At Achema in June, GIG Karasek GmbH (Gloggnitz, Austria; www.gigkarasek.com) introduced the ECO2Cell, an electrochemical CO2-recycling technology that utilizes proprietary catalysts to convert captured carbon dioxide into a range of chemicals. Using only water, CO2 and electricity as process inputs,…
A new biomass-based liquid admixture for concrete uniquely combines the benefits of traditional performance-enhancing additives with decarbonization. Hydrous bio-graphene oxide (hBGO), developed by AlterBiota (Edwardsville, Nova Scotia, Canada; www.alterbiota.com), is a stable, high-solids dispersion that helps to improve strength and…
Nitrile compounds (R–N≡N) are important for the manufacturing of fragrances, pharmaceuticals, superglue and chemical-resistant gloves. Currently, such nitrile compounds require the use of highly toxic cyanide in their synthesis. Now, an alternative cyanide-free chemo-enzymatic cascade process is being developed by…
Concrete production is responsible for 6–9% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. “The largest contribution to that comes from the production of cement, a precursor product,” says Peter Stemmermann from the Institute for Technical Chemistry (ITC) at the Karlsruhe Institute of…
At Achema 2024 (Frankfurt, Germany; June 10–15), Sulzer Chemtech (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.com) revealed MellapakEvo (photo), the latest addition to its structured-packing product family. The MellapakEvo structured packing has been developed to enhance the efficiency and capacity of distillation columns, maximizing…
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS; www.ikts.fraunhofer.de) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP; both Dresden, Germany; www.fep.fraunhofer.de) are introducing an eco-friendly, biologically induced method of producing biogenic construction materials as…
Lime Injection Engineers at the Institute for Technologies of Metals (ITM) at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Duisburg, Germany; www.uni-due.de), together with Fritz Winter Eisengießerei GmbH & Co. KG (FW; Stadtallendorf; Germany) and the FEhS – Building Materials Institute e.V. (Duisburg)…
Electrification will be a key factor in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, but challenges arise in applications that require very high temperatures, such as steel production. The intense heat requirements for converting iron ore into metal contribute significantly to the CO2 emissions…
Conventional bioprocesses use three separate steps to convert cellulose into products, such as bioplastics and biofuels. The consolidated bioprocess (CBP) combines all steps — cellulase production, cellulose hydrolysis and product fermentation — in a single reactor. Using the natural abilities…
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; www.ornl.gov) and a team of interdisciplinary scientists tripled the yield of methanol in the catalytic hydrogenation reaction of carbon dioxide by introducing hydrides into the catalyst support material. The researchers…