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Scale-Up Considerations for New Technologies
Scaling up new technologies is a strategic challenge requiring foresight and disciplined execution. Success demands designing pilot plants with scalability in mind. Applying a set of principles outlined here can reduce risk, improve investor confidence and enhance the likelihood of…
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…
Pilot plant launched for process that makes lime sustainably from industrial waste
Calcining limestone (CaCO3) to produce lime (CaO) is a key industrial process for making cement, steel and chemicals, among other uses. Lime production is a target for CO2-abatement efforts because it generates a great deal of CO2 emissions, not only…
Organic flow-battery electrolyte powered by a supramolecular “handshake”
Flow batteries have been widely deployed in large-scale energy-storage applications in recent years, but the low energy density and high cost of the incumbent vanadium electrolyte limit the long-term return on investment of such systems. A new organic redox flow-battery…
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…
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…
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…
Air Liquide and Holcim announce carbon-capture project at cement plant in Belgium
Air Liquide S.A. (Paris) and Holcim (Zug, Switzerland) reach a new stage in their collaboration with the signing of an agreement to develop a state-of-the-art carbon capture solution for Holcim’s near-zero cement plant at Obourg in Belgium. Air Liquide has been…
Enhanced automatic loading and unloading systems for freeze dryers
When loading a freeze dryer, human intervention increases the risk of contamination by the operator or the product. ALUS® automatic loading and unloading systems minimize this risk while reducing processing times, improving productivity, and lowering operating costs through the use…