A recently introduced heat-transfer fluid is made from corn sugar, rather than from petroleum. Known as So-Blu, the fluid was developed through a joint effort of Dupont Tate & Lyle BioProducts (Loudon, Tenn.; www.duponttateandlyle.com) and SolarUS Inc. (Branford, Conn.; www.solarus.com),…
A scalable technology for allowing the cost-effective manufacture of superhydrophobic metallic coatings has been demonstrated in the laboratory. The method could have applications for heat exchangers, condensers, high-temperature and high-conductivity applications and other types of equipment. The startup company Maxterial…
Vigorous microbial growth in bioreactors raises cell density, which is a source of heat stress and can hinder production efficiency. To address the issue, scientists have tried introducing genes for heat-shock proteins (HSPs) into workhorse industrial bacteria like Escherichia coli,…
Light olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, are primarily made by the catalytic cracking of crude oil. Alternatively, two other methods were developed during the time of high oil prices, both of which convert synthesis gas (syngas) to olefins: the…
The first commercial-scale, natural-gas-fermentation facility in the U.S. will break ground by the end of 2016, according to Alan Shaw, CEO of Calysta Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.; www.calysta.com). In a collaboration with agricultural giant Cargill Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.; www.cargill.com), Calysta…
Sydney University’s Laboratory for Sustainable Technology (Sydney, Australia; www.sydney.edu.au) and the technology-commercialization-firm Hazer Group (Perth, Australia; www.hazergroup.com.au) are collaborating to scale up the Hazer Process, which uses an iron-ore catalyst to produce hydrogen and graphite from natural gas. Natural gas…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule to better protect workers who are exposed to respirable silica dust. The rule is aimed to curb lung cancer and other diseases…
The Material Master bulk-bag discharging, weighing and feeding system (photo) features heavy-duty stainless-steel construction with an integral screw feeder and loss-in-weight load cells for material batching. The unit includes a 6-in. square structural-tube lower frame and a bulk-bag support pan…
Previously rated at 1,000 psi maximum discharge pressure, Hydra-Cell D10 Series sealless pumps with metallic pump heads (photo) can now operate at pressures up to 1,500 psi. Used for a wide range of processing applications and in manufacturing plants, Hydra-Cell…
Taking place April 26–28 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, Interphex 2016 (www.interphex.com) will bring together professionals from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical-device industries for a technical conference and exhibition. This show preview highlights some of…