Masaru Nakamichi, leader of the Blanket Technology Group, Naka Fusion Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA, Ibaraki, Japan; www.naka.jaea.go.jp) has developed a new fabrication technology that enables the mass-production of beryllium intermetallic compounds (beryllides), which are advanced, efficient neutron multipliers…
A test method developed by SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp.; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) scientists drastically reduces the time needed to evaluate slow-crack growth resistance in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that is used in pressure pipes. The strain-hardening test method allows…
Artificial photosynthesis Scientists at Panasonic Corp.(Osaka, Japan; www.pana sonic.com) have developed an artificial photosynthesis system that utilizes sunlight to convert CO2 to organic materials (mainly formic acid) at what is said to be the highest efficiency yet achieved (0.2%).…
A new hydraulically driven, positive-displacement-pump system can lower the energy requirements for pumping water by 10% in large seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants, where electricity typically represents the largest cost. Recently launched by GE Water & Power (www.ge-energy.com) at…
A move toward bio-based malic acid... Novozymes A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark; www.novozymes.com) has developed a strain of metabolically engineered Aspergillus oryzae fungus that is capable of producing the four-carbon, dicarboxylic acid compound malic acid. The chemical building block malic acid is…
Synfuels China Technology Co. (Beijing; www.synfuelschina.com.cn) says it has developed a high-temperature slurry Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process (flowsheet) that produces mainly clean diesel, naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products, with unique features including: high productivity of proprietary catalyst; efficient recovery…
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (www.ajinomoto.com) and Bridgestone Corp. (Both Tokyo, Japan; www.bridgestone.com) have jointly developed a bio-based, high- cis-polyisoprene synthetic rubber. The two companies began an R&D cooperation in June 2011 to combine their know-how — Ajinomoto’s state-of-the-art fermentation technologies for…
A new particle-size measurement technique has been developed and used to evaluate filter retention efficiency for particles with an average diameter of 12 nm by C.T. Associates Inc. (Eden Prairie, Minn.; www.ctassociatesinc.com) and W.L. Gore and Associates (Newark, Del.; www.gore.com).…
A new electrolysis cell At Achema 2012, ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany; www.uhde.eu) introduced a new generation of its single-element electrolysis cell, Generation 6, which offers improved energy consumption and increased active-membrane area. These improvements are due to an…
French researchers from the Institut Européen des Membranes (CNRS/ENSCM, Université Montpiellier; www.iemm.univ-mont2.fr) and the Institut de Chimie Radicalaire (CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université) have developed what is claimed to be the first dynamic membrane for water filtration that not only can adjust…