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Chementator Briefs – Technology News for Nov. 2024

Electrifying industrial heat Calectra (Oakland, Calif.; www.calectra.com) has received $1.6 million in pre-seed funding and $400,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Government and New York State to support its work on decarbonizing industrial process heat. Heavy industrial processes, like…

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New method lowers energy required for production of cellulose nanofibers

Because of their excellent mechanical properties, light weight and biodegradability, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are attractive materials for next-generation reinforced biomaterials and bioplastics. However, the method for separating cellulose to make CNF, known as fibrillation, is energy-intensive, which limits applications for…

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Destroy PFAS while also producing syngas

The destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) presents unique issues in wastewater treatment, as these substances are persistent in many treatment environments, and PFAS-laden purification media is challenging to dispose of. Now, InEnTec Inc. (Richland, Wash.; www.inentec.com) says that…

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A non-toxic co-solvent makes batteries safer and more efficient

The solvent N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) has been used to coat anodes and cathodes in lithium-ion batteries, but it has been shown to be a reproductive toxin, necessitating controlled handling and recycling within a closed system, which adds complexity and cost to…

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A nearly universal electrolyte chemistry for safer, longer-lasting batteries

The electrolytes used in nearly all lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries are carbonate-based, which makes them flammable and prone to degradation mechanisms, including side reactions, which can result in gas evolution and the formation of undesirable chemicals like hydrogen fluoride. A…

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Process for electrolytically converting CO2 to carbon materials to be scaled up

With a recent round of investment funding, UP Catalyst (Tallinn, Estonia; www.upcatalyst.com) plans to build a pilot plant for a process that converts waste carbon dioxide into a range of solid carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes, (CNTs), graphite and…

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“Frugal” method adsorbs and destroys PFAS with photocatalyst

Removing per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) from surface and groundwater has become an environmental and public health imperative, but methods for doing so are often complicated and costly, and may not destroy the molecules. Researchers at the University of British…

Cepsa rebrands itself as Moeve, highlighting focus on energy transition

Cepsa announced its name change to Moeve, marking a significant milestone in the company’s transformation. This change positions Moeve as a leader in the European energy transition and demonstrates the significant progress achieved under its 2030 Positive Motion strategy, reinforcing…

Merck KGaA investing $76 million to expand MilliporeSigma manufacturing plant in St. Louis

MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced a $76 million expansion of its antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) manufacturing capabilities and capacity at its Bioconjugation Center of Excellence facility in St. Louis, Missouri. This investment…

Grace announces startup of Nayara Energy polypropylene plant

W. R. Grace & Co. (Grace; Columbia, Md.) announced that Nayara Energy Limited (Nayara Energy) successfully started up its new 450,000-ton/yr UNIPOL PP process technology plant in Vadinar, Gujarat, India. Using Grace’s non-phthalate CONSISTA catalysts with the UNIPOL PP process…