Standardized steam-methane-reforming (SMR) reactor units recently commercialized by Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) allow direct hydrogen production at customer sites at costs much lower than those associated with alternative H2 supply modes, including electrolysis and transporting compressed or liquefied H2.…
A group of Singapore researchers have reported a new approach to induce the coiling of prefabricated gold nanowires (AuNWs) inside polymer shells, leading to structures resembling torsion springs. In contrast to gas-phase methods that require high temperatures and are limited…
Photos: Teijin Group Toho Tenax Co. (Tokyo; www.tohotenax.com), the main company of the Teijin Group’s carbon fibers business, has commercialized a gas-diffusion layer (GDL) made of carbon fiber fabric for use as an electrode component for fuel cells. GDLs are…
As demand for rare-earth metals in a wide range of technology applications continues to increase, efforts to reestablish mining and production of rare-earth elements (REEs) is underway outside China, currently the dominant force in REE production. Future supplies of REEs…
A plasma-based process has achieved a 30% yield of methanol from methane in a microreactor system developed by a research team led by Tomohiro Nozaki, associate professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology (TiTech; Tokyo, www.mech.titech.ac.jp). The yield is nearly the…
Outotec Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.outotec.com) has been awarded an order from an Italian company IRASCO for the supply of technology for National Iranian Copper Industries Co.'s copper concentrator expansion located in Sarcheshmeh in Iran. The contract value is nearly €40…
HC Petrochem Co. has selected UOP LLC Des Plaines, Ill; www.uop.com) to provide technology for an expansion of its petrochemicals plant in Daesan, South Korea. HC Petrochem Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Japan’s Cosmo Oil (Tokyo) and Hyundai Oilbank…
Foster Wheeler AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.fwc.com), announced today that its Global Engineering and Construction Group, working with PetroAlgae Inc., (Melbourne, Fla.; www.petroalgae.com) has completed its initial testing of PetroAlgae's biomass, with encouraging results. The biomass, produced at PetroAlgae's micro-crop farm…
Toyo Engineering Corp. China, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyo Engineering Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, Japan; www.toyo-eng.co.jp), has been awarded a contract for an ethanolamine (ETA) production plant to be constructed in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, by Honam Petrochemical Corp. (Korea;…
Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.fluor.com) announced today that it was awarded the Project Hijau Gasoil Phase-1 by Shell Refining Company FOM Malaysia. The project comprises a new 6,000 metric tons (m.t.) per day diesel-processing unit located in Port Dickson, Malaysia.…