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Ionomer-free plastic for vacuum packaging applications results from collaboration
Ionomers (polymers that can form cross-links between chains due to ionized functional groups) are often used for vacuum-packaged products because they have the strength needed to resist puncture and tearing when vacuum is applied. Due to material shortages for ionomer…
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…
Pilot project debuts integrated hydrogen storage and transport using aqueous-salt technology
Hydrogen production is expanding across the globe, but hydrogen gas remains difficult and costly to store and transport, restricting its broader use. A pilot project in Germany is demonstrating for the first time a salt-based process for long-term hydrogen storage.…
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.…
Electrified process converts CO2 and biochar into industrial products
The production of salable co-products can substantially improve the economics for CO2 conversion processes. A new electrified thermochemical process developed by startup Reduciner Oy (Espoo, Finland; www.reduciner.com) combines captured CO2 streams with biochar to produce carbon monoxide, along with activated…
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…
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…
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,…
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…