In The News
Progress for high-efficiency ammonia-cogeneration plant
A process that produces anhydrous ammonia while also generating thermal power has reached a milestone toward commercialization. In January, Amec Foster Wheeler (AFW; London, U.K.; www.amecfw.com) was awarded a project development and design contract for the world’s first plant to…
Monetizing coke-oven gas, while capturing CO2
A process that converts process gases, generated during the production of metallurgical coke, into marketable chemicals is being developed in a pilot plant installed on the works site of thyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG (www.thyssenkrupp-steel-europe.com) in Duisburg, Germany. The process is…
Chementator Briefs
Bio-Hydrogen Scientists at Indiana University (IU; Bloomington, Ind.; www.iu.edu) have created a highly efficient biomaterial that catalyzes the formation of hydrogen from water. The biomaterial could be used to produce H2 or generate power from H2 in a fuel cell.…
Technology for Environmentally Friendly Paints
Driven by consumer demand and regulatory pressure, paint and coating formulators, along with makers of chemical additives for those markets, have brought to the forefront products with improved environmental and health performance Modern paints and coatings are complex mixtures of…
Sealing Solutions to the Rescue
Improved seals, gaskets and valve packings stand up to tougher process conditions Chemical processors expect more from their seals, gaskets and valve packings than ever before, as sealing components must meet tighter and stricter regulations regarding emissions, stand up to…
A ‘greener’ route for making red pigments
Early this year, Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) will start production of bright red iron-oxide pigments at its Ningbo, China production site. The production facility will utilize — for the first time — the Ningbo Process, a highly sustainable production…
These CeO2 nano-rods store a lot of O2 at low temperatures
Automobile catalytic converters contain cerium-based co-catalysts to enhance the overall effectiveness of the converter by absorbing and releasing oxygen to convert CO into CO2. Existing emission control systems typically use CeO2-based materials, such as solid solutions of ceria and zirconia,…
Coral enhances the removal of mercury from wastewater
A convenient route for the fabrication of a bio-mimetic, coral-like nanoporous γ-Al2O3 with a higher capacity to adsorb Hg(II) in aqueous solution than those of commercial Al2O3, has been reported by a research group from Anhui Jianzhu University (Hefei City,…
Alkylate process featuring a solid-acid catalyst can use multiple feedstocks
A recently announced process based on a novel solid-acid catalyst is effective at producing high-quality alkylate from a variety of feedstocks, including methanol. Technology developer Exelus Inc. (Fairfield, N.J.; www.exelusinc.com) says its technology converts methanol and mixed-butanes to high-octane alkylate.…
Removing harmful metals from wastewater with crab shells
Copper and cadmium exist naturally in the environment, but human activity can increase their concentrations to a point where they become a health hazard. Conventional wastewater treatment to remove those metals includes chemical precipitation, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration,…