Last month, Metso Outotec Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.mogroup.com) introduced NextGen Pelletizing — a visionary concept for the next generation of iron-ore pelletizing plants that strive to be carbon neutral and autonomous. According to the company, the combination of innovations —…
Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis uses a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) that integrates the electrolyte membrane and electrode (diagram). Large-scale hydrogen conversion of electricity requires a large number of MEAs, which is a drawback for scaleup, because the MEA relies on…
In August, Synhelion S.A. (Lugano, Switzerland; www.synhelion.com) became the first company in the world to produce synthesis gas (syngas) on an industrial scale using only solar heat as an energy source. The milestone occurred on the multifocus solar tower of…
Rare-earth materials are a crucial part of high-performance magnets in many electronic devices. Right now, only about 5% of these magnets are recycled, but tapping into end-of-life electronics is a promising and more sustainable source for rare-earth materials, the vast…
At Achema 2022 (Frankfurt am Main, Germany; August 22–26), a new compressor designed for hydrogen service was launched by Aerzen Machinenfabrik GmbH (Aerzen, Germany; www.aerzen.com). “We consider this solution to be the game changer in the market,” said Michael Leitsch,…
Electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide offers a pathway to use CO2 as a feedstock, but the reaction is challenging because it requires catalyst molecules and dissolved CO2 to meet on the electrode surface. One approach to help this…
Organic-solvent nanofiltration (NF) uses membranes with tiny pores to remove dissolved molecules. “Although NF is more energy efficient than alternative separation methods, such as distillation, the majority of polymer-based membranes exhibit poor chemical stability,” says Rifan Hardian, a post-doctoral researcher…
For the first time, researchers have proven that multigene bioengineering of photosynthesis increases the yield of the major food crop soybean in field trials. An international collaborative team of the RIPE project (Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency), led by the University…
Researchers from Chung-Ang University (Seoul, South Korea; https://neweng.cau.ac.kr) have developed a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is operable via breathing and can, therefore, be integrated into gas masks. The device is capable of powering LEDs and Bluetooth trackers, and can monitor…
E-Cracking Last month, construction began on the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale, electrically heated steam cracker furnaces. The demonstration plant will be fully integrated into one of the existing steam crackers at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It…