A coating that can protect turbine-engine and waste-incinerator components against heat and oxidation has been developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT; Pfinztal, Germany; www.ict.fraunhofer.de). The coating consists of an outer topcoat made from hollow, aluminum-oxide…
A new range of sugar-based surfactants for skin- and hair-care products has been commercialized by Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com). Tradenamed GlucoTain, the surfactants are based on glucose and natural oils, and are said to offer enhanced sensory benefits without…
Since 2010, Kaneka Corp. (www.kaneka.co.jp) and Kansai University (both Osaka, Japan; www.kansai-u.ac.jp) have been collaborating on the development of special antifreeze materials for applications in the food industry. In 2012, the group developed an antifreeze based on a protein derived…
Last month, Toyo Engineering Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, www.toyo-eng.co.jp) was awarded a contract for a distillation column in a methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) production plant of Maruzen Petrochemical Co. (Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan). The contract marks the first commercial application of…
Changing markets and new applications are putting more demands on the protective coatings industry than ever before. While developing environmentally friendlier and less labor-intensive corrosion- and chemical-resistant paints and coatings is always a major goal, new formulations are needed to…
A collaboration between LanzaTech (Skokie, Ill.; www.lanzatech.com) and the IOC-DBT Center for Advanced Bio-Energy Research (Faridabad, India; www.iocl.com) has led to a carbon-capturing process that synthesizes omega-3 lipids in algae. Via a continuous fermentation step that takes place in a…
A process that continuously produces methanol from methane is being developed by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI; Des Plaines, Ill.; www.gastechnology.org), with support from the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (Washington, D.C.) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The process operates at…
A new lithium-ion battery that can be recharged in only two minutes — 20 times faster than with current technology — has been developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore; www.ntu.edu.sg). The battery will also have a lifespan of…
Protective-enclosure maker Intertec Inc. (Sarnia, Ont.; www.intertec.info) is building a unique, explosion-proof, pressurized shelter for a granulated urea warehouse at what will be the world’s largest, single-stream, gas-to-urea plant in Nigeria. The three-section enclosure protects personnel and electronics from potentially…
AkzoNobel N.V. (www.akzonobel.com) has partnered with Dutch start-up company Photanol (both Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.photanol.com) to manufacture specialty chemicals using a photosynthesis-like process that combines sugar production with fermentation in a single organism. Photanol has developed genetically engineered cyanobacteria that…