Two major concerns in hydraulic fracturing operations are finding efficient ways to handle the massive amount of produced wastewater, and dealing with offgases from the well. A new technology developed by Ship & Shore Environmental Inc. (Signal Hill, Calif.; www.shipandshore.com),…
A collaboration between Servomex (Surrey, U.K.; www.servomex.com) and FLO2R (Hadsund, Denmark; www.flo2r.com) has resulted in one of the industry’s first laser-based gas-analysis system for use in high-dust environments. Tunable diode laser (TDL) technology provides a much more rapid response than…
Obtaining sugars from cellulosic biomass cost-effectively is difficult because the predominant biopolymers in plant material evolved to protect these sugars. A process currently being scaled up for obtaining sugars from waste agricultural biomass employs beams of accelerated electrons to fracture…
Researchers from South Korea have discovered a high-performance catalyst for the selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde. The study was conducted by staff from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Ulsan; www.unist.ac.kr), Ajou University (Suwon; www.ajou.ac.kr) and Hanyang University…
A new, mechanical method for sequestration of carbon dioxide into water was evaluated at the University of Texas’ (Austin; www.utexas.edu) Bioproducts and Bioenergy Analytical Service Center and has revealed a pathway to economically improve algae growth for production of oils.…
In conventional solvent-based carbon-capture systems, CO2-rich exhaust gas contacts gravity-driven solvents in a vertical packed-bed column. A novel approach developed by Carbon Clean Solutions USA Inc. (CCSUS; Cumming, Ga.; www.carboncleansolutions.com) employs centrifugal force from rotating horizontal packed beds to effect…
Plant Watch Sasol begins operating LLDPE unit at Lake Charles site February 13, 2019 — Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa; www.sasol.co.za) announced that its new linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit in Lake Charles, La. has achieved beneficial operations. The LLDPE…
From process and materials development to maintenance and logistics, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative force across the chemical process industries As in many other sectors, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are beginning to emerge in the chemical process…
Using the hierarchy of controls can help guide housekeeping and safety programs to better protect employees and facilities There is a close link between safety and housekeeping for all manufacturers, but facilities that store, handle or process chemicals have an…
Queensland Pacific Metals (Brisbane, Australia), a subsidiary of Pure Minerals (Perth, Australia; www.pureminerals.com.au) will use Direct Nickel Projects’ (Perth, Australia) proprietary technology to process New Caledonian nickel and cobalt ore, following favorable test results. Core Metallurgy (Brisbane, Australia) has assessed…