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Next-generation safety valves redesigned for visual inspection

KSE 3.0 safety valves (photo) replace their predecessor’s polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) housing lining with PFA copolymer, which is thermoplastic processable and transparent, facilitating visual quality inspection of the lining. For a seamless replacement, the leg dimensions of the new PFA-lined safety…

Coated ribbon blender for sensitive applications

This company’s purpose-built perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)-coated ribbon blender (photo) is engineered to meet the needs of sensitive and challenging applications where stainless steel or carbon steel may not be suitable. The interior of the trough, the double ribbon agitator, bolted stub…

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Substituting cobalt in high-strength alloys

A team of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) recently unveiled a modified version of the “superalloy” Inconel 617, in which cobalt — a component of the alloy that is also a critical material with significant…

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Enzyme engineering breaks out of the cell

A new approach to enzyme engineering has overcome many of the operating challenges associated with large-scale bio-based manufacturing processes by designing enzymes that can thrive outside living cells, eliminating complexity and improving reaction yields. eXoZymes’ (Monrovia, Calif.; www.exozymes.com) cell-free enzyme…

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Nanofiltration approach recovers aluminum from process waste

The industrial production of aluminum involves electrolysis of alumina (Al2O3) in molten cryolite, a mineral used as a solvent for the aluminum oxide raw material. Over time, the cryolite accumulates impurities, such as sodium, lithium and potassium ions, which degrade…

Focus On: Personal Protective Equipment

Coveralls for chemical and fire protection This company’s recently launched Tychem® 6000 SFR is a lightweight, hooded garment (photo) designed to help protect people working in challenging environments against multiple chemical and flash-fire hazards. Tychem garments may be suitable for…

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A world-first process for recycling aluminum-smelter waste to be piloted in Tasmania

Aluminum smelting operations require molten cryolite, also commonly called bath, to serve as the electrolyte and dissolve alumina. A typical smelter produces excess bath over time, and there are few markets for reuse or recycle of this material, especially as…

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Plant Watch: April 2025

Plant Watch Saint-Gobain Ceramics to construct catalyst carriers plant in New York March 11, 2025 — Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France; www.saint-gobain.com), through its subsidiary Saint-Gobain NorPro, intends to build a new manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, N.Y. With an investment of…

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Nanofibers dramatically increase catalytic activity for ultra-low-iridium electrolysis

Decreasing the dependence on expensive platinum-group metals like iridium is vital for the expansion of “green” hydrogen production via proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. Efforts to develop lower-iridium catalytic components for electrolysis have typically focused on mixing iridium into a…

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Upcycling of difficult plastics with metathesis

Polybutadiene (PB) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are widely used polymers in a number of products (including vehicle tires, kitchen appliances, computer hardware, toys and others), but are not generally recycled. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL; Oak Ridge,…