The main mineral component of our bones and teeth — hydroxyapatite [HAP; Ca10(OH)2(PO4)6] — has been used by a Chinese team to develop a highly flexible paper with high antibacterial activity. The paper, made from silver nanoparticle-decorated ultra-long HAP nanowires…
Last month, Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) said that the pilot plant of a new process for making substitute natural gas (SNG) has been successfully tested, signifying that the technology is ready for commercial application. The process, called Vesta Once-through…
The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) recently announced that it has completed validation of a new plastic film technology that can be recycled in existing processes for flexible polyethylene (PE) packaging, but that also performs well as an oxygen…
Each year, a large amount of plastic waste is generated, with 60% of the total plastic content of municipal solid waste composed of high-, low- and linear-low density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE) and polypropylene (PP). Existing methods for degrading…
Implementing microreactors in chemical production is quite a challenge. How these challenges can be met is described here At the heart of a chemical process is the reactor, where the conversion of reactants to products occurs. Depending on the need…
Rotary valve controls the flow of powders and granules The Coperion ZRD Heavy-Duty Premium rotary valve (photo) is designed for industrial applications with pressure differentials up to 1.5 barg (21 psig), and temperatures to 100°C (212°F); higher-temperature versions are also…
With a focus on flowmeters, this article shows how advances in measurement technologies help safety system designers reduce risk and cost in their safety instrumented systems (SIS) design and lifecycle management Successful implementation and management of a safety instrumented system…
Advanced materials and sustainability efforts are driving the evolution of modern pigment and coloration technologies The complex chemistries that enable pigments to provide bright colors also open up much potential for advances in production and performance. Although pigments from nature…
Updated feeding and conveying products help improve product flow When it comes to feeding and conveying operations, chemical processors struggle to minimize unplanned downtime and maximize throughput. For this reason, they require reliable equipment that is easy to clean in…
The new HiPace 300 H turbopump (photo) is said to be the highest compression turbopump in the pumping speed class of 300 L/s currently on the market. With a compression ratio of 107 for hydrogen, it is suitable for producing…