In The News
Chementator: A faster way to decontaminate soil
Liberty Engineering (Hamburg, N.Y.; www.libertypsa.com) has developed a bioremediation system that fully removes carcinogens from soil in 90 days. The process is based on microbial oxidation of organic compounds by petrophyllic pseudonomads in an oxygen-rich environment. The bacteria are specifically…
DuPont, Danisco JV breaks ground for biofuels facility
The DuPont cellulosic ethanol joint venture (JV), DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE; Itasca, Ill.; www.dupontdanisco.com), has broken ground for its first pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art biofuels research and development facility in Vonore, Tenn. The JV has partnered with the…
Chementator: Feed sugar to these bacteria and they’ll produce hydrogen
Azotobacter are nitrogen-fixing bacteria that do a useful job in soil by converting N 2 to ammonia. As a side reaction they also produce hydrogen, most of which they oxidize for their own energy consumption. In a project of the…
Chementator: Longer-lasting batteries
QuantumSphere, Inc. (Santa Ana, Calif.; www.qsinano.com) has filed a key patent for technology it has developed, which extends the capacity of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries up to five times, thus offering the potential to increase the operating life of portable consumer…
Chementator: Oxy-combustion
Last month, what is claimed as the first pilot plant in the world to demonstrate carbon-dioxide capture and storage (CCS) based on oxy-combustion came onstream next to Vattenfall´s 1,600-MW, lignite-fired Schwarze Pumpe power plant in Germany. The 30-MW pulverized-coal demonstration…
Chementator: Bio-based isoprene
Genencor, a div. of Danisco A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark; www.danisco.com) and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio; www.goodyear.com) have started a research collaboration to develop a bio-based process for producing isoprene using renewable raw materials. Tradenamed BioIsoprene, the alternative…
Oxea expands N.A. carboxylic-acids production, adds butyric acid
In an effort to increase its operational flexibility, Oxea GmbH (Oberhausen, Germany; www.oxea-chemicals.com) has decided to produce butyric acid at its North American (N.A.) production site in Bay City, Texas. The existing carboxylic-acids production plant will receive significant upgrading in…
BASF completes capacity expansion at facility in Spain
BASF Catalysts LLC (Iselin, N.J.; www.basf.com) has completed a significant debottlenecking project that has increased capacity at its production facility in Tarragona, Spain. The 25% capacity increase will help meet growing global demand for polypropylene catalysts. The expansion was completed…
Caloric wins contract for another H2 plant in France
Caloric Anlagenbau GmbH (Munich, Germany; www.caloric.com) has won the contract for another Hydrogen Generation Plant in France. Caloric will provide engineering, procurement and commissioning services for a new hydrogen plant and the corresponding distributed control system (DCS), using Caloric's HC…
IDEX acquires Richter Chemie-Technik
IDEX Corp. (Northbrook, Ill.; www.idexcorp.com) today announced the acquisition of Richter Chemie-Technik (Kempen, Germany), a leading provider of premium quality lined pumps, valves and control equipment for the chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Richter’s corrosion resistant fluoroplastic lined products…