Chementator
Two new product families offer help for biofuel producers
Two families of newly developed products from specialty chemical maker Solenis (Wilmington, Del.; www.solenis.com) — a portfolio of fermentation aids and scale inhibitors — have the potential to improve the production of bioethanol and related fermentation processes. Solenis fermentation aids…
This solvent-extraction process can monetize tough refinery sludges
Construction has begun on a commercial prototype of a low-boiling-point solvent-extraction process for recovering used catalyst powder and slurry oil from a recalcitrant sludge produced in the fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) of petroleum refineries. The process allows refiners to…
A system to extract energy from waste gases
Many chemical process industries (CPI) operations generate gaseous byproducts that are impure and have low energy densities. Ener-Core Power Inc. (Irvine, Calif.; www.ener-core.com) has introduced a technology to extract valuable energy and heat from gases that would otherwise be wasted…
This scale inhibitor uses steric dispersion principles
With the commercial release of a new scale inhibitor — called ScaleTreat FeS 13805 — researchers at Clariant Oil Services (Houston; www.clariant.com/oilinnovation), in collaboration with academia, have improved upon existing scale-treatment chemistries, adding a newly patented copolymer to the industry.…
Upgrading extra-heavy crude oil using supercritical water
Earlier this year, JGC Corp. (JGC; Yokohama, Japan; www.jgc.com), in partnership with Japan Oil, Gas and Minerals National Corp., commenced pilot-scale testing of their Supercritical Water Cracking (SCWC) process. The pilot has a capacity of 5 barrels (bbl) per day…
Chementator Briefs
Concrete Admixture Advanced concrete mixes often demonstrate a higher viscosity due to their low water contents. Although having a high level of workability, the concrete often appears harsh, sticky and therefore difficult to pump and process. To overcome these challenges…
‘Nanoboxes’ promise to boost energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries
Researchers from Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN; www.ibn.a-star.edu.sg) and Hydro-Quebec’s Research Institute (Montreal, Canada; www.hydro.qc.ca) have synthetized silicate-based “nanoboxes” that could greatly increase the energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries as compared to that of conventional phosphate-based cathodes. IBN’s…
Startup for a new coal-gasification process
IHI Corp. (IHI; Tokyo, www.ihi.co.jp) has commissioned its first prototype Twin IHI Gasifier (TIGAR) plant, which IHI designed and built at the Kujang Factory of PT Pupuk Indonesia Holding Co., Indonesia’s largest state-owned fertilizer company, 75 km southeast of Jakarta.…
June Chementator Briefs
Hydrocracking Later this year, Albemarle Corp. (Baton Rouge, La.; www.albemarle.com) says it will add a new catalyst to its STARS (super type II active reactive sites) catalysts portfolio. Together with its Hydroprocessing Alliance partner, UOP LLC (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.com),…
Dispersing sulfur into urea
A new technology demonstrated by Shell Sulphur Solutions (London; www.shell.com/sulphur) aims to incorporate micronized elemental sulfur (which provides nutrients to fertilized plants) into urea. The technology, UreaPluS, employs a patented emulsification technique that evenly distributes sulfur throughout the urea matrix,…