Chemical Engineering
Spark ablation technology cuts iridium use by 90% in PEM water electrolysis
Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis holds significant promise for “green” hydrogen production, but broader adoption hinges on reducing dependence on costly platinum-group metals, such as iridium. A new production method for ultra-thin nanoporous layers developed by VSParticle B.V. (VSP; Delft,…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Comparing Steam and Heat-Transfer-Fluid Utility Systems
While modern steam systems trace their history to James Watt’s steam engine in 1776, heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) systems are more recent, dating to 1926 with the use of diphenyl oxide as a heat recovery agent in power plants [1]. This one-page…
Business News: August 2026
Plant Watch Air Liquide to supply ultra-high-purity gases to semiconductor fab in Arizona July 16, 2026 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) announced a new investment of over $160 million to build, own and operate a new large-scale production…
Application-Specific Valves Deliver Reliability
Engineering valves for a specific application increases performance in challenging and complex chemical processes Valves play a critical role in the chemical process industries (CPI). They help manage capital-intensive operations, protect equipment and support environmental compliance. Rather than relying on…
Air Liquide to invest $150 million in industrial gas facility in Idaho for semiconductor manufacturing
Air Liquide S.A. (Paris, France) announced today an investment of over $150 million to build, own and operate a new industrial gas production facility in Idaho to support the site expansion of a global leader in semiconductor memory chips. Building…
JordProxa named technology and equipment partner for Lilac Solutions’ Great Salt Lake lithium carbonate facility
JordProxa (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia) has been announced as the technology and equipment partner for Lilac Solutions (Oakland, California), a leading provider of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, for the lithium downstream conversion process at its Phase 1 commercial lithium carbonate…
Johnson Matthey completes acquisition of SCR catalyst maker Cormetech
Johnson Matthey Plc (JM; London) has announced the completion of its acquisition of CORMETECH Inc. (Durham, N.C.), following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including all regulatory approvals. The acquisition marks an important milestone in JM's wider strategy to create…
Toyo wins contract to build TMAH production plant in South Korea
Toyo Engineering Korea Ltd., a subsidiary of Toyo Engineering Corp. (Chiba, Japan), has been awarded a contract by HANTOK CHEMICALS CO., LTD. (HANTOK) for the construction of a Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide (TMAH) production plant in South Korea. HANTOK is a 50:50 joint…
Rio Tinto signs bio-pellet offtake agreement for Gladstone alumina refineries
Rio Tinto (London, U.K.) has signed a five-year offtake agreement with Australian bioenergy company SuperChar Ltd. (SCL; Sydney, Australia) for the supply of locally produced bio-pellets for use at its alumina refineries in Gladstone, with deliveries targeted to commence in 2028. The agreement…
SABIC and Rongsheng Petrochemical agreement to develop Jintang New Materials project
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) announced the signing of a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Rongsheng Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China) and its wholly owned subsidiary Rongsheng New Materials (Zhoushan) Co., Ltd. to jointly advance the development of the Jintang…