Researchers from the Laboratory for Sustainable Technology, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney (Australia; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-538) have produced spiral and straight carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a fluidized bed (FB) by adjusting the synthesis temperature, catalyst compostion, and carbon…
Exelus Inc. (Livingston, N.J.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-533) has demonstrated the performance of its ExSact solid-acid alkylation process, having achieved over 1,000 hours of pilot-plant operation on an untreated MTBE raffinate feedstock. The pilot-plant testing was performed to prove the robustness of the…
With the aim to commercialize a new process for making solar-cell grade (SOG) silicon, Chisso Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-534) is negotiating the possibility of establishing a joint-venture company with Nippon Mining Holdings, Inc. (Tokyo) and Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. (Chigasaki,…
Datang International Power Generation Co. Ltd. and Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group (SNCG; both China) have awarded a contract in excess of €100 million to Lurgi AG (Frankfurt, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-535) as part of two projects (€1 billion per project) for…
The World Batch Forum (WBF; St. Louis, Missouri; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-542) has released new versions of its two, XML-based markup languages for implementing the ANSI/ISA S88 and S95 standards and their international countrerparts IEC-61512 and IEC/ISO-62264. Enhancements in Version 2.0 of WBF’s…
GE Plastics (Pittsfield, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-543) has launched Extem thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) resins, a new family of amorphous polymers. The new resin is said to overcome the drawbacks of semicrystalline materials, imidized thermosets and competitive amorphous thermoplastics. Among Extem resin’s properties…
Last month, after just two years, Maaike Kroon completed her Ph.D. from the Technical University of Delft (Netherlands; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-544) for developing a sustainable and inexpensive production process that enables reaction and separation operations to be performed in the same vessel.…
Samson AG (Frankfurt, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-545) has started to implement the Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) initiative, having entered a formal cooperation agreement with Yokogawa Electric Corp. (Tokyo; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-546). The VIP initiative is an open and non-exclusive mutual technology cooperation program to…
Subsidiaries of Shell Oil Co. (Houston, Tex.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-547) and Codexis, Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6891-548) are collaborating to enhance methods of converting biomass to biofuels. Shell, already one of, if not the leading, distributor of transportation biofuels, says it is…
November 17 was the deadline for states to submit their plans for the control of mercury emissions from power plants to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, Washington D.C.; epa.gov), but mercury-control processes are already being commercialized. The…