Metso (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) is supplying a 140-MWth biogasification plant to Vaskiluodon Voima Oy in Vaasa, Finland. When it starts up in December 2012, the €40-million gasification plant, which will be located next to the existing 565-MW coal-fired power plant,…
A compact, inexpensive and energy-saving continuous process to make bioethanol is being developed by professor Yoshio Katakura at Kansai University (Osaka; microbial.life-bio.kansai-u.ac.jp), in collaboration with the Kinki Bio-industry Development Organization (Osaka), Kansai Chemical Engineering Co. (Amagasaki), and Akita National College…
A novel nickel-manganese-gallium alloy, introduced by Goodfellow Corp. (Oakdale, Pa.; www.goodfellowusa.com), elongates in a magnetic field, allowing the conversion of magnetic field energy into kinetic energy. The material offers an alternative to conventional actuators, and could find other uses in…
As demand for basic metals grows, engineers and scientists are looking for new ways to extract these elements from ores. “The easy stuff has already been found and processed. One of the main challenges of mining and minerals processing companies…
Put content here. Plant Watch BASF to build world’s largest single-train TDI plant in Europe May 26, 2011 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) will build the world’s largest single-train toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant in Europe. The plant will…
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation (Cleveland, Ohio; www.eaton.com) today announced it has agreed to acquire E. Begerow GmbH & Co. KG (Langenlonsheim, Germany; www.begerow.com), a leading system provider for advanced liquid-filtration solutions. E. Begerow develops and produces technologically innovative filter…
Grace Davison (Columbia, Md.; www.grace.com) has commercialized a set of catalysts and additives for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) that contain either zero or low rare-earth metal content. The new product family, known as Replacer, includes new catalysts for processing both…
Sulfur dioxide emissions from metals smelters and other process plants are typically treated by converting the SO2 to sulfuric acid, but this may not be convenient, because of the shipping cost for plants located far from an acid market. WorleyParsons…
Researchers from the University of Cantabria (Santander, Spain; www.unican.es) have developed a process for incorporating Waelz slag into ceramic clay construction bricks, offering an alternative for disposal of the industrial byproduct. The engineers replaced between 20 and 30% of clay…
The research group of professor Akihiko Kondo at Kobe University (Kobe City, www2.kobe-u.ac.jp/~akondo/index_English.htm) has developed a one-step, pretreatment process for making bioethanol from cellulose and lignocellulose. The process uses an ionic liquid — which converts cellulose into a gel —…