Researchers, led by professor Mingwei Chen at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR) of Tohoku University (Sendai City, Japan; www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp), have developed a material that efficiently generates steam by solar heating. In laboratory trials using simulated solar radiation, the…
Integral Technology (Canton, Mich.; www.electriplast.com) has developed bipolar plates made from its electrically conductive plastic that can be used to reduce the space required for 12- and 24-V batteries, and virtually eliminate the need for lead metal in traditional lead-acid…
In an industrial-scale demonstration, a technology designed to lower NOx emissions has also boosted energy efficiency, according to developer ClearSign Combustion Corp. (Seattle, Wash.; www.clearsign.com). In addition to keeping NOx emissions at 5 ppm or below in industrial burners, ClearSign’s…
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China; www.cas.cn) and Fuzhou University (Fuzhou, China; www.fzu.edu.cn), led by the Academy’s Prof Qian Liu, have reported a new method for high-throughput, sensitive, and rapid screening of low-mass hazardous compounds in complex…
Plant Watch Asahi Kasei to construct production facility for cellulose nonwoven fibers July 9, 2015 — Asahi Kasei Fibers Corp. (Osaka, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/fibers) will construct a new production facility for cellulose nonwoven fabric in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan. The new plant’s…
Nanoscale iron catalysts, designed for industrial chemical applications, have been validated in commercial ammonia-production reactors in China. According to manufacturer QuantumSphere, Inc. (QSI; Santa Ana, Calif.; www.qsinano.com), incorporation of the nanocatalysts resulted in a 10–15% increase in ammonia production rate…
The emphasis on water management at Achema 2015 indicates the critical nature of water to all industry sectors as the CPI expand and evolve In June, chemical engineers from around the world convened in Frankfurt am Main, Germany for Achema…
Plant Watch Sumitomo announces battery-separator capacity expansion, new plant in Korea June 10, 2015 — Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Tokyo; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp) plans to more than double its production capacity for lithium-ion secondary battery separators at a site in Japan. In addition,…
With the commercial release of a new scale inhibitor — called ScaleTreat FeS 13805 — researchers at Clariant Oil Services (Houston; www.clariant.com/oilinnovation), in collaboration with academia, have improved upon existing scale-treatment chemistries, adding a newly patented copolymer to the industry.…
Earlier this year, JGC Corp. (JGC; Yokohama, Japan; www.jgc.com), in partnership with Japan Oil, Gas and Minerals National Corp., commenced pilot-scale testing of their Supercritical Water Cracking (SCWC) process. The pilot has a capacity of 5 barrels (bbl) per day…