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The ‘Green’ Chemistry Challenge

The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize scientific solutions to environmental problems that reduce hazards associated with the design, manufacture and use of chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention sponsors the awards in…

Drought emphasizes water scarcity

A megadrought in the U.S. Southwest has triggered emergency measures to be taken, as both water and hydroelectric power supplies to millions of people are threatened. The water levels in the two largest human-made reservoirs in the U.S., Lake Mead…

The gender gap in engineering

Each year since 2001, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE; www.swe.org) has analyzed the research addressing issues related to women in engineering professions. Last month, SWE released a retrospective analysis [1] of what has been learned over the past 20…

Climate change and food security

A new, extensive report examining the impacts of climate change around the world warns that the effects of climate change are more widespread with further-reaching consequences than previously thought. Compiled by 270 authors from 67 countries, the report [1] was…

A vision for chemical engineering

Chemical engineering is a discipline with far-reaching and diverse applications. The list of industries that employ its professionals is extensive: petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, basic and specialty chemicals, mining, agriculture, energy and food-and-beverage, to name a few. While the basic…

Spotlight on hydrogen

Driven by climate-related concerns, interest in hydrogen for its potential to play a significant role in decarbonization is surging. An increased urgency to get on track with decarbonization targets set by governments and corporations for the next few decades has…

CPI outlook is adjusting and strong

Following the major disruptions in 2020 due to the pandemic, U.S. chemical production has grown in 2021 and is poised for further gains in 2022, according to the American Chemistry Council’s Year-End 2021 Chemical Industry Situation and Outlook. U.S. chemistry…

Climate change on the world stage

At the time of this writing, COP26 is underway in Glasgow, Scotland. COP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Since the start of the first COP in 1995, climate change…

The 46th Kirkpatrick Award winner

Chemical Engineering is pleased to announce that the winner of the 46th Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award is Haldor Topsoe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark), for its hydrotreating catalyst TK-6001 HySwell. We congratulate Haldor Topsoe for this winning achievement. Halsor Topsoe’s TK-6001…

Implementing digital transformation

The recently concluded 5th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC; www.connectedplantconference.com), held in Austin, Tex., illustrated both the real promise of Industry 4.0 digital tools to improve operational efficiency and safety at chemical process industries (CPI) facilities, as well as the…