In The News
Generative and Agentic AI: Intelligent Manufacturing Evolves
As many chemical producers are developing and implementing comprehensive AI strategies, newer AI paradigms, such as generative and agentic platforms are set to transform the benefits AI can provide Due to the continuous generation of data and the complexity and…
Direct cryo-compression of gaseous hydrogen: the “best of both worlds” between liquefaction and compression
Safe and cost-effective storage represents one of the major hurdles in the widespread adoption of “clean” hydrogen in energy applications. A hydrogen-storage approach called cryo-compression is being poised as a bridge between high-density (but expensive) hydrogen liquefaction and cheaper (but…
Plant Watch: May 2025
Plant Watch Altana scales up production of UV-curing resins and 3D-printing materials April 14, 2025 — Altana AG (Wesel, Germany; www.altana.com) has scaled up the production of ultraviolet (UV) curing resins for industrial additive serial production. The company also started…
Two-pronged approach recycles textile waste while also producing glucose
Glucose is a key pillar in producing bio-based alternatives to conventional chemicals, but finding industrially viable, non-food-competitive sources for glucose has proven challenging, due to the difficulty in obtaining glucose from hemicellulosic materials, such as woody biomass, in a cost…
Short-loop battery recycling uses vegetable-oil nanoemulsion
Efficient and sustainable recycling of lithium-ion batteries is a crucial element in electrifying transportation. Black mass is a mixture of cathode and anode materials remaining after disassembly and shredding of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Many valuable materials, including lithium and…
An integrated process makes valuable mid-chain carboxylic acids from organic waste
A dual process strategy bridging fermentation and electrochemistry is enabling the production of mid-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs) — important and valuable precursors to a number of products — using inexpensive organic waste streams from breweries, distilleries and dairies. Developed by…
Selective silica removal makes for better bauxite beneficiation
The extraction of alumina from bauxite is significantly impacted by the silica content of the ore — specifically the presence of silica in kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4). This is because traditional bauxite-beneficiation methods, such as washing, flotation and particle-size separation, also typically…
Seawater-derived solids can serve as carbon-negative components of concrete
Aggregate — solid materials like sand, gravel and crushed stone — is combined with cement to make concrete, the world’s most widely used human-made material. But sand is in short supply, so there is a need for alternate materials to…
New production facility for high-purity graphene announced in Texas
A new facility in Texas to manufacture high-purity graphene powder from acetylene has been announced by HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. (Vancouver, B.C.; www.hydrograph.com). At capacity, the facility will generate thousands of metric tons per year of sp2-bonded powdered graphene with…
Pilot planned for electrochemical extraction of REEs and other critical metals
Construction is planned for a pilot plant that will demonstrate a modular electrochemical technology for extracting rare-earth elements (REEs) and nickel from industrial wastes, such as coal ash. The startup Blueshift (Boston, Mass.; www.buildblueshift.com) recently announced venture capital funds that…