Latest News: Technologies
Making biocrude and nutrients from algae
The hydrothermal liquefaction of algae has been the subject of many studies because algae exhibit high photosynthetic activity and growth rate compared to other biomass, leading to increased CO2 absorption. The algae can grow in a wide variety of water…
Isothermal compression gets practical
Mechanical engineering students have been taught that true isothermal compression, while ideal from an energy-efficiency perspective, is not achievable. However, a late 1800s technology, the Taylor Compressor has delivered isothermal compression in large industrial applications for nearly a century. The…
Synthesizing adipic acid without generating N2O
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…
Electrode design increases efficiency of suspended-solids removal
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…
A bio-based crosslinker for polyurethanes
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…
A step closer to making CO by artificial photosynthesis
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…
A highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for making THF and other chemicals from biomass
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…
LED sight-glass light
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…
Phase-change slurry
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…
Onsite CN generation
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…