Latest News
Micro-hydropower systems produce renewable electricity inside pipelines
A first-of-its-kind energy-recovery system harnesses the energy of water flow and pressure in pipelines to produce renewable energy. The patented HydroXS unit, developed by InPipe Energy, Inc. (Portland, Ore.; www.inpipeenergy.com) in collaboration with Grundfos Corp. (Brookshire, Tex.; www.grundfos.com/us), is a…
Business News: September 2025
Plant Watch Chevron Phillips Chemical completes LV PAO expansion in Belgium August 12, 2025 — Chevron Phillips Chemical L.P. (CPChem; The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) has completed the expansion of its low-viscosity polyalphaolefins (LV PAO) production unit in Beringen, Belgium, significantly…
This process can fully mineralize PFAS with no toxic byproducts
Breaking the stable carbon-fluorine bonds within per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of the most significant challenges in mitigating persistent PFAS pollution. The Hydrothermal Alkaline Technology (HALT; diagram), invented at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.; www.mines.edu) and…
Novel reactor addresses limitations of pyrolysis for plastics recycling
Pyrolysis has received much attention as a technology capable of breaking down waste plastics in recycling processes, but existing pyrolysis approaches often give rise to products with broad molar mass distributions and poor yields. Catalysts can improve yield and selectivity,…
Switchable solvent supports freshwater extraction from hypersaline brine
Extremely high-salinity water streams present difficulties for many types of processing equipment, such as membranes and filters, and most commercial treatment methods involve thermal evaporators or crystallization, which are energy-intensive and require special anti-corrosion materials. A new membrane-less, non-evaporative process…
Avenues for Decarbonizing the Steel Industry
Energy- and carbon-intensive, steel production is categorized as one of the most “hard-to-abate” industries, making the scaleup of decarbonization technologies crucial not only for steelmakers themselves, but for every downstream industry in the supply chain Responsible for some 9% of…
Process Analytical Technology and the Role of Raman Spectroscopy
Process analytical technology (PAT) approaches allow continuous monitoring and real-time control of processes. Among the key monitoring technologies is Raman spectroscopy, which offers inline measurement that can reduce personnel time and sampling complexity The chemical industry faces new challenges with…
Carbon dioxide removal combined with desalination
Most existing carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) approaches have focused on air, but the volumetric concentration of dissolved inorganic CO2 in surface water is much higher (150X) than its concentration in the atmosphere. Removing CO2 from water could prove to be a…
Focus On: Pumps
A dispenser for abrasive and viscous fluids NEMO dispensers (photo) are designed for precise dosing and metering of abrasive and viscous fluids. With the ability to handle a wide range of viscosities, shear-sensitive materials and entrained solids, NEMO dispensers deliver…
Editor’s page: Welcome to Chemical Engineering
This month’s column gives a brief overview of the Chemical Engineering brand. While long-term readers need no introduction to the magazine, newer readers might be interested in the history of the magazine and what we cover. Perhaps even long-term readers…