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Kiln-free, bio-based “sintering” makes low-carbon, ceramic-like materials
A new process called BioSintering takes advantage of plant-based bio-active molecules to fuse together particles at mild temperatures, yielding an alternative material for conventional ceramic tiles with a much lower carbon footprint. Developed by Dekiln (Manchester, U.K.; www.dekiln.com), the technology…
A faster, lower-temperature method for generating graphite with iron-oxide catalyst
Traditional methods for making graphite involve heating premium needle coke and coal-tar pitch at temperatures above 3,000ºC in a process that requires several days of heating and cooling. A new process developed by researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory…
Novel saltwater fermentation process yields seaweed-based bioplastics
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a class of biodegradable plastic materials that can be produced via a range of biological processes. Due to their versatile production pathways and physical properties, they have become an emerging alternative to fossil-based plastics. A new production…
Can We Skip Pilot and Demonstration Studies?
When scaling up from laboratory experiments to full-scale production, there are a strong set of reasons for constructing intermediate pilot-scale plants, but there are also some scale-up situations where it may pay off to skip the pilot studies Pilot-plant studies…
Drive to Zero Process Safety: Mapping Cultural Risk Factors
Proactive culture evaluation closes the gap between root causes and cultural factors to promote sustainable safety leadership while also preventing recurring accidents and chronic incidents Incident investigations commonly show that human factors have led to process safety issues. Yet, despite…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Generative AI Use Cases in the CPI
Many in the chemical process industries (CPI) view generative artificial intelligence (genAI) as a powerful augmentation layer for the modern chemical workforce, and one that can unlock insights faster, lead to leaner operations and provide a more intuitive interface between…
Porous electrodes enable high-pressure electrolysis
Much hydrogen produced via water electrolysis (“green” hydrogen) requires downstream compression for end use or storage. A new electrolyzer concept developed by Supercritical Solutions Ltd. (London; www.supercritical.solutions) produces high-pressure hydrogen using a membraneless technology. “Supercritical’s technology outputs hydrogen at pressures…
Thermal management system for data centers boosts cooling efficiency and shrinks footprint
Fast-growing power densities within the server racks at new data centers often generate enough heat to quickly overwhelm legacy air- and liquid-cooling methods, and managing the thermal load is becoming a constraint for the data-center infrastructure that supports AI. A…
New technology unlocks longer lifespan for all-solid-state batteries
A new manufacturing technique is helping to overcome some of the major hurdles in developing more reliable and durable all-solid-state batteries. Combining a controlled sintering step with precise passivation, researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute PSI (Villigen, Switzerland; www.psi.ch) focused on…
CSB issues final investigation report on July 2023 ethylene oxide release at Dow site in Louisiana
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB; Washington, D.C.; www.csb.gov) released its final investigation report into the July 2023 explosions, fires, and toxic ethylene oxide (EtO) release at the Dow Chemical Company’s (Dow) Louisiana Operations Glycol II plant…