A new process for producing the oxidizing agent potassium ferrate (VI) (K2FeO4) can routinely generate multi-kilogram quantities per day, say scientists. Ferratec (St. Louis, Mo.; www.theincubationfactory.com) and partner Electrosynthesis (Lancaster, N.Y.; www.electrosynthesis.com) have licensed the process technology from Battelle (Columbus,…
A two-year collaboration between Ashland Hercules Water Technologies (AHWT; Wilmington, Del.), a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (Covington, Ky.; www.ashland.com), and BASF Nederland B.V. (Nijehaske, the Netherlands) has demonstrated that a combination of ultrasonic microbial control and corrosion inhibitors not…
A new distillation device developed by UOP LLC (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.com) will make its commercial debut in an ethylene separation column at LG Chem, Ltd.’s petrochemical plant in Yeosu, South Korea. Scheduled for startup in the near future, the…
In light of the growing scarcity of oil resources, biofuels constitute an alternative solution, since they can serve as a complement to fossil fuels. As part of its policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union is requiring…
This week, production will start at AkzoNobel’s (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) chelates facility located at the company’s new €275 million multi-site in Ningbo, China. The startup of the first activities in Ningbo means that AkzoNobel is now the only major…
Süd-Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.sud-chemie.com) and GTC Technology Inc. (Houston, Tex.; www.gtchouston.com) have reached agreement on a strategic alliance. As part of this alliance agreement, Süd-Chemie has acquired a 25% share in GTC. The partnership significantly strengthens Süd-Chemie‘s position in…
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; Karlsruhe, Germany; www.kit.edu) and BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) have founded “IP3” (innovative products, intelligent particles, integrated processes), a joint laboratory for process technology in Karlsruhe (www.ip3.de). JointLab is run by the two partners on…
Bayer Technology Services (BTS; Leverkusen; www.bayertechnology.com) collaborated with Lurgi GmbH (Frankfurt, both Germany; www.lurgi.com) to implement an operator training simulator (OTS) for a Lurgi’s new methanol-to-propylene (MTP) process. At the core of the MTP process is a complex, heterogeneously catalyzed reaction…
GEA Group AG (Bochum, Germany; www.geagroup.com) received the order to design, manufacture and supply the Air Cooled Condenser — worth €10 million — for the extension of the 250-MW, gas-fired power plant Tzafit in Israel. The extension will increase the capacity…
Process Systems Enterprise (PSE; London, U.K.; www.psenterprise.com) has announced an exclusive agreement with Imperial College London (ICL; www3.imperial.ac.uk) to provide the SAFT-VR advanced thermodynamic technology within its world-leading gPROMS advanced process modeling software. The Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT) approach…