Decomposing limestone (CaCO3) into quicklime (burnt limestone; CaO) releases significant CO2 emissions, both from the combustion of fuel needed to heat the kiln to temperatures over 1,000°C, and by the release of CO2 from the reaction itself (CaCO3 → CaO…
A group of researchers from the University of Arizona (Tucson; www.arizona.edu), led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Jeff Pyun, are aiming to make use of sulfur waste streams from petroleum refineries. To meet environmental regulations, sulfur must be removed from…
A new solid form of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is showing promise as a highly effective antimicrobial agent. PCT Ltd. (Little River, S.C.; www.para-con.com) and Onza Corp. (Denver, Colo.; www.onzacorp.com) achieved what is said to be the industry’s first-ever successful “crystallization”…
Copper-catalyzed electrochemical reduction offers a path for making valuable chemicals, such as ethanol or ethylene, from CO2. However, selectively generating sufficient yields of two-carbon products requires precise manipulation of the microenvironment near the surface to control reaction activity and product…
A team of researchers, led by professor Myoung-Jin Kim, from Korea Maritime and Ocean University (Busan, South Korea; www.kmou.ac.kr), has developed a process that recovers calcium-free magnesium sulfate from seawater desalination brine (SDB). The process, described in a recent issue…
CO2 Separation Conventional DDR-type zeolite membranes are well suited for separating CO2 from different-sized molecules, such as methane, which is present in associated gas or natural gas. However, such membranes are not very efficient for separating CO2 from O2 or…
In lubricated systems, varnish and deposits can form on metal surfaces as lubricant oils degrade, often leading to inefficient operations and equipment failure. There are many chemical cleaning products to break down varnish, but the effectiveness of these compounds in…
The prospects for a bio-based route to acrylates (diagram) received a significant boost recently, when startup company Låkril Technologies Corp. (Chicago, Ill.; www.lakril.com) licensed technology from the laboratory of Paul Dauenhauer at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.; twin-cities.umn.edu). Dauenhauer…
The synthetic biology company Kalion Inc. (Milton, Mass.; www.kalioninc.com) recently completed its first commercial-scale production run of high-purity (98–99%) glucaric acid via fermentation of glucose at a custom-manufacturing facility owned by Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com). The high purities…
Aluminum is used for a number of applications because it is lighter than iron and easy to machine. However, Al is usually alloyed with Cu, Mg or other elements for improved strength. Developing such alloys that maintain their strength at…