Latest News
The shifting workforce landscape
A recent Wall Street Journal article [1] described numerous job postings in which employers bluntly describe that they expect employees to hustle and work long hours. The article quotes, for example, a listing that says “If you’re looking for work-life…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Design Considerations for Electric Process Heaters
Process electrification is gaining interest as a solution to industrial CO2 emissions, which account for 20% of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. [1]. Several technologies are emerging for electric process heating, including electrode steam boilers and high-temperature heat pumps,…
Selection of Pressure Regulators
Selecting pressure regulators can be complicated because many different types exist and each has specific functionalities. Presented here is guidance for evaluating pressure-control needs based on process conditions, and for selecting the best regulator Delivering consistently on-specification products is a…
Proactive Dust Control Using Advanced Technologies
Integrated solutions include monitoring, collection and control to help manage complex risks Dust control is essential for safety, operational efficiency, product quality and regulatory compliance in the chemical process industries (CPI). Many of the materials handled in chemical facilities are…
Business News: August 2025
Plant Watch Wacker commissions new ultra-pure polysilicon plant in Burghausen, Germany July 17, 2025 — Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) commissioned its new production line for the manufacture of ultra-pure semiconductor-grade polysilicon at its Burghausen production site in Germany.…
New dry electrode for aqueous batteries boosts promise of zinc-iodine batteries
The growing need for energy-storage solutions for a gamut of applications from electronic devices to large-scale energy systems has spurred an increase in research for innovative technologies. Considerable attention is being given to new chemistries beyond the widely used lithium-ion…
Method for improving mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced composites
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites are attractive materials for applications requiring lightweight, strong components, such as aviation and automotive. However, their performance has been partially limited by the bonds between the polymer matrix and the embedded carbon fibers. Now, researchers at Oak…
New material sets a world record for the fastest lithium-ion conductivity
A patent-pending material developed at the Technical University of Munich (TUM; www.tum.de) has achieved the fastest-ever conductivity of lithium ions, and is now poised to significantly improve the efficiency of future solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries, often seen as a more…
Executive Insights: AVEVA
In this exclusive interview, Stephen Reynolds, industry principal for Chemicals at AVEVA, offers his perspective on the goals, challenges and accomplishments of the company A chemical engineer by training, Reynolds worked in chemical operations throughout his career, focusing on continuous…
Building Safety Maturity through Mechanical Integrity
Robust mechanical integrity programs can provide a fresh approach to process safety management and can help drive organizations toward operational excellence Every journey begins with understanding where you are and where you want to go. And for any chemical processing…