Processing & Handling
Decarbonizing cement production using solar-thermal energy
Last month, the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) awarded $3.2 million in funding for the Solar MEAD project, which aims to decarbonize cement production. This joint project is headed by Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico;…
A new milestone for durable fuel-cell membranes
For the first time, a hydrocarbon-based membrane has passed the performance and durability testing standards set by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) for heavy-duty fuel-cell applications. Typically, membranes in fuel cells are made of perfluorinated materials…
Converting waste polyolefins to isoalkanes
Chemical recycling of waste polyolefins is difficult to achieve economically partly because of the stability of carbon-carbon bonds in the plastics. In a new approach, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) and the Technical University of…
Electrolysis of seawater — without pre-treatment
Current electrolyzers for producing hydrogen use purified water as feedstock, but in the future, this could exacerbate freshwater shortages in some areas. Seawater is highly abundant, but the ions it contains undergo electrode side reactions, and cause corrosion in proton-exchange…
Quinones power this flow battery
A new flow-battery design is based on quinones — a plentiful material historically derived from coal tar and used in dyestuff manufacturing — rather than traditional battery electrolytes. “Our feedstocks use no critical materials like lithium, cobalt or nickel, and…
The Protein Shift
Goals to sustainably feed a growing population with limited land resources are driving massive efforts to develop new food sources Today, it is common to see plant-based “meat” products on the shelves of grocery stores. Although soy-based meat products have…
Facts at your Fingertips: Mixing Intensity in Stirred Tanks
The ability to quantify liquid motion in a stirred tank is a basic step toward understanding how mixing influences process results. Quantifying mixing according to a mixing index (MI) can evaluate and predict mixing intensity related to fluid velocities in…
KBR Launches SCOREKlean — a Zero Emissions Olefins Technology
KBR (Houston) announced today the launch of SCOREKlean, a proprietary ethylene and propylene process technology utilizing 100% hydrogen-fueled burners for zero emissions from the ethylene cracking furnaces. By achieving zero emissions from ethylene cracking furnaces, SCOREKlean will play a major…
Canatu increases CNT film production capacity
Carbon nanomaterial developer Canatu Oy (Vantaa, Finland) has upgraded its carbon nanotube (CNT) film manufacturing to meet the rising demand for ADAS heater products in the automotive industry. Canatu has improved its step-and-repeat (SAR) CNT film production line by adding…
Shell Blue Hydrogen Process wins Humber H2ub process design package contract
The international energy company Uniper SE (Düsseldorf, Germany), and Shell UK Ltd. (London), have awarded Shell Catalysts & Technologies a contract to deliver a process design package for the Humber H2ub project, using the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process (SBHP). The…