane. Compared to alternative methods, the process has a higher CPL yield, generates…
With funding from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.), Ramgen Power Systems (Bellevue, Wash.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-536) is developing a compact supersonic compressor that combines aspects of the shock-compression systems used in supersonic flight inlets with proven turbomachinery design practices…
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-537) have developed a ceramic-based coating for steel and superalloys that prevents corrosion, oxidation, carburization and sulfidization, which commonly occur in gas, liquid, steam and other environments. The low-cost, easy-to-apply material…
Warwick Effect Polymers (WEP; Coventry, U.K.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-540) has licensed patented technology from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburg, Pa.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-541) to exploit the commercial potential of atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). ATRP is a controlled “living” polymerization involving radicals that can grow, but…
Early predictions suggested that solvents would eventually be eliminated from industrial applications because of health and environmental concerns. After a short period of a small decline in solvent use in 1990s, the solvent demand is now growing steadily…
Fluxome Sciences A/S (Lyngby, Denmark; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-547) has been granted patents in both the U.S.and Europe for a method to improve bioethanol production by engineering the ammonia assimilation in yeast. By modifying the redox metabolism, it is possible to reduce the…
DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-553) has demonstrated the ability to print small-molecule OLED (organic light-emitting diode) materials from solution. The printing process is said more scalable to large-display sizes and substantially less expensive than alternative processes, such as vapor deposition. DuPont…