In The News
Process Commercialization: The 2021 Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award
To honor the efforts of those chemical engineers and their companies that have successfully commercialized a new process for the first time, Chemical Engineering magazine has been be-stowing its Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award since 1933. The aim of the…
Predicting aluminum-alloy mechanical properties at high temperatures
Aluminum is used for a number of applications because it is lighter than iron and easy to machine. However, Al is usually alloyed with Cu, Mg or other elements for improved strength. Developing such alloys that maintain their strength at…
Bulk polymerization of elemental sulfur yields new flame-retardant plastics
A group of researchers from the University of Arizona (Tucson; www.arizona.edu), led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Jeff Pyun, are aiming to make use of sulfur waste streams from petroleum refineries. To meet environmental regulations, sulfur must be removed from…
Business News: January 2022
Plant Watch Air Liquide enters a longterm partnership for production of rare helium isotope December 8, 2021 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris; www.airliquide.com) entered into a longterm agreement with Laurentis Energy Partners to produce and distribute helium-3 (3He), a rare…
‘Crystallized’ hypochlorous acid brings enhanced antimicrobial performance
A new solid form of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is showing promise as a highly effective antimicrobial agent. PCT Ltd. (Little River, S.C.; www.para-con.com) and Onza Corp. (Denver, Colo.; www.onzacorp.com) achieved what is said to be the industry’s first-ever successful “crystallization”…
Layered catalyst selectively generates two-carbon compounds from CO2
Copper-catalyzed electrochemical reduction offers a path for making valuable chemicals, such as ethanol or ethylene, from CO2. However, selectively generating sufficient yields of two-carbon products requires precise manipulation of the microenvironment near the surface to control reaction activity and product…
Extracting high-quality MgSO4 from seawater desalination brine
A team of researchers, led by professor Myoung-Jin Kim, from Korea Maritime and Ocean University (Busan, South Korea; www.kmou.ac.kr), has developed a process that recovers calcium-free magnesium sulfate from seawater desalination brine (SDB). The process, described in a recent issue…
Taking a Holistic Approach to Column Internals
Combining new and improved high-performance column internals and a whole-system view provides a comprehensive solution with more benefits Today’s economic and environmental pressures have chemical processors looking into projects that will help them achieve more throughput from existing columns while…
Structured catalyst improves efficiency and hydrogen yields in steam methane reforming
Commissioning has begun on a pilot plant designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a structured catalyst module for steam-methane reforming (SMR) that solves the main heat-transfer inefficiencies associated with the conventional process. The structured catalyst technology improves the efficiency of…
This steam-methane reforming technology has higher efficiency
A collaboration between Clariant Catalysts (Munich, Germany; www.clariant.com/catalysts) and Technip Energies N.V. (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands; www.technipenergies.com) has led to steam-methane reforming (SMR) SMR technology that is said to achieve higher throughput and heat recovery in SMR. Technip Energies’ Enhanced Annular…