In The News
Forward osmosis moves a step closer to commercialization
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,…
Aker Solutions: Contract for first Russian ClO2 plant
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,…
Energy efficiency prize for alumina production
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…
Evonik plans to shut down polyethylene waxes production and more business news
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…
June Chementator Briefs
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…
Keeping Corrosion at Bay
Given the recent focus on cost control, it’s likely that chemical processors will suffer sticker shock when they learn that industry spends $276 billion annually on corrosion prevention, monitoring and repair. Even more abrasive is the fact that this figure…
Electrochemistry regenerates H2SO4 and recovers iron from industrial wastes
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…
Cellulosic biofuel demonstration in China
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…
Milestones in distributed production of biofuels
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…
Flexible carbon capture CFB technology moves closer to commercialization
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…