Milling active ingredients combines equipment selection, material characterization, and process characterization, with the aim of improving and controlling the properties of the solid crystalline drug substance. These topics are discussed here Milling is a common technique used for the reduction…
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers In my courses, I discuss the effect of column operating pressure on flooding and capacity. There are two counteracting effects: The volatility effect increases in importance at higher pressures and for…
Using proper installation practices and adhering to maintenance schedules helps ensure reliable operation of safety-relief valves Safety-relief valves are critical components of any pressurized system. In fact, a functioning safety-relief valve could be the most important piece of equipment on…
A few months ago, this column addressed the megadrought in the U.S. Southwest and the increasing concerns over water scarcity [ 1]. Since that time, the drought in that region of the U.S. has continued, further impacting communities across the…
For the first time, researchers have proven that multigene bioengineering of photosynthesis increases the yield of the major food crop soybean in field trials. An international collaborative team of the RIPE project (Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency), led by the University…
E-Cracking Last month, construction began on the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale, electrically heated steam cracker furnaces. The demonstration plant will be fully integrated into one of the existing steam crackers at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It…
A new paper material developed at Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.; www.northeastern.edu) is capable of passive cooling, potentially reducing the energy load required for air conditioning in buildings. “The paper is made from fibers of a calcium-based material called hydroxyapatite. The…
In August, Synhelion S.A. (Lugano, Switzerland; www.synhelion.com) became the first company in the world to produce synthesis gas (syngas) on an industrial scale using only solar heat as an energy source. The milestone occurred on the multifocus solar tower of…
Rare-earth materials are a crucial part of high-performance magnets in many electronic devices. Right now, only about 5% of these magnets are recycled, but tapping into end-of-life electronics is a promising and more sustainable source for rare-earth materials, the vast…
At Achema 2022 (Frankfurt am Main, Germany; August 22–26), a new compressor designed for hydrogen service was launched by Aerzen Machinenfabrik GmbH (Aerzen, Germany; www.aerzen.com). “We consider this solution to be the game changer in the market,” said Michael Leitsch,…