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Business News: June 2026
Plant Watch BASF commissions new fermentation plant in Ludwigshafen May 11, 2026 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) announced that its Agricultural Solutions business commissioned a new fermentation plant for biological and biotechnology-based products at the Ludwigshafen site. The products…
Focus On: Compressors, Fans and Blowers
This compressor delivers high flow in a compact design The latest addition to this company’s DrillAir family of portable air compressors is the X-Air+ 800-20 (photo). Delivering up to 800 ft3/min, the model is said to deliver high flow at…
Innovative Membrane and Filter Technologies Reduce Downtime
New materials, designs and digitalization provide cost-effective, long-term membrane-system performance Chemical processors prioritize uptime and high performance in membrane and filtration systems, so innovative technologies are being developed to minimize downtime and provide more cost-effective long-term performance in challenging chemical…
Plasma in Practice: Low-Emission Flaring Technology Moves Forward
A novel flare-stack configuration utilizing plasma technology has transitioned from the research stage to a commercial-scale operating site Amidst ambitious sustainability goals and the drive toward “net zero” emissions, engineering and research teams across the globe are developing and evaluating…
You and Your Job: Pursuing Early Internships
Traditionally, student engineering internships are undertaken after completion of third-year undergraduate coursework, but earlier internships can provide benefits both to students and to companies The importance of internships to students and companies has been discussed in earlier articles [1–3] and…
Pilot-scale production of gasoline and naphtha from carbon dioxide
A team of researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT; Daejeon, South Korea; www.krict.re.kr), along with industry partners, has developed catalyst and process technology that converts carbon dioxide into liquid hydrocarbons, such as gasoline and naphtha, without…
Commercial-scale plant for conversion of polyolefin waste to fuels proceeds toward FID
The final investment decision (FID) for a plant in Baytown, Tex. that will convert polyolefin waste into fuels and petrochemical feedstocks is anticipated near the end of 2026. The facility, operated by Abundia Global Impact Group Inc. (AGIG; Houston, Tex., www.abundiaimpact.com),…
Micro-architectural alterations remove hurdles that hinder hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells, which use hydrogen and oxygen to generate clean electricity and pure water, are considered among the most promising clean energy sources. However, the accumulation of liquid water inside hydrogen fuel cells is a major roadblock to efficient…
Volatility, Value and Visibility: Rethinking Raw-Material Strategies
Due to current global conditions, raw-material considerations — volatility in particular — are now being taken into account earlier, and integrated more intimately, into project planning and management strategies Over the past few years, raw materials have moved from the…
Targeted magnetic system recovers valuable iron phosphate from sewage sludge
Many wastewater-treatment plants rely on iron-based coagulation to remove phosphorus from water. Following treatment with iron-based coagulants, most iron present in the sewage sludge is in the form of an iron-phosphate mineral known as vivianite. A patented technology called ViviMag…