Time consuming and prone to error, microscopy — the manual counting of yeast cells with a hemocytometer — has long been the primary method for determining the progress of ethanol fermentation. However, a new joint development agreement between Fluid Imaging…
The global market for carbon-capture technologies was worth $88.7 billion in 2007, and is expected to increase to over $236.3 billion by 2012, according to a report published last month by BCC Research (Wellesley, Mass.; www.bccresearch.com). Postcombustion, the absorption of…
The high salt concentrations, extreme pH values and high temperatures required in biotechnological research on extremophiles and marine organisms cause corrosion in the stainless-steel components of common fermenters. To enable further process development in these areas, Bioengineering AG (Wald, Switzerland;…
Last month, Cargill (Minneapolis, Min.; www.cargill.com) broke ground in Chicago on a $22-million manufacturing plant for producing BiOH polyols. Scheduled for startup in November, the facility will be the first world-scale biobased polyols plant; since BiOH polyols were commercialized in…
Plant Watch Metso to supply mining equipment to Anglo American-MMX in Brazil July 1, 2008 — Metso Minerals will supply crushing, screening and feeding equipment to Anglo American-MMX for its Minas Rio Project located in the Minas Gerais state in…
A process that makes glass by "zapping" the raw materials with a plasma as they fly through the air is being developed by Japanese researchers in a new project led by NEDO (New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organization; Kawasaki,…
Engineers at MIT (Cambridge, Mass.; www.mit.edu) are developing solar concentrators that have the potential to increase the electrical power output from solar cells by a factor of more than 40. Instead of actually focusing the light, as in systems being…
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) is investing in the production of its sustainable complexing agent Trilon M, thereby consolidating its position as one of the world’s leading producers of complexing agents. The construction of a new world-scale plant at Ludwigshafen…
Evonik Industries AG (Essen; www.evonik.com) and SolarWorld AG (Bonn, both Germany; www.solarworld.de) have officially opened their new solar silicon plant in Rheinfelden (Baden, Germany). As part of the joint venture Joint Solar Silicon (JSSI), the two companies are using an…
Süd-Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.sud-chemie.com) is to significantly expand its leading position on the European market for bentonite-based speciality chemicals for the foundry and construction industries, and will establish Süd-Chemie IMIC Italia S.r.l., Silvano Pietra/Italien. Süd-Chemie will take over a…