Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. (Milan, Italy; www.mairetecnimont.it) announced that its subsidiary Stamicarbon has acquired a 20% stake in Pursell Agri-Tech, LLC, a U.S.-based startup company specialized in developing and marketing polymer-coated, controlled-release fertilizers. The amount of Stamicarbon’s investment is equal to…
Statoil, Shell and Total have signed a partnership agreement to mature the development of carbon storage on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The project is part of the Norwegian authorities’ efforts to develop full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) in…
The VersaMix is a multi-shaft mixer designed for viscous applications requiring a high level of accuracy and batch-to-batch consistency. In a VersaMix, two or three independently-driven agitators work in tandem to ensure high-speed fine dispersion, efficient turnover and uniform heating/cooling.…
My local municipality recently mailed out a brochure titled “Are you ready?”. It is a guide booklet about what to do in case of a nuclear emergency. I live close to a nuclear power plant. The brochure describes radiation, how…
In critical pumping applications involving toxic or expensive products, the use of double mechanical seals or external flushing fluids can lead to product contamination or leakage, as well as additional costs for installation and monitoring. Although hermetically-sealed pumps, such as…
DPC monomer As part of an NEDO project, Asahi Kasei Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) verified a newly developed process for diphenyl carbonate (DPC), a monomer used to produce polycarbonate (PC) at its Mizushima Works (Kurashiki, Okayama). The stability and operability…
Lithium Australia NL (Perth, Western Australia; lithium-au.com) has generated 99.8% (battery-grade) lithium carbonate from lithium-bearing silicates, such as spodumene, using its Sileach process — a hydrometallurgical process that does not require an energy-intensive roasting step. The company says Sileach has…
Graphene can be produced and isolated by exfoliating graphite, but existing processes are difficult and expensive. The most common method involves aggressive oxidation of graphite and results in diminished properties and added expense. Another approach — mechanical exfoliation — requires…
A new research partnership between the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.; www.werf.org) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA; www.uta.edu) seeks to tackle one of the most challenging and persistent water contaminants — perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).…
Plant Watch AkzoNobel opens paint manufacturing facility in the U.K. September 12, 2017 — Akzo Nobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com) has opened its €100-million paints production plant in Ashington, U.K. The factory will be capable of doubling AkzoNobel’scurrent U.K.…