A team of researchers, led by professor Myoung-Jin Kim, from Korea Maritime and Ocean University (Busan, South Korea; www.kmou.ac.kr), has developed a process that recovers calcium-free magnesium sulfate from seawater desalination brine (SDB). The process, described in a recent issue…
CO2 Separation Conventional DDR-type zeolite membranes are well suited for separating CO2 from different-sized molecules, such as methane, which is present in associated gas or natural gas. However, such membranes are not very efficient for separating CO2 from O2 or…
Plant Watch Air Liquide enters a longterm partnership for production of rare helium isotope December 8, 2021 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris; www.airliquide.com) entered into a longterm agreement with Laurentis Energy Partners to produce and distribute helium-3 (3He), a rare…
In lubricated systems, varnish and deposits can form on metal surfaces as lubricant oils degrade, often leading to inefficient operations and equipment failure. There are many chemical cleaning products to break down varnish, but the effectiveness of these compounds in…
The prospects for a bio-based route to acrylates (diagram) received a significant boost recently, when startup company Låkril Technologies Corp. (Chicago, Ill.; www.lakril.com) licensed technology from the laboratory of Paul Dauenhauer at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.; twin-cities.umn.edu). Dauenhauer…
The synthetic biology company Kalion Inc. (Milton, Mass.; www.kalioninc.com) recently completed its first commercial-scale production run of high-purity (98–99%) glucaric acid via fermentation of glucose at a custom-manufacturing facility owned by Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com). The high purities…
Commissioning has begun on a pilot plant designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a structured catalyst module for steam-methane reforming (SMR) that solves the main heat-transfer inefficiencies associated with the conventional process. The structured catalyst technology improves the efficiency of…
A collaboration between Clariant Catalysts (Munich, Germany; www.clariant.com/catalysts) and Technip Energies N.V. (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands; www.technipenergies.com) has led to steam-methane reforming (SMR) SMR technology that is said to achieve higher throughput and heat recovery in SMR. Technip Energies’ Enhanced Annular…
Flow Battery Honeywell Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.honeywell.com) introduced a new flow-battery technology that employs a proprietary electrolyte to provide reliable extended-duration energy storage — up to 12 h compared to lithium-ion batteries’ (LIBs) 4 h. “The flow battery uses a…
HRS Heat Exchangers Ltd. (Watford, U.K.; www.hrs-heatexchangers.com) was recently awarded an order for the design, manufacture and installation of a mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) evaporation system for LIFE Desirows (lifedesirows.eu) — a three-year, €1.6-million project funded under the E.U.’s LIFE19…