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Chementator Briefs – Technology News for Nov. 2024
Electrifying industrial heat Calectra (Oakland, Calif.; www.calectra.com) has received $1.6 million in pre-seed funding and $400,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Government and New York State to support its work on decarbonizing industrial process heat. Heavy industrial processes, like…
Innovations in ‘green’ chemistry
Striving to make products and processes safer, more efficient, more sustainable, more economical and more environmentally friendly has long been the goal of research and applied scientists and engineers. For the past 28 years, new and innovative “green” chemistry technologies…
New method lowers energy required for production of cellulose nanofibers
Because of their excellent mechanical properties, light weight and biodegradability, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are attractive materials for next-generation reinforced biomaterials and bioplastics. However, the method for separating cellulose to make CNF, known as fibrillation, is energy-intensive, which limits applications for…
Rotary Valves Can Prevent Stem Seal Woes
Consider the potential for stem seal leakage when selecting a valve Experienced process control engineers follow familiar, time-tested steps when presented with a new system to design and specify. Selecting a control valve for a process always requires the same…
Focus on Analyzers
A handheld Raman device for material identification This company’s handheld 1,064-nm Raman Progeny analyzer (photo) is used for raw material identification, in-process analysis and authentication of finished products in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Traditional processes can include laboratory analysis, a costly and…
Coriolis Flowmeters: Insights for Selection and Upgrade
Coriolis mass flowmeters are available with a range of body styles and transmitters, enabling significant functionality improvements without sensor replacement Coriolis meters have long been a mainstay in the chemical process industries (CPI), providing highly accurate mass-flow measurements for raw-material…
Show Preview: Valve World Conference & Expo
The Valve World Conference & Expo (www.valveworldexpo.com) is being held December 3–5 in Düsseldorf, Germany. One of the world’s largest events for industrial valve technologies, this year’s Valve World boasts nearly 400 exhibitors covering the full spectrum of the industry.…
Process for electrolytically converting CO2 to carbon materials to be scaled up
With a recent round of investment funding, UP Catalyst (Tallinn, Estonia; www.upcatalyst.com) plans to build a pilot plant for a process that converts waste carbon dioxide into a range of solid carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes, (CNTs), graphite and…
A non-toxic co-solvent makes batteries safer and more efficient
The solvent N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) has been used to coat anodes and cathodes in lithium-ion batteries, but it has been shown to be a reproductive toxin, necessitating controlled handling and recycling within a closed system, which adds complexity and cost to…
A nearly universal electrolyte chemistry for safer, longer-lasting batteries
The electrolytes used in nearly all lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries are carbonate-based, which makes them flammable and prone to degradation mechanisms, including side reactions, which can result in gas evolution and the formation of undesirable chemicals like hydrogen fluoride. A…