In The News
Vegetable-oil-based chemicals plant soon to be fully operational
In spring of this year, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM; Decatur, Ill.; www.adm.com) plans full operation of a chemical plant based on soybean and canola oils as renewable feedstock. Products of the plant will include refined glycerin, propylene glycol and…
Improved ethylene-oxide scrubber design can meet stringent regulations
Improvements in the design of ethylene oxide (EtO) scrubbers made by The Clean Air Group, Croll Reynolds Co. (Parsippany, N.J.; www.croll.com) have helped users meet increasingly stringent regulations for EtO emissions, as well as meet tower height restrictions. “Our designs…
Graphene improves the performance of water deionization
A research team from the University of South Australia (Adelaide; www.unisa.edu.au) and the East China Normal University (Shanghai; www.ecnu.edu.cn) has developed a capacitive deionization technology (CDI) that uses graphene-like nanoflakes as electrodes, instead of conventionally used activated carbon (AC) materials.…
Zero-liquid-discharge desalination system offers brine disposal alternative
A desalination system developed by Watervap LLC (Marble Hill, Ga.; www.h2ovap.com) separates saltwater of any concentration into highly purified water and dry solid minerals with high efficiency. The company’s Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) process represents a low-cost alternative to brine…
A new catalyst for C-C and crossed-coupling
Tokyo Chemical Industry Co. (TCI; Tokyo; www.tokyokasei.co.jp) is planning full-scale production of a new palladium-complex catalyst, trade-named SingaCycle-E1, for performing Heck-Mizoroki carbon-carbon coupling reactions and the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction — both reactions of importance for producing pharmaceuticals. TCI says SingaCycle-E1…
Scaleup is set for a biomass-to-fuels process
The Gas Technology Institute (GTI, Des Plaines, Ill.; www.gastechnology.org) has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with CRI/Criterion Inc. (Houston; www.cricatalyst.com) to commercialize a GTI process for converting biomass directly into cellulosic gasoline and diesel fuel blendstocks. The technology, called…
Plans move forward for the first U.S. uranium plant in 30 years
Energy Fuels Inc. (Lakewood, Colo.; www.energyfuels.com) has been granted a radioactive materials license by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for the first uranium mill to be built in the U.S. in 30 years. Energy Fuels says the…
Chementator briefs
CO2 for plastic Last month, a pilot plant that produces an intermediate for polyurethane, using carbon dioxide as feedstock, started up at Chempark Leverkusen, Germany. The plant — designed, built and operated by Bayer Technology Services GmbH (Leverkusen; www.bayertechnology.com)…
Dow: $100 million to reduce energy use
The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) says it will accelerate energy efficiency and conservation improvements within its operations through an investment of $100 million in projects that will reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The $100 million…
B&W: Renewable energy contract in Finland
The Babcock & Wilcox Co.'s (B&W; Charlotte, N.C.; www.babcock.com) Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S (B&W Vølund), has been awarded a $35-million contract with Finland-based EkoKem OY to supply key equipment for a 36-MW waste-to-energy, combined heat-and-power plant in…