Chementator
July Chementator Briefs
Oil-water separation A complex formed by combining maleic anhydride copolymers with a cationic fluorosurfactant can separate oil from water when coated on a wire mesh. Researchers at Durham University (U.K.; www.durham.ac.uk) devised a method of preparing the complex in…
This fatty-acid conversion process results in synthetic lubricant base oils
Biosynthetic Technologies (Irvine, Calif.; www.biosynthetic.com) has developed a continuous-flow process to convert any animal- or plant-based fatty acids with high oleic-acid content into synthetic esters that can be used in formulations for motor oils and industrial lubricants. These biosynthetic esters…
This on-purpose butadiene process takes a step closer to commercialization
Last month, The Linde Group (Pullach, Germany; www.linde.com) and BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) announced plans to cooperate in developing and licensing processes for the on-purpose production of linear butenes and butadiene. BASF has developed process technology and catalysts as…
A Primer on Reverse Osmosis Technology
Water scarcity is one of the most serious global challenges of our time. Desalination and water reuse are effective and reliable means to provide new water resources. Among the many methods available to treat water, reverse osmosis (RO) has widely…
Platform for reactive monomers enables short cure times for coatings
The potential usefulness of 1,1-di-substituted alkenes for making performance polymers has been recognized for some time, but commercialization has been elusive because of the reactive nature of the monomers. Startup company Sirrus Inc. (Loveland, Ohio; www.sirruschemistry.com) has developed technology to…
An improved PHA-bioplastic process is scaled up
A less expensive process for producing biodegradeable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) plastics from renewable feedstocks is being scaled up by a factor of six, resulting in a 30,000–60,000-lb/mo pilot facility. The improved PHA process — developed by Meredian Inc. (Bainbridge, Ga.; www.meredianpha.com)…
Reduce energy costs by combining wastewater treatment and desalination
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO; Kawasaki, Japan; www.nedo.go.jp) and Global Water Recycling and Reuse Solution Technology Research Assn. (GWSTA) have developed a new water-treatment system that integrates seawater desalination with recycle water from a sewage treatment plant.…
Imitating nature leads to a better catalyst
An inexpensive and scalable composite catalyst that is said to outperform platinum for oxygen reduction in metal-air batteries and fuel cells has been developed by a research team led by professor Jaephil Cho from Ulsan National Institute for Science and…
A process that recovers rare-earth elements from ‘urban mining’
Electrochem Technologies & Materials Inc. (Montreal, Canada; www.electrochem-technologies.com) has recently patented a process for recovering rare-earth elements (REEs) from mercury phosphor powders — a byproduct from recyclers of fluorescent lamps and light bulbs. This technology offers a sound and profitable…
Using algae to make beta-1,3- glucan
With a separate algae-based technology, Algal Scientific has invented a sterile fermentation process for making beta-1,3-glucan from algae that has lower costs than those associated with fermenting the molecule with yeast. Beta-1,3-glucan is a polysaccharide that boosts immune-system function in…