Latest News
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.…
Chemical-Resistant Polymers in Corrosive Applications
Fluorinated plastics can be used as internal linings in process-equipment components for highly corrosive applications in chemical processing, and material development has allowed conductivity and compliance with food-contact applications The industrial production of chemicals forms the foundation for a wide…
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…
Business News: July 2026
Plant Watch Air Liquide starts up CO2-capture pilot unit at Holcim cement facility June 11, 2026 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) started up its first industrial-scale pilot unit specifically designed for the cement sector, based on its proprietary…
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…
New insights into graphene oxide’s strengthening effects in concrete could accelerate commercial development
The nanomaterial graphene oxide (GO) has been investigated as a way to improve concrete strength, but reported results of GO’s effects have been inconsistent and detailed understanding of the mechanisms of its strength-enhancing effects has been elusive. New studies by…
INEOS Enterprises completes sale of INEOS Calabrian to Ecovyst
INEOS Enterprises announced the completion of the sale of INEOS Calabrian, its ultra-pure sulfur dioxide and derivatives business, to Ecovyst Inc. (Malvern, Pa.). The transaction, valued at $190 million, marks the successful conclusion of a strategic divestment first announced in…
Endress+Hauser opens two new facilities in the U.S.
The Endress+Hauser Group (Reinach, Switzerland) opened two new facilities in the United States in June 2026. With these locations in Greenwood, Indiana, and Edgmont, Pennsylvania, the company is further expanding its presence in the country and strengthening its collaboration with…
Novel forward osmosis–membrane distillation system deployed for pharma ingredients production
Japanese pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Peptistar has integrated Asahi Kasei Corp.'s novel forward osmosis–membrane distillation (FO–MD) system into its facility for trial production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Asahi Kasei announced in 2018 the development of a…
Alfa Laval to provide pre-treatment technology for Acelen’s biorefinery in Brazil
Alfa Laval AB (Lund, Sweden) announced the signing of a 1.1 billion SEK (102 million EUR) contract to supply Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) pre-treatment technology for Acelen's new biorefinery project in Brazil. The order will be fulfilled in phases until…