In The News
New techniques improve abilities of hybrid quantum-classical computer systems in catalyst design
By leveraging the peculiar laws of quantum physics, quantum computing aims to render currently intractable scientific problems feasible. Using quantum-enhanced simulations for accelerating catalyst design is an example of an area where quantum computers could be brought to bear on…
Business News: October 2025
Plant Watch Teijin Frontier to expand production of polyester filament yarn in Thailand September 16, 2025 — Teijin Frontier Co. (Osaka, Japan; www.teijin-frontier.com) will expand production capacity for high-tenacity recycled polyester filament yarn used in industrial applications, such as tire…
New aluminum alloy outperforms traditional aluminum for 3D-printed components
Results from recent testing indicate that automotive components made from a novel aluminum alloy, via 3D printing, outperformed those made from traditional aluminum alloys. Traditional wrought aluminum alloys are challenging to process using additive manufacturing (3D printing), so researchers have…
Avenues for Decarbonizing the Steel Industry
Energy- and carbon-intensive, steel production is categorized as one of the most “hard-to-abate” industries, making the scaleup of decarbonization technologies crucial not only for steelmakers themselves, but for every downstream industry in the supply chain Responsible for some 9% of…
Business News: September 2025
Plant Watch Chevron Phillips Chemical completes LV PAO expansion in Belgium August 12, 2025 — Chevron Phillips Chemical L.P. (CPChem; The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) has completed the expansion of its low-viscosity polyalphaolefins (LV PAO) production unit in Beringen, Belgium, significantly…
A platform technology for low-carbon cement makes progress
Two recent developments at Queens Carbon Inc. (Pine Brook, N.J.; www.queenscarbon.com), a spinoff company from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.; www.rutgers.edu), illustrate the potential for reducing the high carbon-dioxide emissions that result from cement and concrete production. Both are results…
World’s first grid-connected iron-air battery now operational in the Netherlands
The Netherlands-based startup company Ore Energy (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.oreenergy.com) recently announced that it has successfully connected its flagship iron-air battery system to the electric grid in the city of Delft, the Netherlands. It is the first iron-air battery system…
This process can fully mineralize PFAS with no toxic byproducts
Breaking the stable carbon-fluorine bonds within per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of the most significant challenges in mitigating persistent PFAS pollution. The Hydrothermal Alkaline Technology (HALT; diagram), invented at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.; www.mines.edu) and…
New reactor supports organic-assisted electrolysis for green hydrogen
The production of “green” hydrogen via electrolysis is seen as a key decarbonization pathway for certain industry sectors, but its efficiency can be hampered by a number of factors, including the accumulation of gas bubbles on electrode surfaces within electrolyzers…
Switchable solvent supports freshwater extraction from hypersaline brine
Extremely high-salinity water streams present difficulties for many types of processing equipment, such as membranes and filters, and most commercial treatment methods involve thermal evaporators or crystallization, which are energy-intensive and require special anti-corrosion materials. A new membrane-less, non-evaporative process…