Researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Ames Laboratory (Ames, Iowa; www.ameslab.gov) led by Ryan Ott have developed a process for recovering rare-earth (RE) metals from magnet scraps. The process involves first crushing neodymium-iron-boron magnet scraps and placing the…
For the first time, it has become possible to spin carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into a fiber that looks and acts like textile threads, yet has the electrical conductivity and strength of a metal. The breakthrough, which came after more than…
Determining the proper preliminary size for centrifugal pumps during the initial stages of any pump-specification exercise requires numerous calculations and assumptions. This article reviews the steps needed to size centrifugal pumps during the early stages of a project, to support…
The new Hard Seat VHS Micro-Dispense Valve offers repeatable, non-contact dispensing of fluids in the nano- to microliter range. It features a precision zirconia ball and seat instead of a traditional elastomeric seal, thereby ensuring resistance to aggressive fluids, such…
An Australian team has developed a new molecular sieve that allows carbon dioxide molecules to be trapped and stored. Contrary to the way molecular sieves usually work, allowing smaller molecules through, the new sieve acts like a trapdoor, and allows…
Designed for flow chemistry applications, the patented Asia Syringe Pump is said to give users a tool for performing flow reactions not possible using HPLC pumps or “single-shot” syringe pumps. Used in combination with the Asia Pressurized Input Store, the…
Tygon S3 (safe, smart and sustainable) is said to be the first bio-based and phthalate-free tubing, and is the next generation of flexible tubing from this company for food and beverage manufacturers. Tygon S3 complies with FDA, NSF and 3-A…
Basoplast 450 P is a new and highly cost-efficient polymeric surface-sizing agent (PSA) for the packaging sector. The product is suited for linerboard grades and complements the manufacturer’s range of anionic PSA in the graphical paper market. By replacing cationic…
The surface engineering company MesoCoat, Inc. (Euclid, Ohio; www.mesocoat.com) recently started up a facility for manufacturing clad pipe for the oil-and-gas industry that uses the company’s proprietary fusion-cladding technology to apply corrosion-resistant alloys to carbon-steel pipes. Because the cladding can…
A company in Hamburg, Germany had been using a 20-m3 mixing silo with internal pipe auger for 20 years. By replacing the pipe auger (photo, left) with an open mixing screw with special segments (photo, right), the company gained a…