A patented polymer material developed by Kraton Corp. (Houston; www.kraton.com) has shown rapid antimicrobial capabilities with expected long-lasting self-disinfecting efficacy. Currently pursuing regulatory review in the U.S. and other select countries for use as an antimicrobial agent, Biaxam is a…
A new modular process based on microwave-plasma reactors aims to efficiently convert natural gas into acetylene and H2 without combustion or CO2 formation. Transform Materials LLC (Riviera Beach, Fla.; www.transformmaterials.com) has designed a reactor that overcomes some of the previous…
Magnesia cements have been around for thousands of years, and have been explored extensively over recent decades primarily because of their capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere at ambient temperatures. Until now, however, their use has been limited to…
Nanoscale materials have been added to engine lubricants to enhance performance for some time, but the use of such materials has been limited by their inability to remain suspended in the oils, and by their tendency to darken the color…
Zymergen (Emeryville, Calif.; www.zymergen.com) recently announced $300 million in new investments for the company’s fermentation-based platform technology that generates novel bio-based monomers for specialty products applications. Combining synthetic biology with machine-learning-enhanced automated screening, Zymergen’s technology has demonstrated the capability to…
Ethylene is an important petrochemical, but it may contain traces of acetylene that can destroy the catalysts used in downstream processes. The separation of ethylene and acetylene is difficult, and the main method, distillation, is energy intensive. A potential alternative…
Boosting the sensitivity of solid-state gas sensors is often achieved by incorporating nanostructured materials as the sensing element. However, interfacial effects at nanoparticles, grains or contacts can lead to non-linear responses, high electrical resistance or electrical noise. A possible way…
Researchers from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Universiy of Sydney (Sydney, Australia; www.sydney.edu.au), led by Alejandro Montoya, have developed an electrochemical oxidation process to clear up wastewater, which is heavily contaminated with organic and inorganic species…
Plant Watch Braskem begins commercial production at La Porte PP plant September 11, 2020 — Braskem America (Philadelphia, Pa.; www.braskem.com) launched commercial production at its new polypropylene (PP) production line in La Porte, Tex., which has a production capacity of…
New mobile devices, apps and augmented reality are supporting the digitalization revolution, as well as keeping business going during the pandemic Anyone who has visited or toured a production plant of the chemical process industries (CPI) knows that mobile phones…