By replacing traditional silicon or graphite anode materials with specially crystallized niobium, manufacturers can overcome some of the safety and power limitations of traditional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Echion Technologies Ltd. (Cambridge, U.K.; www.echiontech.com) has developed a proprietary mixed niobium-oxide active…
Among the major challenges facing efforts to chemically recycle common waste plastics is that many methods require a pure stream of a single type of polymer to be effective. Now, researchers at Northwestern University (NU; Evanston, Ill.; www.northwestern.edu), led by…
The ability to forecast costs, align budgets and maintain control throughout the lifecycle of a project can mean the difference between delivering value and facing costly overruns In asset-intensive industries, such as energy, chemicals, power and infrastructure, the balance between…
The production of commercially important hydrocarbons from synthesis gas (syngas; mixtures of H2 and CO) using the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process is a key strategy for making fuels and chemicals from a range of non-petroleum feedstocks. But F-T processes are relatively…
Pharmaceutical residues, particularly from antibiotics, are extremely difficult to fully remove from wastewater using traditional bulk-treatment methods, wherein antibiotic compounds are often only partially broken down. Even at trace amounts, antibiotic fragments can accumulate and wreak havoc on natural ecosystems.…
Increased concern around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water is necessitating more robust mitigation techniques. There are many technologies that can effectively capture or destroy PFAS, but challenges remain surrounding large volumes of PFAS-laden solid waste and fluorinated byproducts.…
Palladium is widely used in membrane applications because of its extreme selectivity for hydrogen. However, conventional palladium membranes can be damaged at the high temperatures required for many processes that generate hydrogen for various subsequent uses, including the manufacture of…
All-in-one monitor, data-logger and converter for flow sensors The IFQ Monitor 2 (photo) is a user-friendly monitor, advanced data-logger and converter for this company’s flow sensors. The IFQ Monitor 2 ensures accurate liquid-flow measurement in open-water and full-pipe applications, providing…
In continuous processes, the properties and quality of the products depend on the residence time of different feed substances, and feed materials may not spend the same amount of time in a reactor. When designing equipment for continuous processes, it…
Siloxanes — synthetic chains of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms — are widely used in personal care products, soaps, pharmaceutical formulations and other products, but are notoriously difficult to manage in production- and waste-fluid streams. Current approaches, including flaring and…