In The News
Miniature ESR spectrometer facilitates study of free radicals
A miniaturized electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer developed by Active Spectrum Inc. (Foster City, Calif.; www.activespectrum.com) can facilitate studies of chemical species with unpaired electrons, such as organic free radicals and transition metal complexes. Available in both online and benchtop…
A more efficient use of renewable thermal energy
A team of engineers from the Center for Energy Technology, University of Adelaide (South Australia; www.adelaide.edu.au), the University of Nantes (France) and Mie University (Japan), have proposed a more efficient way to generate power from low to medium temperature (90–260°C)…
Biocatalysts for biodiesel production
Researchers from the Department of Environmental and Applied Chemical Engineering, Gangneung-Wonju National University (Gangneung, South Korea; www.gwnu.ac.kr) are developing a two-step enzymatic route to biodiesel fuel that promises to reduce production costs. The process employs a lipase-producing bacterium and, sequentially,…
Plant Watch Mergers and Acquisitions
Total and CPI to study coal-to-olefins petrochemical project in China November 5, 2010 — Total S.A. (Paris, France; www.total.com) and the Chinese energy group China Power Investment Corp. (CPI) intend to build a coal-based petrochemical plant in China. The two…
Scaleup for a new process to make Bio-Alkylate
Next spring, Exelus, Inc. (Livingston, N.J.; www.exelusinc.com) plans to pilot a new process that converts crude bioethanol (beer) into Bio-Alkylate — a fuel that is chemically identical to gasoline. New Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
A new catalyst reduces SO2 emissions from H2SO4 plants
At last month’s Sulfur 2010 Conference (November 1–4; Prague, Czech Republic), Haldor Topsøe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) introduced its latest sulfuric-acid catalyst, VK-701 Leap5, which promises to help operators of sulfuric acid plants meet more-stringent SO2-emission limits. When used in…
Total awards Technip with hydrocracker contract
Technip (Paris, France; www.technip.com) has been awarded by Total an engineering, procurement services and construction management contract to increase the capacity of the hydrocracker at the Normandy refinery located in Gonfreville, France. This project, which is part of a larger…
Microbes convert stack gases to fuels and chemicals
A demonstration plant for a biological process that produces ethanol and 2,3 butanediol (2,3-BD) from the offgases of industrial plants will be started up in the third quarter of 2011 at a steel mill operated by Bao Steel (Shanghai). Developed…
New catalyst approach for methane-to-ethylene conversion
A nanotechnology-based, bottom-up approach to synthesizing catalysts for converting natural gas to ethylene could enable an alternative to the steam-cracking of crude oil, an energy-intensive process conventionally used to produce ethylene, the world’s most valuable commodity chemical. Scientists at the…
Commercialization may be in the works for a ‘cleaner’ gold-recovery process
A green hydrometallurgical process for recovering gold from ore, developed by Haber, Inc. (Arlington, Mass.; www.habercorp.com), may make its commercial debut in Suriname. Albert Conti, Haber’s CEO, says the Republic of Suriname has made a commitment to develop a strategic…