A newly launched pharmaceutical excipient (inactive ingredient providing a vehicle for delivery of oral dosage) enhances the solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that have poor bioavailability. Tradenamed Parteck MXP, the excipient is a polyvinyl alcohol-based material developed by MilliporeSigma…
To reduce dependency on petroleum-based plastics, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG (Essen, Germany; www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com) has developed a new manufacturing process for producing the biopolymer polylactide (PLA). The company is now building the first commercial plant based on its patented PLA neo…
New process technology from Chemetry (Moss Landing, Calif.; www.chemetrycorp.com) aims to revitalize the chlor-alkali product chain by manufacturing ethylene dichloride (EDC) and caustic using much less power than conventional processes. Through an exclusive licensing and engineering agreement, Technip (Paris, France;…
Phenpropanone monomers can be produced from lignin via an enzymatic process developed by Yukari Ohta and coworkers at the R&D Center for Marine Biosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (Yokosuka City; www.jamstec.go.jp), in collaboration with National Defense Academy,…
A patented, inline absorption system has been developed and field-tested by ExxonMobil (Houston; www.exxonmobil.com), and has just been licensed to Sulzer Chemtech (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.com). Because the tradenamed cMIST technology operates inside pipes, it replaces the need for conventional methods…
Plant Watch Arkema plans $90-million upgrade at Clear Lake acrylic acid plant January 11, 2017 — Arkema (Colombes, France; www.arkema.com) is investing $90 million at its Clear Lake, Tex. site to replace two acrylic-acid reactors, each with a capacity of…
New technology is helping to reduce costs and enabling CSP plants to generate electrical power 24 hours per day If you are keeping upwith the news, then you are aware of the quiet revolution that is taking place in the…
Good housekeeping results in a better safety record and higher product quality Safety is a high priority in the chemical process industries (CPI). However, safety programs tend to focus more on larger, regulated concerns, such as personal protective equipment, chemical…
Compact regulator is designed for analytical instruments The EX2 Series Control Station (photo) is a flexible, small-footprint, gas-delivery system that includes a dual-stage regulator, mounting bracket and flexible hose. It is designed for applications such as calibration systems, gas panels…
Steam is commonly used in the chemical process industries (CPI) for process heating, power generation, atomization, cleaning and sterilization, moisturization and humidification, among other applications. This one-page reference provides a refresher for key concepts related to steam. Pressure-temperature relation The…