Chemical Engineering
Chementator Briefs
Using Waste Heat To convert large amounts of waste heat into electricity as efficiently as possible, turbines with a high degree of efficiency are required that work with a special conversion process — the organic Rankine cycle (ORC). In a…
A hydrogen-fired furnace for ceramics
This month, a demonstration experiment will begin on a new firing furnace for ceramics that is being developed by NGK Insulators, Ltd. (NGK; www.ngk.co.jp). The furnace is fired with hydrogen instead of fossil fuels, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. H2-fired combustion…
Spinning reactor recovers metals from spent Li-ion batteries
Recycling lithium batteries (LIBs) requires extensive use of hydrometallurgy, which requires multiple steps of extraction-stripping processes, each requiring separate reactors and different parameters. Although there have been attempts to devise a single-step, one-pot solution by partitioning the reactor using membranes,…
Pilot trials for a carbon-capture process that combines VPSA and MOFs
This summer, pilot trials will begin at a Buzzi Unicem S.p.A. (Casale Monferrato, Italy; www.buzziunicem.com) cement plant in Monselice, Italy, which will perform field tests of a new carbon-capture process developed by Nuada, the new tradename of MOF Technologies Ltd.…
Ligand-based separation method for rare earth elements
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are difficult to separate because of their similar properties, so conventional methods are often costly and generate significant amounts of waste. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; www.ornl.gov) have developed a new technique…
Business News: June 2023
Plant Watch Trinseo inaugurates new PC dissolution pilot facility in the Netherlands May 15, 2023 — Trinseo LLC (Berwyn, Pa.; www.trinseo.com) inaugurated its polycarbonate (PC) dissolution pilot facility in Terneuzen, the Netherlands. Dissolution recycling is a type of physical recycling…
Lithium Extraction: Prime Time for Brine
Technologies to process lithium-containing brines are in high demand as manufacturers seek to improve recovery volumes and sustainability The two main sources of lithium — one of the most in-demand materials on earth — are mining from ores and extracting…
LyondellBasell’s PP technology selected for new plant in Saudi Arabia
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced that Alujain National Industrial Company (Alujain) has selected polypropylene process technology from LyondellBasell for a new Spherizone process technology line. Alujain owns National Petrochemical Industrial Co. (NatPet), which operates a Spheripol process technology…
LG Chem begins construction of fourth carbon nanotube plant at Daesan Complex
LG Chem (Seoul, South Korea) announced that it has started construction of its fourth carbon nanotube (CNT) plant at its Daesan Complex, 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul. LG Chem’s CNT 4 Plant is slated for operation in 2025 and will…
Honeywell technology selected for SAF production at five BP refineries
Honeywell International Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.) announced that bp plc (London) selected its Ecofining technology to help support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at five facilities. Honeywell UOP Ecofining technology will be installed at bp sites across the globe including the…