2D polymer Chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge; www.mit.edu) have synthesized two-dimensional sheets of polyaramide. The achievement, described in a February issue of Nature, is said to be the first time a polymer has been grown…
Last month, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico; www.cemex.com) and Synhelion SA (Lugano, Switzerland; www.synhelion.com) successfully connected the clinker production process with the Synhelion solar receiver to produce solar clinker. The milestone is a first step towards fully solar-driven…
Converting propane to propylene by oxidative dehydrogenation with CO2 is an alternative route to conventional propane dehydrogenation, but existing catalysts for this conversion are not very efficient. Now, in a study described in a recent issue of Nature Catalysis, researchers…
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater and groundwater has garnered increased attention as a health and environmental issue because of their recalcitrance and bioaccumulation. To complement existing PFAS separation technologies, the Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio;…
Beyond product quality, process analytical technology (PAT) strategies optimize processes and efficiency in the chemical process industries The process analytical technology (PAT) initiative was started by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 to ensure quality of product…
Agronutris (Saint Orens de Gameville, France; www.agronutris.com) has selected Bühler AG (Uzwil, Switzerland; www.buhlergroup.com) as its process-solution provider for its first commercial-scale black-soldier-fly plant. Bühler will deliver a full-scope solution for the facility, which will be built in Rethel, France.…
Electrochem Technologies & Materials Inc. (Montreal, Canada; www.electrochem-technologies.com) has recently patented its process for the production and recycling of all vanadium electrolytes (VE) used in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). This electrochemical technology offers a sound and profitable alternative to…
Egg white is one of the most important protein ingredients for the food industry, with a market of 1.6-million ton/yr in 2020 and projected to grow in the future. Searching for sustainable alternatives to animal-based proteins has been of growing…
Honeywell UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.honeywell.com/uop) recently began offering a post-combustion carbon-capture system based on new advanced solvent technology that allows for improved carbon-capture economics for hard-to-abate industries, such as steelmaking, rotary kiln operations (such as cement-making) and natural-gas power…
Plant Watch Ascend to build HMD plant in China’s Jiangsu province January 12, 2022 — Ascend Performance Materials (Houston; www.ascendmaterials.com) signed an investment agreement to construct a new hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and specialty chemicals plant in Lianyungang, China in the…