CO2 Separation Conventional DDR-type zeolite membranes are well suited for separating CO2 from different-sized molecules, such as methane, which is present in associated gas or natural gas. However, such membranes are not very efficient for separating CO2 from O2 or…
In lubricated systems, varnish and deposits can form on metal surfaces as lubricant oils degrade, often leading to inefficient operations and equipment failure. There are many chemical cleaning products to break down varnish, but the effectiveness of these compounds in…
The prospects for a bio-based route to acrylates (diagram) received a significant boost recently, when startup company Låkril Technologies Corp. (Chicago, Ill.; www.lakril.com) licensed technology from the laboratory of Paul Dauenhauer at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.; twin-cities.umn.edu). Dauenhauer…
Plant Watch Air Liquide enters a longterm partnership for production of rare helium isotope December 8, 2021 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris; www.airliquide.com) entered into a longterm agreement with Laurentis Energy Partners to produce and distribute helium-3 (3He), a rare…
The synthetic biology company Kalion Inc. (Milton, Mass.; www.kalioninc.com) recently completed its first commercial-scale production run of high-purity (98–99%) glucaric acid via fermentation of glucose at a custom-manufacturing facility owned by Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com). The high purities…
Aluminum is used for a number of applications because it is lighter than iron and easy to machine. However, Al is usually alloyed with Cu, Mg or other elements for improved strength. Developing such alloys that maintain their strength at…
A group of researchers from the University of Arizona (Tucson; www.arizona.edu), led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Jeff Pyun, are aiming to make use of sulfur waste streams from petroleum refineries. To meet environmental regulations, sulfur must be removed from…
Newly launched catalyst technology, developed through a collaboration between Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) and Air Liquide Engineering & Construction (Frankfurt am Main, Germany; www.engineering-airliquide.com) and designed for methanol (MeOH) production, is capable of boosting cumulative MeOH yields by up to…
Last month, the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State; University Park, Pa.; www.psu.edu), Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland Ohio; www.case.edu) and Clemson University (S.C.; www.clemson.edu) received a $1.7-million National Science Foundation grant for a four-year project to recover rare earth elements…
In October, researchers from Penn State and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL; Calif.; www.llnl.gov) described — in an article published in ACS Central Science — a new method that improves the extraction and separation of rare earth elements (REEs)…