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Chemical Engineering

You and Your Job: Pursuing Early Internships

Traditionally, student engineering internships are undertaken after completion of third-year undergraduate coursework, but earlier internships can provide benefits both to students and to companies The importance of internships to students and companies has been discussed in earlier articles [1–3] and…

Volatility, Value and Visibility: Rethinking Raw-Material Strategies

Due to current global conditions, raw-material considerations — volatility in particular — are now being taken into account earlier, and integrated more intimately, into project planning and management strategies Over the past few years, raw materials have moved from the…

A scalable method for recovering molybdenum from end-of-life catalysts

Molybdenum is a crucial element in many industrial catalysts used in the production of steels, alloys and specialty chemicals. Much of the global supply chain for molybdenum relies on mining operations in China and Russia, so various efforts are underway…

Methane-to-bioplastics technology takes advantage of wastewater off-gases

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers that are positioned as a promising alternative to conventional plastics. They can be produced from a variety of biological and renewable feedstocks. Mango Materials (MM; Vacaville, Calif.; www.mangomaterials.com) produces PHAs at a pilot plant and…

Targeted magnetic system recovers valuable iron phosphate from sewage sludge

Many wastewater-treatment plants rely on iron-based coagulation to remove phosphorus from water. Following treatment with iron-based coagulants, most iron present in the sewage sludge is in the form of an iron-phosphate mineral known as vivianite. A patented technology called ViviMag…

Micro-architectural alterations remove hurdles that hinder hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen fuel cells, which use hydrogen and oxygen to generate clean electricity and pure water, are considered among the most promising clean energy sources. However, the accumulation of liquid water inside hydrogen fuel cells is a major roadblock to efficient…

Delayed coking process converts biomass to graphite at reduced temperatures and generates fuels

Demand for synthetic graphite, a top-priority critical material in the U.S., is increasing because of its use in lithium-ion battery anodes and in steel-making. To meet the increased demand, while also cultivating a domestic source of synthetic graphite (most of…

Zwitterions enhance ion transport for polymer-based electrolyte material

Batteries with solid-state electrolyte materials, rather than liquids or gels, are a goal of technology developers because of their advantages for battery safety, durability and reduced charge times. Certain ceramic-based electrolytes have shown the ability to transport ions quickly, but…

Instrumentation as a Strategic Lever: Turning Compliance and Safety into Competitive Advantage

The expectations placed on plant operators have never been higher. Regulatory frameworks are tightening, environmental accountability is under constant scrutiny and the margin for error in process safety is shrinking. At the same time, producers are expected to improve efficiency,…

Acelen Renewables awarded $1.5 billion in funding for biorefinery project in Brazil

Acelen Renewables, the renewable energy company of Mubadala Capital, announced that it has secured $1.5 billion to initiate construction of its renewable fuels biorefinery in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Part of the funding is being provided through a consortium…