Latest News
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…
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,…
Field-trials upcoming for salt-based thermal-energy storage demonstration program
Field trials are expected to begin shortly for a high-temperature thermal-storage demonstrator built by AED Energy (London, U.K.; www.aedenergy.com). The field trials follow the successful completion of a test program of the demonstrator at AED’s London facility. The test program,…
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…
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…
Focus On: Analyzers
This analyzer is designed to improve paper product quality The next-generation Wet End Analyzer (photo) is designed to help paper, board and tissue producers improve wet-end processes to achieve superior product quality, improved process stability and reduced operating costs. With…
Enhancing Characterization of Thermal Barrier Coatings
Combining microscopy and machine-learning techniques leads to faster, more precise analyses of critical coating materials When the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft was designed to soar at three times the speed of sound, engineers faced an extreme challenge: managing the heat generated…
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…
Business News: January 2026
Plant Watch Aster invests in expansion projects at Bukom petroleum refinery December 11, 2025 — Aster Chemicals and Energy Ltd. (Singapore; www.aster.com.sg) announced a significant investment program at its Bukom petroleum refining facility in Singapore. The project includes a $75-million…
Can You Trust Your Process Simulation Results?
Understanding both the limitations of process simulations and the assessments that can be performed to verify modeling results are important in the design and development of technical processes in many industries Chemical engineers routinely use process simulation software for design,…