Adipic acid, a precursor for the synthesis of nylon, is usually produced through nitric acid oxidation of cyclohexane, a process which has disadvantages, such as the emission of nitrous oxide — a greenhouse and ozone-depleting gas — as well as…
A specially designed electrode could improve the efficiency of removing suspended solids, oil or other contaminants from water in applications traditionally served by dissolved-air flotation (DAF). Developers at OriginOil Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif.; www.originoil.com) believe their electrolysis process overcomes limitations…
At the European Coatings Show (April 21–23; Nuremberg, Germany), Bayer MaterialScience AG (BMS; Leverkusen, Germany; www.materialscience.bayer.com) will launch Pentamethylene diisocyanate (PDI), a new isocyanate with 70% of its carbon content originating from biomass. The eco-friendly hardner component is being evaluated…
Researchers at Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toshiba.co.jp) have developed an artificial photosynthesis system that uses solar energy to convert CO2 and water into CO with 1.5% efficiency — the highest efficiency achieved to date. The company believes the technology has…
The research group of Keiichi Tomishige at Tohoku University (Sendai, www.che.tohoku.ac.jp/~erec), in collaboration with Daicel Corp. (Tokyo, both Japan; www.daicel.com/en), has developed a catalytic reaction system that is highly efficient for synthesizing tetrahydrofuran (THF) — a widely used solvent and…
In hydraulic fracturing, high-pressure pumps force water bearing sand or ceramic proppants into a manifold, known as a missile, and subsequently into an oil or gas well. Exposure to the highly abrasive, proppant-filled fluids means the pumps require frequent maintenance…
A new low-pressure xylenes-production process combines toluene with methanol to yield a xylenes product stream with the possibility of no benzene byproduct. Known as GT-TolAlk and developed by GTC Technology (Houston; www.gtctech.com), the new process requires no hydrogen addition and…
Illumination is required for visual inspection of a process through a sight glass in a vessel or tank. A newly demonstrated light source, developed by L.J. Star Inc. (Twinsburg, Ohio; www.ljstar.com) and marketed as the LumiStar3000, is said to be…
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (Umsicht; Sulzbach-Rosenberg; www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de) and RWTH Aachen University (both Germany; www.rwth-aachen.de) have developed a new phase-change material (PCM) trade-named CryoSolPlus. The PCM is a dispersion of solid paraffin beads and…
Gold mines using traditional cyanide-leaching extraction processes will benefit with the launch of a new technology allowing onsite production of sodium cyanide. The technology, developed by Synergen Met Pty Ltd (Brisbane, Australia; www.synergenmet.com), will eliminate a range of hazardous activities…