Although recycled polymers can provide sustainable, low-cost feedstock, their use is challenging in applications that require high-performance characteristics. Vertellus LLC (now Aurorium) has developed additives to improve processors’ ability to incorporate recycled nylons and recycled polyesters into virgin nylon. One…
An adsorbent-based, sulfur-removal process for synthesis gas (syngas) that lowers capital and operating costs compared to alternative methods of removing sulfur has completed pre-commercial testing and has achieved commercial status. The Warm-gas Desulfurization Process (WDP; diagram) has been under development…
This column is based on “Cyclohexane from Benzene and Hydrogen – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/cyclohexane-production-cost. Cyclohexane is a relatively stable cycloalkane, present in crude oils in concentrations of 0.1–1.0%. This cycloparaffin…
Check out the following recent publications with relevance to professionals in the chemical process industries . . . Comprehensive Membrane Science and Engineering, 2nd ed., edited by Enrico Drioli, Lidietta Giorno and Enrica Fontananova, Elsevier Press, 2017, 1,720 pages, $1,650.00.…
The path to commercialization can be long and arduous, which means the engineers and chemists taking the path must have a good deal of patience, dedication and fortitude. To honor the efforts of those chemical engineers and their companies that…
Viscosity, power consumption, commercial availability and lifecycle cost analysis are all important considerations in pump sizing. An automated spreadsheet method helps engineers take those factors into account in centrifugal pump selection Many aspiring chemical engineers enter industry after university study…
This column is based on “Activated Carbon Production Process – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/activated-carbon-production-cost. Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal or activated coal, is an inert solid composed mostly of…
High-shear, high-speed mixing equipment supplies the mechanical energy necessary to reduce the size of solid particles and liquid droplets in emulsions and dispersions. Emulsions are mixtures of two normally immiscible liquids in which tiny particles of one liquid are suspended…
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech; Atlanta; www.gatech.edu) have demonstrated a precision-machining technique to manufacture an entire pumping loop from materials that can withstand temperatures as high as 1,400–1,600°C. These materials are typically thought to be too…
A new process for producing lithium titanate oxide (LTO) anode materials could lead to smaller batteries with ultrafast recharging. LTO offers a significantly higher surface area than graphite anode materials, which enables rapid electron transit and, ultimately, much faster recharging…