Latest News: Technologies
Waste-based rubber can be joined or repaired catalytically
A new sustainable rubber that can, with an amine catalyst, be repaired and returned to its original strength in minutes, has been discovered by researchers from Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia; www.flinders.edu.au), the University of Western Australia (Perth), and the University…
Improved process for treating AMD waste recovers more rare earth elements
By modifying a traditional treatment method for acid mine drainage (AMD), researchers at Penn State University (PSU; State College, Pa.; www.psu.edu) were able to both reduce the amount of chemicals required for treatment and increase the amount of rare earth…
A step toward supercritical-carbon-dioxide power generation
Construction is complete on a new building to house a fully integrated electricity-generating power plant that will demonstrate operability and performance of a 10-MW power-generation facility using supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as the working fluid in a Brayton thermodynamic cycle.…
New method makes nanocellulose composites industrially viable
Cellulose nanoparticles are of great interest as constituents of polymer composite materials because they can dramatically increase strength and toughness in a range of different polymer types. “Cellulose nanoparticles can be thought of as a more sustainable version of carbon…
Chementator Briefs-Aug 2020
Curing with less Pt Silicone-release coatings generally use a platinum-based curing catalyst. Aiming to reduce the amount of this expensive precious metal, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.shinetsusilicones-global.com) has developed a Reduced-Platinum Reaction-Curing System Technology that lowers Pt usage by…
Italian industry-academic collaboration yields prototype machine for making new masks
The Marchesini Group S.p.A. (Pianoro Bologna, Italy; www.marchesini.com) and a multidisciplinary research group at Bologna University (www.unibo.it) have created a prototype that manufactures “super” filtering material for face masks with greater protection against viruses and bacteria compared to materials currently…
Commercial plant will recover salts from incinerator flyash
Ragn-Sells AB (Sollentuna, Sweden; www.ragnsells.com) has partnered Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (Zürich, Switzerland; www.hz-inova.com) for the construction of a new plant that is designed to extract resources from flyash — a toxic byproduct of waste incinerators that normally ends up…
Stainless-steel alloy for additive manufacturing
QuesTek Innovations LLC (Evanston, Ill.; www.questek.com) has introduced a stainless-steel powder designed for additive manufacturing (AM; 3D printing) that allows complex, high-strength parts to be made without the need for expensive post-treatments, such as cryogenic processing or high-temperature heat treatment.…
Turning plastic waste into high-quality winter diesel fuel
Using a proprietary technique and Clariant’s (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) Hydex E next-generation hydro-dewaxing catalyst, VUCHT a.s (Bratislava, Slovakia; www.vucht.sk) has successfully converted plastic waste into premium winter-fuel distillate. The efficacy of this process has now been proven in a pilot…
Significantly reduce cyanide consumption in refractory gold-ore treatment
Traditionally, cyanide consumption with conventional bio-oxidation residues is higher than with residues produced through other oxidative technologies. The Outotec MesoTherm BIOX process, based on its proven mesophile BIOX process, offers an easy, cost-effective upgrade path that can cut cyanide consumption…