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Bio Usawa and Sartorius Stedim Biotech forge partnership to pioneer biopharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa
Bio Usawa Biotechnology, Ltd. (Kigali, Rwanda), a leading African biotechnology firm, and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (Aubagne, France), a global partner of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, have announced a partnership to accelerate Africa’s biopharmaceutical industry and address the continent’s urgent, dual health burdens…
Saint-Gobain makes chemicals acquisitions in Canada, Italy and Peru
Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France) is reinforcing its construction chemicals portfolio with three new acquisitions: Interstar Materials in North America; Isoltech in Italy; and Soquimic in Peru. Interstar Materials is a leading North American manufacturer of high-performance pigments for all segments…
Clariant in collaboration with Shanghai Boiler Works to advance green energy projects in China
Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland) announced that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai Boiler Works, a full subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, specializing in energy conversion and the development of new energy applications, to jointly foster innovation in sustainable…
Linde commissions one of the world’s largest helium-storage caverns
Linde plc (Dublin, Ireland) announced it has commissioned one of the world’s largest helium-storage caverns, further strengthening long-term reliability in this critical global market. The storage facility, located in Beaumont, Texas, has a capacity of more than three billion cubic…
Versalis and Acea Ambiente join forces for advanced plastic recycling
Versalis, Eni’s chemical company, and Acea Ambiente, a subsidiary of Acea operating in integrated waste management and energy recovery sectors, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis, and Gabriele Di Cintio, CEO…
CSB sends team to investigate explosion at Nebraska biofuels plant
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB; Washington, D.C.; www.csb.gov) is sending a team to investigate the fatal explosion at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Nebraska, that occurred on July 29. The facility is approximately 30 miles…
Improving the stability of edible oils without additives
In the catering industry, refined cooking oils (those that have undergone a process to remove lower-boiling-point impurities) are used and re-used in frying. Despite the refining process, high temperatures cause the oils to oxidize, creating polar compounds that degrade the…
Low-carbon cement formulated for additive manufacturing of residential housing
Manufacturing traditional cement for concrete is responsible for a sizeable (~8%) portion of overall global CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, anthropogenic global warming is driving the need for housing structures capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and wildfires. The cement technology company Eco…
A decarbonized electrolytic process for producing magnesium metal
Magnesium metal is a critical ingredient for aluminum alloys and it is widely used for desulfurization in steelmaking processes. Most magnesium metal is produced in China via high-energy-consumption processes. Now, technology company Magrathea (San Francisco, Calif.; www.magratheametals.com) has developed a…
Method for improving mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced composites
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites are attractive materials for applications requiring lightweight, strong components, such as aviation and automotive. However, their performance has been partially limited by the bonds between the polymer matrix and the embedded carbon fibers. Now, researchers at Oak…