Electrochem Technologies & Materials Inc. (Montreal, Canada; www.electrochem-technologies.com) has recently patented its process for the production and recycling of all vanadium electrolytes (VE) used in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). This electrochemical technology offers a sound and profitable alternative to…
Egg white is one of the most important protein ingredients for the food industry, with a market of 1.6-million ton/yr in 2020 and projected to grow in the future. Searching for sustainable alternatives to animal-based proteins has been of growing…
Honeywell UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.honeywell.com/uop) recently began offering a post-combustion carbon-capture system based on new advanced solvent technology that allows for improved carbon-capture economics for hard-to-abate industries, such as steelmaking, rotary kiln operations (such as cement-making) and natural-gas power…
A new demonstration plant near Bakersfield, Calif. will produce carbon-negative “green” H2 from woody biomass waste, such as agricultural residues from orchard trees and walnut shells. Developed by Mote, Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif.; www.motehydrogen.com), with engineering partners Fluor Corp. (Irving,…
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are typically copolymers of a plastic and a rubber that have both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. The best-known TPEs include styrenic block polymers, which contain molecular blocks of polystyrene (which is hard) and polydiene (which is rubbery).…
Engineering design is underway for a new plant for making renewable dimethyl ether (rDME) from biogas produced by agricultural digesters or derived from landfills. Project developer Oberon Fuels (San Diego, Calif.; www.oberonfuels.com) is basing the new plant on its existing…
Drive & Charge The R&D teams from Holcim Ltd. (Zug, Switzerland; www.holcim.com) and Magment GmbH (Oberhaching, Germany; www.magment.co) have developed a unique concrete with high magnetic permeability, which enables electric vehicles to recharge wirelessly while in motion. Known as inductive…
Decomposing limestone (CaCO3) into quicklime (burnt limestone; CaO) releases significant CO2 emissions, both from the combustion of fuel needed to heat the kiln to temperatures over 1,000°C, and by the release of CO2 from the reaction itself (CaCO3 → CaO…
CO2 Separation Conventional DDR-type zeolite membranes are well suited for separating CO2 from different-sized molecules, such as methane, which is present in associated gas or natural gas. However, such membranes are not very efficient for separating CO2 from O2 or…
In lubricated systems, varnish and deposits can form on metal surfaces as lubricant oils degrade, often leading to inefficient operations and equipment failure. There are many chemical cleaning products to break down varnish, but the effectiveness of these compounds in…