Latest News
Patent granted on system for feeding biomass to high-pressure reactors
One of the challenges for biofuels manufacturing is reliably feeding low-density feedstocks into high-pressure reactors, because it is difficult to feed agricultural and forest residue, as well as municipal solid waste, into pressurized systems without bridging, compaction and flow instability.…
New Technologies Optimize Mixing Processes
Advanced designs and controls achieve complete mixing while reducing batch times In the chemical process industries (CPI), mixing is about more than simply combining raw materials. It plays a central role in product quality and process efficiency, but it is…
Tower Doctor: Should a Doctor Diagnose by a Hunch?
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers The C2 splitter tower is the final step in ethylene plant distillation. It separates a high-purity ethylene top product (typically a few hundred ppm ethane impurity) from the ethane recycle bottoms.…
Atomically thin photocatalysts unlock new pollution-degradation capabilities
Researchers at the University of Birmingham (www.birmingham.ac.uk) have demonstrated a new production method for ultra-thin catalysts, unlocking new capabilities for the catalytic breakdown of persistent water pollutants. “The production method takes layered materials as the precursor, disperses them in a…
Editor’s Page: Seeking Wise Counsel
The leadership expert Ken Blanchard said “None of us is as smart as all of us” — a phrase that applies to Chemical Engineering's process of editorial decision-making. One source of intelligence is the CE Editorial Advisory Board. We have…
Electrolysis at Scale: Unlocking Sustainable Lithium Hydroxide Production
Electrolysis-based lithium refining presents a promising alternative to conventional approaches, offering benefits related to reduced reagent consumption and effluent production, higher-purity products and an improved environmental footprint Electrolysis, a process that uses electric current to drive non-spontaneous chemical reactions, has…
World-first sewage-treatment trial proves comprehensive dual-phase PFAS removal
An ongoing large-scale demonstration project in Australia is the world’s first to apply a foam-fractionation technology to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a sewage-treatment plant. The Surface-Active Foam Fractionation (SAFF®) technology developed by EPOC Enviro (Emu Plains, NSW,…
Focus On: Temperature Measurement and Control
A temperature monitor to help reveal abnormal conditions The Synchros temperature monitor (photo) is designed to gather surface and ambient temperature data that can reveal abnormal conditions across assets such as pumps, heat exchangers, rotating equipment, steam systems and heat-tracing…
Circular-loop recycling for disposable baby diapers demonstrated in Europe
Disposable baby diapers are a challenging waste stream, because the absorbent polymers, non-woven fibers and organic material prevent them from mechanical-recycling processes. However, a three-way partnership has demonstrated a circular system for chemical recycling of disposable diapers. The project, involving…
Innovation in Respiratory Protection Systems
Investing in high-performance respiratory-protection technologies not only supports employee health and safety, but also strengthens the reliability and resilience of companies’ operating systems and workflows In countless sectors of the economy, workers are exposed to risks to their respiratory systems.…