Processing & Handling
Nano-engineered glass absorbs organic contaminants and serves as a nanoreactor
An organosilica material with unique structural properties due to its nanoscale architecture has been used to extract hydrocarbons and other organic contaminants from water. Marketed as Osorb by ABS Materials Inc. (Wooster, Ohio; www.absmaterials.com), the nanostructured glass represents a platform…
Demonstration for integrated production of bioethanol
Oji Paper Co. (OJI; www.ojipaper.co.jp), in collaboration with Nippon Steel Engineering Co. (www.nsc-eng.co.jp) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; all Tokyo, Japan; www.aist.go.jp), has started pilot testing of a new, integrated process for making cellulose-based…
February Letters: Solutions for high-purity piping code
Solutions for high-purity piping code You ran a most illuminating article based on the new ASME code (July 2011, New Piping Code for High-Purity Processes, pp. 49–53), and I have been examining the welding industry’s response to the new challenges.…
Choosing Oil-injected Screw Compressors
Screw compressors are widely used throughout the chemical process industries (CPI) and represent a substantial percentage of all positive-displacement compressors that are now sold and in operation in CPI facilities. In general, screw compressors are efficient, reliable, simple and…
This metering pump now has a head made of PVC
The ecosmart metering pump is now available with a PVC pump head. That means the ecosmart can even be used in applications that require good resistance against highly aggressive chemicals — including industrial water-treatment systems, for example, where sodium hypochloride…
Longterm stability ensured with this new check valve
This company’s new generation of check valves features a hydrodynamically optimized valve cone, which minimizes the pressure loss while increasing flow by 25% compared to the previous generation. It is practically impossible for the valve cone to jam anymore since…
Rhodia and Avantium to jointly develop bio-based polyamides
Rhodia (Paris, France; www.rhodia.com,) member of the Solvay Group, and Avantium (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.avantium.com) have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a range of new bio-based polyamides targeting a variety of applications. This partnership expands and completes the…
DuPont and NexSteppe collaborate on feedstocks for bio-based products
DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) and NexSteppe (Malibu, Calif.; www.nexsteppe.com) have entered into a collaboration to develop advanced feedstocks for biofuels and other bio-based products. The collaboration will focus on the development of new sweet sorghum and high-biomass sorghum hybrids that…
This distillation column promises substantial energy reductions
A new distillation system capable of reducing energy consumption by up to 50% compared to conventional columns has been developed by Toyo Engineering Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, www.toyo-eng.co.jp), in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST;…
A new blowing agent improves efficiency of refrigeration
Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent can be used in a variety of insulation applications, including spray foam, foam insulating panels and refrigerator insulation. The manufacturer says use of the new material can make refrigerators up to 10–12% more energy efficient than…