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Chemical Engineering

New transparent insulator material could improve heat efficiency of buildings

Buildings lose considerable heating and cooling energy through their windows, so window coatings with low thermal conductivity would improve efficiency. However, finding insulating materials that are also transparent is a challenge. A team of researchers at the University of Colorado…

A water-durable construction material that also sequesters CO2

A new structural material builds upon the promise of enzyme-enhanced CO2 mineralization to overcome decarbonization challenges in the construction industry. Researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI; Worcester, Mass.; www.wpi.edu), led by Nima Rahbar, head of WPI’s Department of Civil, Environmental…

Novel nanobubble generator enters commercial service at Saudi Aramco site

In late December 2025, a system that uses electric fields — rather than mechanical means — to generate nanometer-sized gas bubbles entered operation at a commercial site in Saudi Arabia. The nanobubble-generating technology was developed by the startup company AquaB…

Novel gasification scheme piloted for recycling of absorbent hygiene products

Post-consumer absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), such as infant diapers, feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence products, present unique challenges for recycling, because they contain compound materials like superabsorbent polymers and non-woven fabrics, as well as bio-hazardous waste, which are difficult…

Business News: February 2026

Plant Watch Solstice announces manufacturing expansions in Germany and the U.S. January 15, 2026 — Solstice Advanced Materials (Morris Plains, N.J.; www.solstice.com) has completed two significant manufacturing expansions: a recently completed €5.5-million expansion of its stannous fluoride manufacturing facility in…

Smart Technologies for CPI Flow-Measurement Challenges

Diagnostics, self-monitoring and digital communication detect flowmeter issues, provide insight Accurate flow measurement is the backbone of chemical process optimization. Today’s flowmeters are being enhanced with smart technologies and other advances designed to overcome flow monitoring challenges in the chemical…

Kemvera gears up for commercialization of bio-based manufacturing processes for acetic acid and ethyl acetate

Kemvera (Denver, Colo.; formerly New Iridium) announced it has completed the process design package (FEL 1) for its planned 50,000 metric tons per year commercial-scale plant. To support scale-up for this commercial facility, Kemvera completed the design for a 500…

Solvay inaugurates Europe’s first bio-circular silica facility in Italy

Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium) inaugurated its new bio-circular silica facility at its plant in Livorno, Italy, marking a major milestone in Europe’s industrial transformation toward sustainability. This investment positions Solvay as a proactive partner in achieving the European Green Deal…

Air Products awarded $140-million hydrogen supply contract for NASA facilities

Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.) announced that it was recently awarded supply contracts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) totaling more than $140 million to provide liquid hydrogen for several NASA facilities including the world’s largest hydrogen sphere…

CF Industries and POET launch low-carbon fertilizer pilot project

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (Deerfield, Ill.) and POET LLC, the world’s largest producer of biofuels, have launched a pilot project with major agriculture co-operatives to jointly develop a low-carbon fertilizers supply chain. The goal of the pilot is to demonstrate…