In The News
New process for cyclohexasilane offers lower cost and improved safety
A newly developed process for manufacturing cyclohexasilane (CHS; Si6H12) offers a lower-cost and safer pathway to a material whose molecular architecture allows a wider range of material possibilities than alternative starting materials for several important silicon-based products. CHS can be…
Recover chemicals from sugarcane bagasse using the half the energy
Last month, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO; Kawasaki, Japan; www.nedo.go.jp) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Innovation Agency (NIA; Bangkok, Thailand; www.nai.or.th) to work jointly on a project to demonstrate a manufacturing system…
Chementator Briefs
Li-ion batteries Over the course of several battery charge/discharge cycles, microscopic fibers of lithium, called dendrites, sprout from the surface of the lithium electrode and spread across the electrolyte until they reach the other electrode. An electrical current passing through…
A smart adhesive that ‘turns on’ at body temperature
Scientists from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Seoul; www.kist.re.kr) and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST; Ulsan, both Sout Korea; www.unist.ac.kr), led by UNIST’s professor Hyunhyub Ko, have developed smart adhesive pads — in the form…
Hybrid 3-D-printing process optimizes performance, cost for aerospace parts
Alcoa Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.alcoa.com) has developed a hybrid technique, called Ampliforge (diagram), that combines additive manufacturing (3-D printing) and advanced forging techniques to improve the performance and reduce the cost of metal aerospace components. The company has produced prototype…
This electrochemical cell sequesters CO2 and generates electricity
Researchers from Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.; www.cornell.edu) have developed an oxygen-assisted, Al/CO2 electrochemical cell that converts CO2 into a useful product while producing electricity. This represents a possible paradigm shift from most current carbon-capture models, says Lynden Archer, the James…
Redox Flow Batteries Charge Forward
Developments in redox flow batteries are moving at a tremendous pace to meet the growing need for large-scale energy-storage systems, which are used for stabilizing electric power distribution The global energy-storage market is expected to double, from 1.4 GWh added…
Mobile Apps for Increasing Process Efficiency
Industrial mobile apps help chemical processors overcome process, maintenance and inventory issues Due to the portability and propagation of smartphones and tablets, mobility is all around us. Plugging in on the fly has become second nature in our personal lives…
Emerging Applications for Traditional Dryers
Traditional classes of drying equipment are being adapted for use in a growing number of applications, and more complex analysis and process control are helping to optimize processes The chemical process industries (CPI) are full of processes in which a…
Business News Sept. 2016
Plant Watch Cepsa to build new m-xylene unit under supply agreement with Indorama August 9, 2016 — Following a supply agreement with Indorama Ventures Public Ltd. (IVL; Bangkok, Thailand; www.indorama.net), Compañía Española de Petróleos S.A.U. (Cepsa; Madrid, Spain; www.cepsa.com) will…