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Focus On: Motors and Drives
Variable-frequency drives designed for ease-of-use The EZ VFD® family of variable-frequency drives (photo) for¼- to 2-horsepower (hp) applications are feature-rich models designed for ease of installation and usage. They are plug-and-play for most applications and include easily adjusted trimpots for…
Business News: February 2026
Plant Watch Solstice announces manufacturing expansions in Germany and the U.S. January 15, 2026 — Solstice Advanced Materials (Morris Plains, N.J.; www.solstice.com) has completed two significant manufacturing expansions: a recently completed €5.5-million expansion of its stannous fluoride manufacturing facility in…
Novel gasification scheme piloted for recycling of absorbent hygiene products
Post-consumer absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), such as infant diapers, feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence products, present unique challenges for recycling, because they contain compound materials like superabsorbent polymers and non-woven fabrics, as well as bio-hazardous waste, which are difficult…
Selecting Blue-Ammonia Technologies
Ammonia manufacturing with carbon capture (blue ammonia) has emerged as the most practical near-term option for deep decarbonization of ammonia production. Evaluated here are eight technology configurations for decarbonization strategies with blue ammonia production Ammonia is increasingly viewed as an…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Discharging Solids from Bins and Hoppers
The chemical and physical properties of some solid materials render them prone to restricted flow and flow stoppages when discharging from bins and hoppers. This one-page reference outlines common solids-flow problems, as well as strategies and devices that can aid…
Novel nanobubble generator enters commercial service at Saudi Aramco site
In late December 2025, a system that uses electric fields — rather than mechanical means — to generate nanometer-sized gas bubbles entered operation at a commercial site in Saudi Arabia. The nanobubble-generating technology was developed by the startup company AquaB…
Subsurface synthesis could unlock a new source of ammonia
The search for a new ammonia-synthesis method has now driven research and development work underground, literally. Addis Energy (Somerville, Mass.; www.addisenergy.com) is launching a subsurface synthesis technology that takes advantage of geologic chemistry to produce ammonia. “Addis Energy’s process uses…
Quantum chemistry helps uncover path to safer ozone-based water disinfection
Ozone is seen an a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine for water disinfection, but the efficient generation of ozone on-demand and at commercially relevant scales has been hindered by catalytic degradation problems. A team of researchers from…
Process achieves high yield and selectivity for converting polystyrene to toluene
Polystyrene (PS) is among the more difficult-to-recycle fractions of plastic waste, but could be a source of valuable aromatic petrochemicals, such as toluene. Prior approaches to convert PS to toluene have exhibited low yields and a range of products. Now,…
Smart Technologies for CPI Flow-Measurement Challenges
Diagnostics, self-monitoring and digital communication detect flowmeter issues, provide insight Accurate flow measurement is the backbone of chemical process optimization. Today’s flowmeters are being enhanced with smart technologies and other advances designed to overcome flow monitoring challenges in the chemical…