In The News
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…
New turbine flowmeters with wireless integration
The TW Series turbine flowmeter (photo) provides flow measurement of oils, water and chemicals with±1% of reading or better and 0.1% repeatability. TW Series turbine meters are available in flow ranges from 0.6 to 5,000 gal/min and feature 316 stainless-steel…
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…
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…
‘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…
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…
‘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,…
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…
Extending Membranes’ Reach Across the CPI
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…