Chemical Engineering
ExxonMobil starts up advanced recycling unit in Baytown
ExxonMobil Corp. (Houston, Tex.) announced that it third advanced recycling unit at the copmany's complex in Baytown, Texas, is now operational, a milestone that demonstrates our focus on addressing plastic waste and fostering a more circular economy. With this addition,…
Celanese completes divestiture of Micromax business to Element solutions
Celanese Corp. (Dallas, Tex.) announced that it has completed the divestiture of the Micromax® business to Element Solutions Inc. Celanese received approximately $500 million in cash from the transaction, and the proceeds will be deployed to support the Company’s deleveraging…
Chiyoda awarded EPC contract for Idemitsu Kosan’s solid-electrolyte plant
Chiyoda Corp. (Yokohama, Japan) has been awarded an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract by Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu) for a large solid electrolyte pilot plant, aimed at the practical application of All-Solid-State lithium-ion batteries. A strategic partnership has…
Covestro completes major debottlenecking project at TDI plant in Shanghai
Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany) has successfully completed a major debottlenecking project at its TDI (toluene diisocyanate) production facility in Shanghai, China. The company has increased the annual production capacity from 310,000 to 370,000 metric tons, representing a 20 percent expansion…
CPI support for data center expansion
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies has presented the chemical process industries (CPI) with opportunities for improving process efficiency, asset maintenance, product development and plant safety. While not fully realized in the CPI, the potential…
Subsurface synthesis could unlock a new source of ammonia
The search for a new ammonia-synthesis method has now driven research and development work underground, literally. Addis Energy (Somerville, Mass.; www.addisenergy.com) is launching a subsurface synthesis technology that takes advantage of geologic chemistry to produce ammonia. “Addis Energy’s process uses…
Membrane-free electrochemical water-treatment method also generates power
Electrochemical water-treatment technologies facilitate the adsorption of ions, effectively removing contaminants such as calcium, magnesium, bromine and more. Such processes, however, are often hampered by the high costs associated with electrode regeneration and the use of ion-exchange membranes. A new…
Quantum chemistry helps uncover path to safer ozone-based water disinfection
Ozone is seen an a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine for water disinfection, but the efficient generation of ozone on-demand and at commercially relevant scales has been hindered by catalytic degradation problems. A team of researchers from…
New transparent insulator material could improve heat efficiency of buildings
Buildings lose considerable heating and cooling energy through their windows, so window coatings with low thermal conductivity would improve efficiency. However, finding insulating materials that are also transparent is a challenge. A team of researchers at the University of Colorado…
A water-durable construction material that also sequesters CO2
A new structural material builds upon the promise of enzyme-enhanced CO2 mineralization to overcome decarbonization challenges in the construction industry. Researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI; Worcester, Mass.; www.wpi.edu), led by Nima Rahbar, head of WPI’s Department of Civil, Environmental…