The development of denitrification catalysts that can reduce nitrate and nitrite to N2 is critical for sustaining the nitrogen cycle. However, regulating the catalytic selectivity has proven to be a challenge, due to the difficulty of controlling complex multi-electron/proton reactions.…
A thermal-membrane process system, based on the Joule-Thompson effect (JTE) for treating wastewater with high salinity or with a high-level of inorganic contents has been developed by Thermosift Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (Asaripallam, Tamil Nadu, India; www.thermosift.com). The system operates at…
C2H2 hydrogenation Last month, Clariant (Munich, Germany; www.clariant.com) launched OleMax 260, a new selective acetylene-hydrogenation catalyst, which is said to have extremely high ethylene selectivity and operational stability. Specially developed for ethylene producers with “front-end” process configurations, OleMax 260 offers…
One of the major obstacles to making hydrogen economically by splitting water is the high cost of noble-metal electrodes. Less expensive, non-noble metals only function as electrocatalysts under alkaline conditions, where the reaction requires more electricity. Now, professor Ryoichi Ito…
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China; www.cas.cn), led by professor Ying-Jie Zhu, have reported a “smart” fire-alarm wallpaper prepared using ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires and graphene oxide thermosensitive sensors. At room temperature, the graphene-oxide sensor is an electrical…
Using ultraviolet (UV) radiation or ozone (or both) to oxidize air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a well-established treatment method in the chemical process industries (CPI). What is not so well known, however, is that for most…
Professor Toru Murayama at Tokyo Metropolitan University (Tokyo, Japan; www.haruta-masatake.ues.tmu.ac.jp), in collaboration with Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., has developed a vanadium oxide catalyst that removes oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from fluegas generated by the combustion of heavy fuel oil…
The world’s first pilot plant for manufacturing bio-based furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) began operating last month in Decatur, Ill. A collaboration between DuPont Industrial Biosciences (Wilmington, Del.; www.biosciences.dupont.com) and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM; Chicago, Ill.; www.adm.com), the 60-ton/yr…
The global textile industry generates a great deal of waste, and many efforts are taking place to make textile processing more sustainable. PolyOne Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio; www.polyone.com) has introduced a new fiber-colorant technology for polyester that incorporates proprietary high-pressure metering…
PET recycling Last month, Unilever N.V. (Rotterdam, the Netherlands.; www.unilever.com) announced a partnership with start-up company Ioniqa Technologies B.V. (Eindhoven, the Netherlands; www.ioniqa.com) and the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin producer Indorama Ventures plc (Bangkok, Thailand; www.indoramaventures.com) to pioneer a new…