Gallium and germanium are considered critical materials due to their multiple uses in semiconductors, optics, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and other high-technology applications. Current solvent-based extraction methods for recovering these elements suffer from significant drawbacks, such as low separation efficiency, poor…
Plant Watch Asahi Kasei starts operation of multi-module hydrogen pilot plant in Japan May 14, 2024 — Asahi Kasei Corp. (Tokyo; www.asahi-kasei.com) opened a new hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki, Japan. In the pilot plant, four 0.8-MW electrolyzer modules are…
Electrification provides an avenue for industrial decarbonization, but many electric-heating options cannot handle the high temperatures and scale required for industrial use. Electrified Thermal Solutions (ETS; Medford, Mass.; www.electrifiedthermal.com) has taken a new approach to industrial heating through its JouleHive…
Developing a new technology from idea to commercial production involves major risks. Presented here are tools that project-management teams can use to mitigate them Technology development in the chemical process industries (CPI) involves designing and building facilities for which there…
Understand and follow these tips to ensure accurate and reliable temperature values Even though electrical thermometers are used quite frequently in chemical process industries (CPI) plants, people often underestimate just how wrong the temperature displayed can be if these measurements…
Asphaltenes are an ultra-complex fraction of crude petroleum that comprise a diverse population of molecules that vary in size, solubilities, aggregation states and hetero-atom contents. Asphaltene buildup and deposits create many operational and safety issues, and can occur anywhere in…
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the most significant byproduct of the beer-brewing industry, making up 85% of the total waste. Globally, about 36.4 million ton/yr of spent grain are produced. This spent grain is typically discarded after its primary use…
Traditional isotope enrichment to separate radioactive atoms is highly capital intensive, and the supply chains for the materials are constrained, with the majority of enriching capability located in Russia. In a bid to expand isotope availability and lower costs, ASP…
At the 2024 Spring Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE; www.aiche.org), a team from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL; www.netl.doe.gov) presented on a recently patented technology for the removal of critical and heavy metals from wastewater…
Most modern chemical processes require some means of rejecting heat for maintaining process efficiency, product quality and plant safety. Examples of heat rejection include cooling crystallization liquid, cooling reactor effluent, condensing material from a distillation column and cooling steps in…