Latest News: Technologies
Organomagnesium catalyst isomerizes hydrocarbons
Organomagnesium compounds have become a highly important class of reagents in organic chemistry since the discovery of the Grignard Reaction more than 100 years ago. These compounds are powerful and inexpensive reagents that can be readily prepared from metallic magnesium…
Artificial photosynthesis system demonstrates stability, safety and efficiency
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology’s Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (Caltech JCAP; Pasadena, Calif.; www.caltech.edu) have reported the first system for generating hydrogen gas from water using solar energy that simultaneously achieves high efficiency and oxidative stability along…
A new spin on liquid-gas separation
Last month, Innsep AS (Trondheim; Norway; www.innsep.com) and EagleBurgmann Norway (Skedsmokorset;www.eagleburgmann.no) began a collaboration to develop Innsep’s Lynx Separator technology for protection of EagleBurgmann’s Dry Gas Seal systems for compressors. Lynx is a new technology for removing entrained liquids much…
This filter renders secondhand smoke harmless
A research team, led by Jongsoo Jurng and Gwi-Nam at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Seoul; www.kist.re.kr), has developed a nano-catalyst filter that can drastically reduce harmful substances in cigarette smoke. The team created the filter by evenly…
Uranium processing plant benefits from modularity
A modular processing system for the Husab uranium mine in Namibia, Southwest Africa, has been designed and developed by Adelaide Control Engineering (ACE; Australia; www.adlcontrol.com.au). The company’s managing director, Glenn Jobling, says innovative technology and advanced modular design have enabled…
This cobalt complex catalyst is less expensive, more active than its rhodium analog
The research group of professor Shigeki Matsunaga at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan; www.oia.hokudai.ac.jp), in collaboration with associate professor Takeshi Sakata at Hoshi University, has developed an inexpensive cobalt-based catalyst that can synthesize useful chemicals with fewer reaction steps and reduced…
Chementator Briefs
Li-S Battery Storage Anesco Ltd. (Reading, U.K.; www.anesco.co.uk) and OXIS Energy (Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxisenergy.com) have begun a collaboration to commercialize OXIS Lithium Sulfur Technology for battery storage for commercial and residential renewable installations. The new battery storage units will be…
This wastewater-treatment process also captures carbon dioxide
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, Colo.; www.colorado.edu) have developed a technology that combines wastewater treatment and carbon capture, resulting in a carbon-negative process that actually produces energy. The technology — called microbial electrolytic carbon capture (MECC) —…
Ceramic membrane filtration to be demonstrated for removing oil from produced water
Japanese companies INPEX Corp. (Tokyo, www.inpex.co.jp), Chiyoda Corp. (Yokohama; www.chiyoda-corp.com), and Metawater Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, all Japan; www.metawater.co.jp) have been commissioned to build a small-scale demonstration facility that will use ceramic membrane filtration for treating produced water for Japan Oil,…
A sound way to degas aluminum melts
During casting of aluminum alloys, degassing is required to remove hydrogen from the molten metal in order to prevent porosity in the solid metal that deteriorates its properties and performance. Currently, the so-called argon rotary degassing is used, where a…