In The News
Copper-graphene composite could enable more efficient electrical hardware
Composites of copper and graphene have been explored as a way to improve electrical conductivity, but researchers have not been successful at enhancing conductivity with a corresponding reduction in the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and have not been able…
Chementator briefs
CO2 TO METHANOL Last December, Sumitomo Chemical Co, Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp) started operating a pilot facility for producing methanol from CO2 at its Ehime Works, located in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The company aims to complete the demonstration…
Business News: February 2024
Plant Watch Solenis to build new polyvinylamine production facility in Virginia January 12, 2024 — Solenis, LLC (Wilmington, Del.; www.solenis.com) will invest $193 million to expand production capacity of polyvinylamine (PVAm) in Suffolk, Va. The company will build a new…
Direct molten-salt electroplating cuts battery costs
The extremely high material purity demanded for conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing creates considerable costs for transporting and refining lithium and other raw materials. Through the development of a single-step electroplating process that uses lower-purity raw materials and a nanostructured-foam electrode…
First commercial DAC facility in the U.S. captures CO2 for concrete
In November 2023, Heirloom Carbon Technologies (Tracy, Calif.; www.heirloomcarbon.com) unveiled the United States’ first commercial direct air capture (DAC) facility, which can capture up to 1,000 ton/yr of CO2. The process first uses renewable energy to remove CO2 from limestone…
Fouling-immune membrane available for brackish-water RO applications
In November 2023, the first commercial test was initiated for a novel, fouling-immune membrane for brackish-water reverse osmosis (BWRO) applications through an early-access program. Membrane developer ZwitterCo (Woburn, Mass.; www.zwitterco.com) says its membrane is fouling-immune in cases where fouling of…
Cybersecurity Threats Prompt Proactive Approach
An evolving threat landscape for plant security is attracting more attention to the development of operational technology (OT)-specific cybersecurity programs, underlining the importance of collaboration and blurring the line between cyber- and physical security Cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure sites,…
This new stainless steel is ultra-resistant to corrosion
One of the major hindrances in saltwater electrolysis for “green”-hydrogen production is the cost of materials to construct electrolyzer components that can withstand an extremely corrosive saltwater environment. Currently, titanium coated with platinum or gold is usually required for such…
A continuous electrochemical process for direct-air CO2 removal
Direct-air capture (DAC) of atmospheric carbon dioxide presents promise for helping to reach global-warming reduction goals. However, many DAC technologies are hindered by high costs and inefficiency. RepAir Carbon (Yokne-am Illit, Israel; www.repair-carbon.com) recently launched a field prototype of its…
Sand-based thermal-energy storage
Using concentrated solar thermal (CST) energy to supply industrial-heating requirements is a promising way to reduce the use of fossil fuels. This is the aim of Magaldi Green Energy (Rome, Italy; www.magaldigreenenergy.com), which developed its Solar Thermo Electric Magaldi (STEM)…