Chemical Engineering
Applying ionic liquids to alum sludge presents a less-toxic route to sludge conditioning
Aluminum sulfate is used in drinking-water treatment as a coagulant to remove suspended particles, but this process leaves behind large volumes of watery residue known as alum sludge. Alum sludge is exceedingly difficult to dewater, making disposal a massive challenge,…
A sulfur-based substitute for bitumen as a binder in road asphalt
Demand for bitumen as a binding agent for road asphalt is growing, but supplies are not expected to keep pace. Startup company Uberbinder (Liverpool, U.K.; www.uberbinder.com) has developed a manufacturing platform to tackle this challenge with an alternative solution: a…
Epoxy-based composite demonstrated as a fixative for radioactively contaminated surfaces
Decommissioning nuclear sites is a complex technical and environmental challenge. A recent project undertaken by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) has demonstrated a method for immobilizing radioactive contaminants on surfaces. The approach would reduce the spread of…
New technique for recycling composite materials breaks down thermoset to recover fibers
Poly(dicyclopentadiene), or pDCPD, is a thermoset plastic often used with fiberglass or carbon fibers to make high-strength, lightweight composite materials. Such composites are difficult to recycle practically, leaving environmentally harmful incineration as the most common end-of-life scenario. Now, a team…
Fully autonomous modules produce carbon-neutral synthetic natural gas
Rivan Industries (London, U.K.; www.rivan.com) has deployed its first full-scale modular synthetic natural gas (SNG) system, marking a milestone in autonomous fuels production at scale. Powered by a 1-MW solar array, the SNG system’s only inputs are rainwater and CO2,…
Upcycled steel byproduct sequesters phosphorus and sulfur in wastewater digesters
To inhibit fouling and H2S formation, chemicals like ferric chloride, ferric sulfate and aluminum sulfate are often used to reduce the concentration of phosphorus and sulfur in digesters at wastewater treatment facilities. While effective at isolating sulfides and phosphates, these…
Microbial technology is turning end-of-life oilfields into hydrogen-producing bioreactors
Subsurface sources are an area of emerging interest for producing low-carbon hydrogen. A microbiology-forward approach to subsurface hydrogen production developed by Eclipse Energy (Houston; www.eclipseenergy.co) is designed to recover hydrogen from depleted oil reservoirs. The RenovaStrata TM technology is centered…
Editor’s Page: Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous waste management is often discussed in the context of environmental and public health impact, and rightly so; those areas are important. But recently, an interesting report took a look at hazardous waste management from a different angle: its impact…
Business News: November 2026
Plant Watch MOL Group opens first biomethane plant in Szarvas, Hungary October 14, 2026 — MOL Group Plc. (Budapest, Hungary; molgroup.info) inaugurated its first biomethane plant in Szarvas, Hungary. As a result of the investment of more than HUF 2.7…
How AI-Powered Visual Inspection is Reframing Industrial Hygiene
From PPE compliance to spill detection and dust accumulation, smart inspection and monitoring systems are giving real-time visibility into industrial hygiene hazards that manual inspections routinely miss Many use cases for industrial artificial intelligence (AI) have been documented in recent…