Plant Watch Strategic partnership for acrylonitrile and sodium cyanide in the Middle East April 29, 2011 — Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com), Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. (Tokyo; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) and Mitsubishi Corp. (Tokyo; www.mitsubishicorp.com) have signed…
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA; Ibaraki, www.jaea.go.jp) has enhanced the efficiency of a solvent-extraction process to separate organic solvents from water contaminated by radioactive waste. JAEA was able to reduce the toluene concentration from 5,000 parts per million (ppm) to…
A system that utilizes existing biological wastewater-treatment facilities for destruction of biodegradable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other organic hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) has been demonstrated at three U.S. petroleum-refining and chemical facilities, and the developer has plans to extend…
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI; Tokyo, www.mhi.co.jp) says it has established technology to produce bioethanol for automobile use by using soft-cellulose, such as wheat straw and rice straw, as raw materials. MHI estimates the fuel cost for a full-scale production…
A novel method for treating industrial liquid waste employs supercritical water infused with oxygen to destroy organic compounds. Developed by Innoveox (Paris; www.innoveox.com) and based on technology patented by the French government research organization CNRS (www.cnrs.fr), supercritical water oxidation (SCWO)…
A team from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering (Melbourne, Australia; www.csiro.au) has developed a new technique for growing smart materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which can be used in pollution control, or as catalysts, or for transporting drugs in…
SGL Group (Wiesbaden, Germany; www.sglgroup.com) delivered graphite soft felt for a 1-MWh VRB (Vanadium Redox Battery) energy storage system from Prudent Energy. As Prudent Energy, the world’s largest manufacturer of Vanadium Flow Batteries, announced, the company completed a 1-MWh energy…
The Chilean economy is one of the most dynamic in Latin America. The country has enjoyed steady growth over the last 10 years. The Global Competitiveness Report for 2009–2010, a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum, ranks Chile…
Edwards (Crawley, U.K.; www.edwardsvacuum.com) has opened its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Cheonan, Korea to serve its Korean and other global customers. The U.K. Business Secretary, Vince Cable and Edwards CEO, Matthew Taylor, officially opened the site in the presence…
Ashland Inc. (Covington, Ky.; www.ashland.com) and International Specialty Products Inc. (ISP; Wayne, N.J.) today announced that Ashland has agreed to acquire privately owned ISP, a global specialty chemical manufacturer of innovative functional ingredients and technologies. Under the terms of the…