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A way to dry compressed air more cost effectively

After years of testing and development, Atlas Copco Compressors LLC (Rock Hill, S.C.; www.atlascopco.us) will begin production of a new air-dryer technology by the end of this year. Unlike conventional drying systems, the MDG rotary drum dryer guarantees a stable…

An improved anti-corrosion coating for steel

Using zinc-based coatings to protect galvanized steel from corrosion has been standard practice in the steel industry for decades, but these processes have several key disadvantages. First, achieving longer corrosion performance requires thicker layers of zinc, which raises costs and…

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Wastewater concentrator uses waste heat to lower treatment costs

Landfill leachate and other challenging wastewaters incur rising treatment and disposal costs. Technology developed by Heartland Water Technology, Inc. (Hudson, Mass.; www.heartlandtech.com) can lower costs for treating wastewater by slashing wastewater volumes by 95% or more, using waste heat as…

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Chementator Briefs

Trash bags Barrier films used in food packaging are difficult to recycle effectively, because they often contain multiple polymers that are not compatible with one another in the mixing steps required for the recycling process. Now, trash bags made from…

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‘Deep-learning-based’ AI quickly predicts furnace products

NTT Communications Corp. (NTT Com; www.ntt.com) and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (both Tokyo, Japan; www.mitsuichem.com) have demonstrated the ability to predict, with a high precision, the concentration of gaseous products generated in a furnace. The predictions are produced in just 20…

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New antimicrobial compounds offer disinfectant alternatives

A newly patented class of synthetic antimicrobial compounds is aimed at overcoming the limitations of existing industrial disinfectants, such as quaternary ammonium compounds and bleaches. “Bleaches are effective disinfectants on initial application, but they don’t work when they dry and…

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‘Molecular pulleys’ make a better battery anode

Silicon anodes are an attractive alternative to graphite anodes currently in use in lithium-ion batteries, because they can deliver up to five times higher capacities. However, silicon anodes have a limited charge-discharge cycle number. Their volume expands during each cycle,…

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Business News November 2017

Plant Watch Inovyn starts up KOH plant in Belgium October 13, 2017 — Inovyn (London, U.K.; www.inovyn.com) announced the completion of its new potassium hydroxide (KOH) production facility at its Antwerp/Lillo site in Belgium. The new plant uses membrane technology…

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These microbes make a meal of methane/hydrogen mixtures

Soil bacteria that oxidize methane (methanotrophs) are important in capturing methane before it enters the atmosphere. Now an international team has isolated and characterized methanotrophic bacteria — obtained from a New Zealand volcanic field — that can grow on CH4…

Physical and cybersecurity: Protect Your Plant

Both physical security and cybersecurity must be in place to keep chemical facilities safe from attack While almost all businesses in today’s world are concerned with security — both physical security and cybersecurity — chemical processors likely have a deeper…