Oasys Water Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.; www.oasyswater.com) has commercialized a forward-osmosis (FO) membrane as the next step toward introducing its lower-cost desalination and water-reuse technology. The membrane, developed by Professor Menachem Elimelech, chair of chemical engineering at Yale University (New Haven,…
At the Hannover Messe 2010, Alumina do Norte do Brasil S.A. (Alunorte; Barcarena, Brazil; www.alunorte.net) and Outotec Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.outotec.com) received the X Prize (special recognition) for energy efficiency in alumina production. The award, part of the German Energy Agencys…
An new olefins process A 40,000-m.t./yr demonstration plant for a new process that produces olefins by catalytic cracking of paraffins-rich naphtha will be started up in October by SK energy (Seoul, South Korea; www.skenergy.com) at Ulsan, South Korea. Developed jointly…
Solvay Solexix (Solvay; Bollate, Italy; www.solvaysolexis.com) will begin to market its newly-developed Solvene polymer for applications in printed electronics with its partner Thin Film Electronics ASA (Thinfilm; Oslo, Norway; www.thinfilm.se) Solvay and Thinfilm started a collaboration, in 2007, in the…
Aker Solutions (www.akersolutions.com) has signed a contract with Ilim Group to supply an integrated chlorine dioxide plant for Ilim's pulp mill project in Bratsk, Russia. The contract value to Aker Solutions is approximately $18 million. Aker Solutions will supply technology, engineering,…
An electrochemical process for recovering sulfuric acid and metallic iron from iron-rich sulfate wastes, such as spent pickling liquors and pregnant leach solutions generated in minerals and metals processing, has been patented by François Cardarelli, an independent researcher located in…
Evonik plans to shut down polyethylene waxes production May 21, 2010 — Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) intends to shut down its production of polyethylene waxes in Heme, Germany at the end of December, 2010. This step was taken as…
Novozymes A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark: www.novozymes.com), COFCO Ltd. (www.cofco.com/en) and Sinopec Corp. (both Beijing, China; english.sinopec.com) signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the next steps towards commercialization of cellulosic biofuel in China. As part of the agreement, COFCO and Sinopec will build a…
A biomass-to-liquids (BTL) demonstration plant jointly operated by the Oxford Catalysts Group Plc. (Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordcatalysts.com) and the Portuguese incorporated holding company, SGC Energia (SGCE; www.sgc.pt), for the small-scale distributed production of biofuels has achieved some significant commissioning milestones. The…
Foster Wheeler AG (Zug, Switzerland; www.fwc.com) has signed, together with ENDESA and the Spanish Foundation, Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (CIUDEN), a grant agreement with the European Commission (EC; Brussels, Belgium). The grant agreement stipulates the terms of €180 million…