A new catalysis center (www.catalyticcenter.de) has opened today in Aachen, Germany, for which the Bayer company provides more than seven million euros of funding. “To further boost our innovative strength, we support excellent performance and talent in science,” says Peter…
Lurgi Zimmer GmbH, a company of Lurgi GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany; www.lurgi.com), has contracted a Polyamide 6 plant to be built for Zhejiang Huajian Nylon Co. Ltd., China. Polyamide is a widely used polymer for sophisticated technical and textile applications. Zhejiang…
Last month, Benefuel, Inc. (Mt. Prospect, Ill.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-533) established an exclusive global agreement with Süd-Chemie India Pvt. Ltd. (SCIL; New Delhi) whereby SCIL will manufacture proprietary solid-acid catalysts for Benefuel’s biodiesel production facilities around the world. The patent-pending catalysts —…
Nanostructured microporous carbons containing well-dispersed metal nanoparticles have the potential to improve the performance of fuel cells or catalysis. However, traditional techniques for embedding metal particles in porous carbons (post-synthesis treatment either by impregnation, adsorption, or ion exchange) can lead…
Johnson ElectroMechanical Systems, Inc. (Atlanta, Ga.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-536) in conjunction with professor Heshmat Aglan of Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Ala.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-537) has received a $75,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.) to further develop the firm’s solid-state heat…
Biotechnology samples, such as proteins, nucleic acids, biological specimens and pharmaceuticals, are typically stored frozen to extend their shelf life. However, a problem that has plagued researchers for decades is that the buffers used to maintain the pH of the…
Airborne contaminants can be identified within 2 – 3 s with a new sensor developed by researchers at the University of California-Santa Barbara and Stanford University (Calif.). The researchers have founded a company, SpectraFluidics, Inc. (Santa Barbara; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-539) to commercialize…
Plant Watch Oxea Increases Alcohol Capacity in North America January 24, 2008 — Oxea is expanding its oxo alcohols capacity at its production site in Bay City, Texas. The production capacity for propionaldehyde and n-propanol will be increased 10% by…
A team of researchers from MIT’s (Cambridge, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-540) chemical and mechanical engineering departments, in association with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.), has developed oil-repellent surfaces with likely separations and safety applications for the…
PCM (Paris, France; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-541) has introduced what is claimed to be the world’s first all-metal progressing cavity pump (PCP). PCM Vulcain is capable of pumping extremely hot (350°C) and viscous fluids, making it particularly suitable for the thermal recovery of…