Modern technology tackles CPI’s air-emissions concerns Air emissions monitoring and control is a major concern for all chemical processors, but the product being manufactured, the process used to make it, the resulting byproducts and pollutants, and the location of a…
Bio foam control Last month, Novozymes A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark; www.novozymes.com) introduced Fermax, an enzyme protease that prevents foam development during the sugarcane ethanol fermentation process, while delivering improved control and replacing chemicals. For an average size plant, trialing partners experienced…
Scandium International Mining Corp. (Sparks, Nev.; www.scandiummining.com) is about to become the first company to achieve production from a primary scandium mine, with its project near the small town of Nyngan, New South Wales, Australia. The production of scandium from…
Demand for carbon fiber (CF), which can be used to make strong, lightweight composite materials for improving vehicle fuel economy and wind-power generation, has been growing. However, widespread use of these advanced composites has been limited by the high production…
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) has developed a hydrothermal liquification (HTL) process that converts sewage sludge directly into “biocrude oil,” which can then be refined by conventional methods into liquid fuels, such as gasoline, diesel and jet…
The glass industry’s needs are extremely diverse, and manufacturers demand stability and precision in their furnace operations. Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com/glass) has released an advanced burner, the patent-pending Cleanfire HR e, which is said to be the first…
Cotton dyes Cotton Inc. (Cary, N.C.; www.cottoninc.com) and Archroma (Reinach, Switzerland) have collaborated to present what they believe is the first ever dye derived from cotton-plant residues. EarthColors is Archroma’s method of creating dyes in warm, ternary shades from natural…
Daylight-driven photocatalysts have attracted much attention in the context of “green” technology for reducing pollutants. Although a number of active materials have been reported and their applications are rapidly increasing, many are discovered after enormous experimental efforts. Now, Isao Tanaka…
Ammonia is a crucial chemical feedstock for fertilizer production, as well as a potential energy carrier. However, the current, century-old method of synthesizing ammonia, the Haber–Bosch process, consumes a great deal of energy, operating at high pressures (several hundred atmospheres)…
Plant Watch Covestro doubles polycarbonate resin production capacity in Shanghai October 12, 2016 — Covestro AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.covestro.com) is doubling production capacities for polycarbonate resin from 200,000 to 400,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) by inaugurating two new production…