An explosion in battery demand has fostered a welcoming environment for innovations in sourcing and processing lithium and cobalt The drive for higher capacity and enhanced performance from lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), in conjunction with skyrocketing demand for electronic devices and…
A clean-in-place (CIP) system is among the largest users of consumables at a hygienic processing plant. Presented here are tips for reducing the consumption of water, chemicals and time in CIP operations In many industries there is a burgeoning awareness…
Non-representative sampling in solids processes has costly consequences. A better understanding of the mathematical basis for sampling and of acceptable quality levels can help to alleviate potential sampling issues and more closely approximate reality Effective sampling in solids-handling processes is…
This column is based the report “LDPE via High-Pressure Tubular Process – Cost Analysis,” published by Intratec. It can be found at the following URL: www.intratec.us/analysis/ldpe-production-cost. Polyethylene (PE) is the world’s largest-volume commodity polymer, due in large part to the…
Digitalization, properly deployed, has been proven by ABB to cut capital and operational expenditures up to 30 percent by accelerating and optimizing decision-making. By 2025, further savings and performance improvements are expected from people working collaboratively with artificial intelligence. Colin…
The following titles are recently published books with relevance to the chemical process industries (CPI) . . . Carbon Dioxide to Chemicals and Fuels. By Aulice Scibioh and B. Viswanathan, Elsevier, 2018, 510 pages, $170.00. Polymer-based Nanocomposites for Energy…
Compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) offer significant advantages, such as non-flammability, and a high capacity of the metallic Al anode. However, due to inadequate cathodic performance, especially capacity, high-rate capability and cycle life, AlBs cannot compete with…
Plans are underway for a demonstration-scale facility in France that will convert non-food lignocellulosic biomass into raw materials for bio-based chemicals and animal feed products, such as feed for fish farming. The process, developed by Arbiom (Research Triangle Park, N.C.;…
A process technology that upgrades offgas from petroleum refineries has been commercialized by Siluria Technologies Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.; www.siluria.com) and Wood (Aberdeen, Scotland; www.woodplc.com). According to Siluria, the new Modus technology’s ability to chemically convert refinery offgases into high-quality…
In a recent paper, published in Nature, the Flytzani-Stephanopoulos group from Tufts University (Medford, Mass.; www.tufts.edu) identified a new method for the direct conversion of methane into methanol or acetic acid under mild conditions using oxygen, carbon monoxide and a…