Chementator
New excipient enhances drug solubility
A newly launched pharmaceutical excipient (inactive ingredient providing a vehicle for delivery of oral dosage) enhances the solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that have poor bioavailability. Tradenamed Parteck MXP, the excipient is a polyvinyl alcohol-based material developed by MilliporeSigma…
Commercial debut for a new PLA-production process
To reduce dependency on petroleum-based plastics, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG (Essen, Germany; www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com) has developed a new manufacturing process for producing the biopolymer polylactide (PLA). The company is now building the first commercial plant based on its patented PLA neo…
A new low-energy electrolytic path to ethylene dichloride
New process technology from Chemetry (Moss Landing, Calif.; www.chemetrycorp.com) aims to revitalize the chlor-alkali product chain by manufacturing ethylene dichloride (EDC) and caustic using much less power than conventional processes. Through an exclusive licensing and engineering agreement, Technip (Paris, France;…
An enzymatic route to lignin-based functional chemicals
Phenpropanone monomers can be produced from lignin via an enzymatic process developed by Yukari Ohta and coworkers at the R&D Center for Marine Biosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (Yokosuka City; www.jamstec.go.jp), in collaboration with National Defense Academy,…
A more efficient way to dehydrate natural gas — inline
A patented, inline absorption system has been developed and field-tested by ExxonMobil (Houston; www.exxonmobil.com), and has just been licensed to Sulzer Chemtech (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.com). Because the tradenamed cMIST technology operates inside pipes, it replaces the need for conventional methods…
Chementator briefs
Cyclohexasilane 3DIcon Corp. (Tulsa, Okla.; www.3dicon.net) has signed a supply agreement with Gelest Inc. (Morrisville, Pa.; www.gelest.com) to produce cyclohexasilane (CHS) at pilot scale using 3DIcon’s newly developed CHS process. 3DIcon’s process (see CE, Sept. 2016, p. 9; www.chemengonline.com/new-process-cyclohexasilane-offers-lower-cost-improved-safety) offers a…
Chementator Briefs
HVAC cooling tower A newly introduced cooling tower for building heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) has both its structural casing and fill made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin that contains additives designed to prevent the growth of microorganisms and…
On-site carbon monoxide generation takes the next step
Gas Innovations (La Porte, Tex.; www.gasinnovations.com) has signed a 15-year, pay-per-use agreement with Haldor Topsøe A/S (Topsøe; Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) for a second on-site carbon-monoxide production unit, using Topsøe’s electrolytic Carbon Monoxide solution (eCOs) technology. The first eCOs unit in…
Paint a thermoelectric device onto any shaped surface to recover waste heat
Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST; Ulsan, South Korea; www.unist.ac.kr), led by Prof Jae Sung Son, have succeeded in producing high-performance, solid-state thermoelectric (TE) materials with liquid-like properties that can be easily brush-painted on surfaces of…
Laminate packaging that is easier to recycle
A collaboration between ExxonMobil Chemical Co. (EMCC; Spring, Tex.; www.exxonmobilchemical.com) and Thanh Phu Plastic Packaging Co. (TPPP; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; www.thanhphupack.com) has resulted in the development and commercialization of laminate packaging materials that can be collected and recycled…