On the heels of its successful scaleup of bio-butanol, Cobalt is looking for pathways to use that molecule as a building block for other products. The company has announced plans to build the first bio-butadiene plant in Asia. Projected to…
Freestanding nanowires exhibit ultrahigh elastic-strain limits (of up to 7%) and yield strengths. However, it has been difficult to exploit their properties in bulk composites, due to the mismatch between the elasticity of the nanowires and the elasticity of the…
Squalane, an emollient used in cosmetics, will be the first product of a biotechnology pilot plant now being started up by Nucelis Inc. (San Diego, Calif.; www.nucelis.com), a spin-off from Cibus (also of San Diego). The plant will use Cibus’…
The HydroWhirl Poseidon range of PTFE tank cleaners (photo) has recently been enhanced with additional models and flowrates, as well as improvements in the overall design. The PTFE material of construction ensures that the design is not only hygienic, but…
The new ASM 340 (photo) is a high-performance and durable leak detector for a wide range of applications, from R&D through the industrial coatings market, and can be used for both serial production and maintenance tasks. Both qualitative localization of…
The new two-stage DuoLine rotary-vane vacuum pumps feature a newly developed pump system with optimized cooling. These changes have a significant impact on the pump’s service life, says the manufacturer. The long maintenance intervals, the energy-efficient motors and the optional…
A new range of compact, lightweight motorized valves has been introduced for applications where electric actuation is required. The valves are quiet in use, and can be operated by a 24-V d.c. power supply, or by voltages between 24–48 and…
The ViscoFlux mobile drum-emptying system has been further developed and now has an optional control unit enabling integration into a range of filling processes. For example, an end position cutoff can be integrated into the ViscoFlex so that the pumping…
For his outstanding research contributions to catalytic processes in synthesis of biologically active molecules, Professor Dr. Nicolai Cramer is receiving the BASF Catalysis Award 2013. Professor Cramer heads the laboratory of asymmetric catalysis and synthesis at the EÌcole Polytechnique FeÌdeÌrale…
Tantalum and niobium, which are often found in complex ores, are essentially chemically inert metals whose recovery involves some harsh measures: typically dissolution of the metals concentrate in a mixture of concentrated hydrofluoric and sulfuric acids, followed by solvent extraction…