Chemists and engineers from the Performance Materials Segment of Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) have developed a new process for making methyl methacrylate (MMA). With a yield of over 90%, the so-called Leading in Methacrylates (LiMA) process can be…
Microbes inhabiting the extreme environments thousands of feet below the earth’s surface possess unique properties not encountered elsewhere. A research consortium of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT; Rapid City; www.sdsmt.edu), University of Oklahoma (Norman) and Montana State…
This overview presents the traditional and emerging types of continuous crystallizers Crystallization is an important technique for the purification of solids in the chemical process industries (CPI). The operation can be performed batchwise or in continuous operation, and is used…
The Contromat VE 450 (photo) and VE 630 (which is square shaped) handle sifting capacities between 0.15 and 0.3 m². Previously, the Contromat had been delivered without an outlet for foreign particles, which remained on the sieve and had to…
This company has fabricated a 300-gal vessel (photo) designed for 5 psi internal pressure at 300°F. All of the wetted surfaces are stainless-steel type 304L polished to 240-grit finish. The vessel is agitated by a special disperser blade driven to…
Soil bacteria that oxidize methane (methanotrophs) are important in capturing methane before it enters the atmosphere. Now an international team has isolated and characterized methanotrophic bacteria — obtained from a New Zealand volcanic field — that can grow on CH4…
Plant Watch Inovyn starts up KOH plant in Belgium October 13, 2017 — Inovyn (London, U.K.; www.inovyn.com) announced the completion of its new potassium hydroxide (KOH) production facility at its Antwerp/Lillo site in Belgium. The new plant uses membrane technology…
A newly patented class of synthetic antimicrobial compounds is aimed at overcoming the limitations of existing industrial disinfectants, such as quaternary ammonium compounds and bleaches. “Bleaches are effective disinfectants on initial application, but they don’t work when they dry and…
The new ERC25-25 eccentric roll crusher (photo) can process hard rock and ores efficiently and economically in underground mining operations. It features a compact design and an integrated screen that is 20 to 50% lower than conventional primary crushers, a…
Silicon anodes are an attractive alternative to graphite anodes currently in use in lithium-ion batteries, because they can deliver up to five times higher capacities. However, silicon anodes have a limited charge-discharge cycle number. Their volume expands during each cycle,…