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Electrochemical route to extracting lithium ions from ‘black mass’ could lead to more efficient battery recycling
Black mass is the powdered material resulting from shredding end-of-life lithium-ion vehicle batteries. For effective recycling, lithium must be efficiently separated from this material, but conventional methods, such as smelting at high temperatures or dissolving in strong acids, require large…
Securing the Industrial Edge: Protecting Legacy Systems in the IIoT Era
Edge platforms, which provide a liaison between networks and legacy equipment, can provide a layer of cybersecurity protection without infrastructure modifications Chemical processing facilities worldwide are connecting decades-old equipment to modern networks for real-time monitoring and optimization. While this digital…
Project reveals insights about catalysts for microwave-assisted methane dehydroaromatization
Several situations, including when takeaway capacity is limited at remote oil-well sites, result in methane flaring. To avoid wasting that resource, several strategies have been explored to convert methane onsite into commercially useful liquid chemicals. One of the approaches is…
‘Preorganization’ strategies allow polymer degradation through self-deconstruction
Designing plastics that can be broken down easily after their use phase have often required a trade-off between stability and ease of deconstruction. Recent research by scientists at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.; www.rutgers.edu) opens a path to resolve that…
Improving Recycling of Construction Materials with an Advanced Filter Press
An advanced membrane-chamber filter press improved material recovery and operating efficiency while lowering operating costs at a facility for the recycling of construction materials In today’s world, where resource conservation and sustainable practices are more important than ever, the RCO…
We all play a part in cyber-vigilance
As connected devices and systems have become more advanced, engineers in turn have become savvier about the realities of a digitally connected enterprise, especially with regard to securing their operational technology (OT) systems. Even with globally increasing cybersecurity awareness, however,…
Enzymatic splitting process cuts cost and energy consumption for fatty-acid manufacturing
Fatty acids are indispensable ingredients in a broad range of high-value products, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food additives, industrial lubricants and many more. Current commercial production plants usually employ a thermal fat-splitting process that is often not economical for small- and…
A superconducting magnet for hydrogen liquefaction is demonstrated in Germany
A first-of-its-kind demonstration unit is showcasing hydrogen liquefaction using magnetocaloric cooling, a process that demands much lower energy consumption than conventional methods used in industry. A joint venture between Magnotherm Solutions GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany; www.magnotherm.com) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR; Dresden,…
2025 CECPI updates: Sept. (prelim.) and July (final)
A federal government shutdown in the U.S. from October 1 to November 12, 2025 disrupted the release of producer price index (PPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), so the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) is behind schedule.…
Mosaic to sell its potash assets in Carlsbad, New Mexico
The Mosaic Co. (Tampa, Fla.) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Mosaic Potash Carlsbad, Inc., including the operations, assets and liabilities of the Mosaic mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico to International Minerals Carlsbad, LLC for $30…