Chemical Engineering
Plasma in Practice: Low-Emission Flaring Technology Moves Forward
A novel flare-stack configuration utilizing plasma technology has transitioned from the research stage to a commercial-scale operating site Amidst ambitious sustainability goals and the drive toward “net zero” emissions, engineering and research teams across the globe are developing and evaluating…
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…
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…
EuroChem launches major sulfuric acid plant in Kazakhstan
EuroChem Group (Zug, Switzerland) has put into operation a sulfuric acid production plant in the Zhambyl Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The facility ranks among the largest of its kind in the country with an annual design capacity of…
Evonik partners with University of Guanajuato, Mexico, to advance sustainable mining chemistry
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) has entered a strategic partnership with the School of Mining at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico to develop next-generation sustainable and lower-toxicity chemical solutions for the mining industry. The collaboration leverages Evonik’s biosurfactant platform…