Nearly all of the currently produced building-block chemical acrylonitrile (AN) results from the ammoxidation of propylene, a process that requires precise heat control and generates several toxic side products, such as hydrogen cyanide. The startup company Mars Materials (Houston, Tex.;…
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is among the world’s most widely used polymers. Recycling PVC via mechanical and high-temperature chemical processes is challenging due to its chlorine content.The startup company Plastic Back (Tel Aviv, Israel; www.plastic-back.com) aims to raise the rates of…
A new research study by ETH Zurich (www.ethz.ch), in collaboration with BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany), has investigated an alternative route for mixed plastic waste streams from end-of-life vehicles: to recycle it alongside biomass. The results show: the recycling of one…
In chemical manufacturing, precise instrumentation is essential for product quality, process safety and regulatory compliance. The Beamex Calibration Software Buyer’s Guide helps engineers and operations leaders understand how digital calibration management improves traceability, reduces manual work and supports compliance with…
Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT; Rostock, Germany; www.catalysis.de), Ruhr University Bochum (Bochum, Germany; www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de) and Evonik Oxeno (Marl, Germany; c4-chemicals.evonik.com) have developed a novel catalyst system that enables the use of the climate gas carbon dioxide (CO2)…
Sasol International Chemicals, a business of Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa) announced the launch and commercialization of a bio-circular, palm and deforestation-free surfactant derived from insect oils available under the trade name LIVINEX IO 7. This new, innovative product (patent…
This whitepaper, Estimating Simulation Parameters for Batch Columns from Experimental Data, outlines a practical method for deriving key model parameters (such as heat losses, hold-up volumes, and stage efficiencies) directly from plant data. Using a lab-scale ethanol–water batch distillation column,…
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) and Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd. (MWCC) will initiate a demonstration experiment using a pilot plant under the agreement of the joint development of microwave-based low-carbon lithium ore refining technology. The use of electric power in…
Solid adsorbents, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have shown great promise in carbon-capture applications as an alternative to traditional amine-based processes. Typically, adsorbent materials are manufactured as powders and converted into beads or pellets to make them more suitable for large-scale…
Battery performance tends to degrade over time due to the natural wear that occurs when, for example, cathode active materials (CAMs) expand and contract while shuttling ions for the reversible storage and release of electrical energy. CAMs also degrade due…