Processing & Handling
A selection of pumps for handling viscous fluids
At AchemAsia, this company launched the new extrex EA, a localized extrusion pump suitable for most extrusion applications, delivering a differential pressure of up to 200 bars. The pumps are assembled in the company’s new facility in Shanghai, and integrate…
A power tool for opening and closing valves
The EasiDrive portable valve actuator effortlessly opens and closes valves in petroleum refineries, power plants, paper mills and chemical processing plants. Generating a torque of up to 2,000 Nm, this tool enables a single operator to efficiently drive multiple valves…
This biodiesel process requires no pre- or post-treatment
Naomi Shibasaki-Kitagawa at Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan; www.che.tohoku.ac.jp/~rpel/) has developed a continuous reactor for making biodiesel fuel from low-quality waste, such as cooking oil. Her production process uses an expanded-bed reactor packed with an anion-exchange resin that has both catalytic…
Improved coating for hydraulic fracturing proppants
Two new coating products for sand proppants used in hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry overcome the challenges of traditional phenolic coatings, which can leach environmentally hazardous chemicals. The coatings, developed by Preferred Sands LLC (Radnor, Pa.;…
One-pot synthesis of sugars from biomass
Researchers from the group of Atsushi Fukuoka at the Catalysis Research Center of Hokkaido University (Sapporo; www.cat.hokudai.ac.jp), and Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, both Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) have developed a new catalyst that efficiently decomposes biomass into sugars. The activated-carbon-based catalyst…
Making 1,3-PDO from glycerin
The research groups of Keiichi Fujishige at Tohoku University (Sendai, www.che.tohoku.ac.jp/~erec) and Daicel Corp. (Osaka, both Japan; www.daicel.com) have developed a process for making 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from glycerin, a byproduct of biodiesel-fuel production. The researchers improved a catalyst developed by…
A step closer to commercialization for a new green solvent
The Circa Group (Melbourne, Australia; www.circagroup.com.au) and the Green Chemistry Center of Excellence at the University of York (U.K.; www.york.ac.uk) have signed an agreement to develop and commercialize a novel “green” solvent called Cyrene. Cyrene is a polar aprotic solvent…
Bioengineers make an ‘ideal’ hydrogel for antimicrobial applications
Although several antimicrobial hydrogels have been developed in recent years, they all have one or more drawbacks, such as possible toxicity, insufficient stability and biodegradability, and high costs. These and other drawbacks have been overcome with a synthetic hydrogel being…
A waste-free monomer recovery process is licensed
Last month, Air Products (Allentown, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) announced that it has licensed its proprietary adsorption-based, monomer recovery process to custom process equipment supplier Cryo Technologies (Allentown, Pa.; www.cryotechnologies.com). The hybrid Air Products technology combines a partial condensation unit with a…
Focus on Mixing
Silverson Machines A laboratory mixer that supplies data for scaleup The L5 Series laboratory mixers are suitable for R&D, quality analysis and standard laboratory work. The mixers have a capacity range from 1 mL up to 12 L, and are…