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Commercial testing set for ‘smooth’ emulsification technology

A new emulsification process, known as Smooth, has been developed by Velocys, Inc. (Columbus, Ohio; www.velocys.com) — a member of the Oxford Catalyst Group Plc. (Abingdon, U.K.) — and is now ready for testing at the commercial scale. Smooth technology…

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A step toward industrial production of perillic acid

Last month, Brain AG (Zwingenberg; www.brain-biotech.de) and Dechema e.V. (Frankfurt am Main, both Germany; www.dechema.de) began a collaboration in the biotechnological production of perillic acid — a patented natural monoterpene owned by Brain, with promising applications as a bioactive compound…

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Making a polyester feedstock from coal

Ube Industries, Ltd. (UBE; www. ube-ind.co.jp) and HighChem Co. (both Tokyo; www.highchem.co.jp) will license their technologies for transforming coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas) into manufacturing ethylene glycol (MEG) — a polyester feedstock — to Qianxixian Qianxi Coal Chemical Investment Co. (Guizhou,…

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A lower-energy approach to natural gas ‘sweetening’

A new method for removing hydrogen sulfide from natural gas at ambient temperatures could allow significant energy savings compared to the current technique and increase the range of H2S concentrations in natural gas that are economically viable to extract from…

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A scaled up microreactor for mass production

M Technique Co. (M Tech; Osaka, Japan; www.m-technique.co.jp) has commercialized the Ulrea SS-300, a scaled up version of the Ulrea SS-11 — a forced thin-film microreactor. With a production capacity nearly ten times higher than its predecessor, the Ulrea SS-300…

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Vegetable-oil-based chemicals plant soon to be fully operational

In spring of this year, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM; Decatur, Ill.; www.adm.com) plans full operation of a chemical plant based on soybean and canola oils as renewable feedstock. Products of the plant will include refined glycerin, propylene glycol and…

Improved ethylene-oxide scrubber design can meet stringent regulations

Improvements in the design of ethylene oxide (EtO) scrubbers made by The Clean Air Group, Croll Reynolds Co. (Parsippany, N.J.; www.croll.com) have helped users meet increasingly stringent regulations for EtO emissions, as well as meet tower height restrictions. “Our designs…

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Graphene improves the performance of water deionization

A research team from the University of South Australia (Adelaide; www.unisa.edu.au) and the East China Normal University (Shanghai; www.ecnu.edu.cn) has developed a capacitive deionization technology (CDI) that uses graphene-like nanoflakes as electrodes, instead of conventionally used activated carbon (AC) materials.…

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Zero-liquid-discharge desalination system offers brine disposal alternative

A desalination system developed by Watervap LLC (Marble Hill, Ga.; www.h2ovap.com) separates saltwater of any concentration into highly purified water and dry solid minerals with high efficiency. The company’s Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) process represents a low-cost alternative to brine…

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A new catalyst for C-C and crossed-coupling

Tokyo Chemical Industry Co. (TCI; Tokyo; www.tokyokasei.co.jp) is planning full-scale production of a new palladium-complex catalyst, trade-named SingaCycle-E1, for performing Heck-Mizoroki carbon-carbon coupling reactions and the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction — both reactions of importance for producing pharmaceuticals. TCI says SingaCycle-E1…