A team of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, Wash.; www.pnnl.gov) recently unveiled a modified version of the “superalloy” Inconel 617, in which cobalt — a component of the alloy that is also a critical material with significant…
Decreasing the dependence on expensive platinum-group metals like iridium is vital for the expansion of “green” hydrogen production via proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. Efforts to develop lower-iridium catalytic components for electrolysis have typically focused on mixing iridium into a…
A new approach to enzyme engineering has overcome many of the operating challenges associated with large-scale bio-based manufacturing processes by designing enzymes that can thrive outside living cells, eliminating complexity and improving reaction yields. eXoZymes’ (Monrovia, Calif.; www.exozymes.com) cell-free enzyme…
Aluminum smelting operations require molten cryolite, also commonly called bath, to serve as the electrolyte and dissolve alumina. A typical smelter produces excess bath over time, and there are few markets for reuse or recycle of this material, especially as…
Plant Watch Saint-Gobain Ceramics to construct catalyst carriers plant in New York March 11, 2025 — Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France; www.saint-gobain.com), through its subsidiary Saint-Gobain NorPro, intends to build a new manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, N.Y. With an investment of…
Enhanced measurement capabilities offer more reliable control to boost quality, reduce waste and ensure safety As optimization, sustainability and safety initiatives continue to be a driving force in the chemical process industries (CPI), accurate, responsive and reliable temperature measurements are…
The industrial production of aluminum involves electrolysis of alumina (Al2O3) in molten cryolite, a mineral used as a solvent for the aluminum oxide raw material. Over time, the cryolite accumulates impurities, such as sodium, lithium and potassium ions, which degrade…
This company’s purpose-built perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)-coated ribbon blender (photo) is engineered to meet the needs of sensitive and challenging applications where stainless steel or carbon steel may not be suitable. The interior of the trough, the double ribbon agitator, bolted stub…
Effective measurement of corrosion on process equipment and plant structures offers several benefits to plant operators. These include providing early warnings about damaging process conditions that could lead to corrosion-induced failures, establishing correlations between changes in process parameters and their…
KSE 3.0 safety valves (photo) replace their predecessor’s polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) housing lining with PFA copolymer, which is thermoplastic processable and transparent, facilitating visual quality inspection of the lining. For a seamless replacement, the leg dimensions of the new PFA-lined safety…