Latest News
Stamicarbon awarded contract to upgrade urea plant in China
MAIRE S.p.A. (Milan) announced that NEXTCHEM, through its subsidiary Stamicarbon, the nitrogen fertilizer technology licensor, has been selected to provide the Process Design Package to upgrade the Hulunbeier New Gold Chemical Co., Ltd.’s urea plant in Hulunbuir (China), leveraging on…
Pilot project planned for thermocatalytic ethanol-to-butene process
In December 2024, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) announced a three-year collaborative project with vehicle-tire manufacturer Bridgestone (Tokyo, Japan; www.bridgestone.com) to scale up a thermocatalytic process for converting renewably derived ethanol to n-butene. Conventionally, n-butene is…
Focus On: Laboratory Equipment
Monitoring capabilities for shared laboratory spaces This product, launched as part of this company’s Dashboard solution (photo), is designed to add alerting capabilities to centrally located devices within a shared laboratory space, such as a cleanroom. The product introduces visual…
These dust-control fans are now ATEX certified
This company has recently secured full ATEX Zone 22 certifications for its EX200 and EX205 2-hp dust-control fans (photo). These fans are designed explicitly to provide proactive protection against fugitive combustible dust in hard-to-reach areas, enabling users to operate more…
Moisture measurement in hazardous environments
This company’s explosion-proof sensor (photo) combines near-infrared technology with robust safety features, providing accuracy and reliability in explosive atmospheres. This sensor offers protection through a certified explosion-proof enclosure with conduits, unions, elbows and nipples for secure external connections. Even in…
Flow chemistry yields a more sustainable route to isocyanates
The wide range of performance properties of polyurethane foams makes them essential in many consumer goods. Thus, there is much effort going into creating a more environmentally friendly production process for polyurethane’s main building blocks, polyols and isocyanates. While much…
Business News: February 2025
Plant Watch Messer to construct $70-million air-separation unit in Arkansas January 15, 2025 — Messer Group GmbH (Bad Soden, Germany; www.messergroup.com) has announced a strategic investment of over $70 million to construct a state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Berryville,…
High-performance drive units with cybersecurity built in
Sinamics G220 (photo) is a new multi-purpose, adjustable-speed drive that features built-in technology to reduce harmonics by up to 97% — without the need for an a.c. line reactor or d.c. choke. Sinamics G220 drives have an integrated web server…
On-demand ammonia production from atmospheric air
Nearly all ammonia is produced using methane via the Haber-Bosch process, which requires high-temperature and high-pressure operation. A new portable prototype device developed by researchers from Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.; www.stanford.edu) and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Dhahran,…
Heat Exchange Solutions Support Sustainability in the CPI
Developments in heat exchange technologies promote efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness in the chemical process industries (CPI) Heat exchange technologies play a pivotal role in industrial sustainability efforts because they are at the forefront of enabling more environmentally friendly chemical…