Solid-liquid separation is a key unit operation that processors look to for a wide-range of applications ranging from: the lowly removal of debris from cooling-fluid lines and products; through the recovery of product from solvents; to massive-scale dewatering…
The world’s increasing demand for water brings with it technological challenges as well as opportunities for the chemical process industries (CPI). Recent forecasts show that the need and opportunities for water treatment are on the rise and will…
Any time experts invest effort in recommending directions for research and development with relevance for chemical engineering, their work seems worth a close look. Thus, this Editor’s Page has welcomed chances to air such recommendations as: Technology Vision 2020:…
For many years, the job of a control room operator at a petroleum refinery or chemical plant was seen as relatively simple: Keep the process running and fix it when it breaks. That perception is changing as more…
Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-546) has acquired Zhejiang Omex Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd. (OEE; Huzhou, Zhejiang, China). The acquisition will enable Dow to expand its water-purification offerings into three component technologies: ultrafiltration, membrane-bioreactor (MBR) membranes and electrodeionization.
BP Solar (Frederick; Md.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-547) has developed a new silicon growth process that is said to significantly increase the cell efficiency over traditional multicrystalline-based solar cells. Solar cells made with these so-called Mono2 wafers, together with other BP Solar advances…
Researchers at CSIRO Exploration and Mining (Kensington, Australia; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-548) have discovered that a bacterium, called Ralstonia metallidurans, may be responsible for the formation of secondary gold grains in nature. Cultures of the R. metallidurans - identified, using molecular biology techniques,…
At ARC's 14th annual forum (June 26-28; Boston, Mass.), OPC Foundation (Scottsdale, Ariz.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-549) released its latest interoperability solution, OLE for Process Control Unified Architecture (OPC-UA). This new series of specifications aims to provide secure, reliable interoperability for moving data…
Two chemicals producers have recently reaped the benefits of high-throughput-screening technologies, through research collaborations with Symyx Technologies, Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-550). In April, Celanese Corp. (Dallas, Tex.) deployed a new catalyst at one of its vinyl acetate plants. The…
Last month, Expander Energy Inc. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-551) licensed the Carbo-V process from Choren Industries GmbH (Freiberg, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-552) for the production of synthesis gas derived from biomass. Carbo-V is a three-stage gasification process (CE, August, 2003, p. 16)…