A new commercial manufacturing process for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produces tubes in the range of 1–10 mm in length (5–12-nm dia.), two orders of magnitude longer than currently available CNTs, which typically have lengths from 5–20µm. “Despite attractive mechanical and…
Plant Watch Linde starts up CO 2 plant in Fort Worth December 12, 2016 — Linde North America (Bridgewater, N.J.; www.lindeus.com) started up a new carbon dioxide plant in Fort Worth, Tex. The plant, which has a production capacity of…
Gas Innovations (La Porte, Tex.; www.gasinnovations.com) has signed a 15-year, pay-per-use agreement with Haldor Topsøe A/S (Topsøe; Lyngby, Denmark; www.topsoe.com) for a second on-site carbon-monoxide production unit, using Topsøe’s electrolytic Carbon Monoxide solution (eCOs) technology. The first eCOs unit in…
A new process for making long glass fiber polypropylene (LGF-PP) concentrates (glass-fiber-containing plastic pellets) allows a higher glass-fiber content than is possible with conventional processes. Plastics maker Trinseo (Berwyn, Pa.; www.trinseo.com) has developed the process, which is capable of making…
Insights about complex CPI workforce issues come from a variety of sources, including survey data on corporate attitudes, salary and diversity The chemical process industries (CPI) continue to face an interconnected web of workforce challenges, including the retirement wave of…
Modern technology tackles CPI’s air-emissions concerns Air emissions monitoring and control is a major concern for all chemical processors, but the product being manufactured, the process used to make it, the resulting byproducts and pollutants, and the location of a…
Bio foam control Last month, Novozymes A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark; www.novozymes.com) introduced Fermax, an enzyme protease that prevents foam development during the sugarcane ethanol fermentation process, while delivering improved control and replacing chemicals. For an average size plant, trialing partners experienced…
Plant Watch GTC to provide aromatics extraction technology to JG Summit’s Batangas site November 11, 2016 — GTC Technology US LLC (Houston; www.gtctech.com) has signed an agreement with JG Summit Petrochemical Corp. (Mandaluyong City, the Philippines; jgspetrochem.com) to provide its…
Scandium International Mining Corp. (Sparks, Nev.; www.scandiummining.com) is about to become the first company to achieve production from a primary scandium mine, with its project near the small town of Nyngan, New South Wales, Australia. The production of scandium from…
Demand for carbon fiber (CF), which can be used to make strong, lightweight composite materials for improving vehicle fuel economy and wind-power generation, has been growing. However, widespread use of these advanced composites has been limited by the high production…