For the first time, a hydrocarbon-based membrane has passed the performance and durability testing standards set by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) for heavy-duty fuel-cell applications. Typically, membranes in fuel cells are made of perfluorinated materials…
Chemical recycling of waste polyolefins is difficult to achieve economically partly because of the stability of carbon-carbon bonds in the plastics. In a new approach, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) and the Technical University of…
Current electrolyzers for producing hydrogen use purified water as feedstock, but in the future, this could exacerbate freshwater shortages in some areas. Seawater is highly abundant, but the ions it contains undergo electrode side reactions, and cause corrosion in proton-exchange…
A new flow-battery design is based on quinones — a plentiful material historically derived from coal tar and used in dyestuff manufacturing — rather than traditional battery electrolytes. “Our feedstocks use no critical materials like lithium, cobalt or nickel, and…
Plant Watch Evonik to expand methionine production capacity in Singapore March 9, 2023 — Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) is expanding its capacity to produce DL-methionine on Jurong Island, Singapore, by 40,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). Following the…
Goals to sustainably feed a growing population with limited land resources are driving massive efforts to develop new food sources Today, it is common to see plant-based “meat” products on the shelves of grocery stores. Although soy-based meat products have…
Today’s process sensors provide a real-time data foundation for asset management and process optimization across the enterprise For many decades, industrial process sensors have been used across the chemical process industries (CPI) to measure common process variables, such as pressure,…
Kraton Corp. (Houston) announced a significant expansion of its styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers (SBS) supply capability at its Belpre, Ohio facility starting in 2024. The production capacity is expected to increase by 24,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) by 2025. "We…
Saint-Gobain (Courbevoie, France) has signed a binding agreement for the sale of its glass processing business Glassolutions in Switzerland to the privately-owned German group AEQUITA. The business generated sales of around €25 million in 2022 and employs approximately 70 people…
Lummus Technology (Houston) announced an integrated technology award from SP Chemicals and its subsidiary SP Olefins. SP Chemicals will license Lummus' CATOFIN® technology for a new 800,000-ton/yr propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit, and SP Olefins will license Lummus' Novolen technology for a new…