Chemical Engineering
Functionalized ceramic particles allow for heat-rejecting coatings
NanoTech Materials Inc. (Houston; www.nanotechmaterials.com) is expanding its commercial partnerships for the use the company’s Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP) technology, which can be used in fireproof coatings, as well as in a range of applications for roof coatings that lower…
Chementator Briefs
RO Membranes Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan; www.toray.com) has developed a highly durable reverse osmosis (RO) membrane that is said to offer double the resistance to cleaning chemicals of conventional counterparts. This reduces performance degradation from membrane wear and simplifies…
A next-generation membrane for durable fuel cells and electrolyzers
Hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers will be crucial technologies as the global energy transition progresses. However, both devices are often hampered by issues with durability and material costs — mainly associated with their membrane elements — which have slowed their…
Storing and processing anhydrous hydrogen chloride as an ionic liquid
Hydrogen chloride is an important byproduct of the chemical industry, with over 9-million ton/yr generated by industrial chlorination processes, such as the production of chloromethanes and polymers (polyurethanes and polycarbonates). Although HCl can be easily recovered by gas scrubbing with…
Electrochemical sensor selectively detects dangerous bacteria
Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt (www.uni-frankfurt.de) and Kiel University (both Germany; www.uni-kiel.de) have developed a new sensor for the detection of bacteria. It is based on a chip with a surface coating that ensures only very specific microorganisms, such as…
Syensqo to open North America’s largest PVDF production plant to serve energy-storage applications
Syensqo broke ground on its future battery-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) facility in Augusta, Georgia. They were joined by Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and by Giulia Siccardo, Director…
Linde increases production capacity for industrial gases in Florida
Linde plc (Guildford, U.K.) announced that it has increased the capacity of its production facility in Mims, Florida, in response to growing demand for industrial gases in the region. Linde has expanded production capacity at Mims by 50%, following a…
SK Geo Centric announces development of new lactic-acid production technology
SK Geo Centric has secured a new technology for producing “lactic acid,” the raw material for bio-based plastic PLA (Polylactic Acid), using a sustainable method that minimizes costs and chemical byproducts. The research team from SK Innovation’s Institute of Environmental…
Sika opens synthetic fibers production facility in Peru
Sika AG (Baar, Switzerland) is opening a state-of-the-art facility in Lima, Peru, to produce synthetic macro fibers, and expanding the rollout of a product range with great growth potential in Latin America. With this innovative technology, Sika is further strengthening…
Mitsubishi and Denka to form JV for production of fullerenes
Mitsubishi Corp. (MC; Tokyo) and Denka Company Ltd. (Denka) have signed joint-venture (JV) agreement in the business of fullerenes, carbon molecules that form the base of cutting-edge materials in the field of nanotechnology. Under the terms of this agreement, Denka…