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Quantitative microbial monitoring for corrosion-relevant organisms

LuminUltra Technologies Ltd. (Fredericton, N.B., Canada; www.luminultra.com) recently launched a suite of DNA-based monitoring tools specifically designed to address organisms linked to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). The collection enables industrial users to collect, prepare and test samples for a range…

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A direct, biocatalytic route from CO2 to ethylene

LanzaTech Inc. (Chicago, Ill.; www.lanzatech.com) has developed a genetically engineered bacterium capable of converting carbon dioxide directly to ethylene, the most widely used chemical building block globally. The company has incorporated the engineered biocatalyst into a continuous process in a…

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Chementator Briefs [December 2022]

Li extraction A new technology is going to be introduced at the Schlumberger NeoLith Energy direct lithium-extraction (DLE) project in Clayton Valley, Nev. Developed by Gradiant Ventures (Boston, Mass.; www.gradiant.com), the technology enables high levels of lithium concentration (while simultaneously…

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New smelting furnace enables the use of lower-grade ore in DRI ironmaking

In late October, Metso Outotec Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.mogroup.com) introduced the DRI (direct reduced iron) Smelting Furnace to substitute blast furnaces used in iron- and steelmaking. The furnace was developed to tolerate high-slag volumes, which are problematic for a conventional…

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Selective production of MEG from CO2 in a single step

The startup company RenewCO2 (Piscataway, N.J.; www.renewco2.com) has developed a catalyzed electrochemical process for selectively producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) in a single step using byproduct carbon dioxide from other processes as feedstock. MEG is important industrially because it is the…

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New method selectively extracts magnesium salt from seawater

Magnesium metal is important for several emerging potential sustainability-related applications, including carbon capture, low-carbon cement and energy storage. These potential applications are driving efforts to efficiently produce magnesium hydroxide, the raw material for manufacturing Mg metal. It is possible to…

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World’s largest AEM electrolyzer launched in California

An emerging electrolyzer technology for renewable hydrogen production is the anion-exchange membrane (AEM), which provides efficiency and cost benefits over other electrolyzer configurations. Until now, most AEM installations have been small, as the membrane assemblies’ size and durability limited the…

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Chementator Briefs

Catalysts by AM In late September, BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) introduced X3D, a new additive-manufacturing (AM; 3D printing) technology for shaping catalysts. Catalysts produced with this technology feature an open structure, resulting in a reduction of the pressure drop…

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Engineering duckweed to increase oil production

Scientists at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL; Upton, N.Y.; www.bnl.gov) and collaborators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL; Laurel Hollow, N.Y.; www.cshl.edu) have genetically engineered a strain of duckweed (Lemna japonica) to produce high yields of…

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A process for making improved composite insulation material

Hollow silica particles (HSPs) are materials of interest for thermal insulation applications because of their very low thermal conductivity, but the particles pose health hazards and the powder is impractical to use, so scientists have been trying to incorporate HSPs…