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,…
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…
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…
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…
Advances in next-generation materials and assembly techniques have enhanced membranes’ effectiveness in numerous applications Membranes are one of the primary technologies used for separations. While they may be best known for their use in water-treatment operations, advances in membrane technologies…
Plant Watch AkzoNobel opens paint manufacturing facility in the U.K. September 12, 2017 — Akzo Nobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) has opened its €100-million paints production plant in Ashington, U.K. The factory will be capable of doubling AkzoNobel’scurrent U.K.…
In critical pumping applications involving toxic or expensive products, the use of double mechanical seals or external flushing fluids can lead to product contamination or leakage, as well as additional costs for installation and monitoring. Although hermetically-sealed pumps, such as…
Environmental regulations and high energy costs are driving technology advances that make plants cleaner and more efficient For some, the production of chlorine and caustic has been considered a nasty business: not only are the products dangerous if not handled…
DPC monomer As part of an NEDO project, Asahi Kasei Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) verified a newly developed process for diphenyl carbonate (DPC), a monomer used to produce polycarbonate (PC) at its Mizushima Works (Kurashiki, Okayama). The stability and operability…
From additives to polymers to coatings to 3-D printables, new materials improve performance High-performance materials are intended to make consumer goods, industry and the world, in general, function better. Inventive performance materials can be found in all categories, from additives…