Latest News
Facts At Your Fingertips: Design Considerations for Electric Process Heaters
Process electrification is gaining interest as a solution to industrial CO2 emissions, which account for 20% of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. [1]. Several technologies are emerging for electric process heating, including electrode steam boilers and high-temperature heat pumps,…
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…
Proactive Dust Control Using Advanced Technologies
Integrated solutions include monitoring, collection and control to help manage complex risks Dust control is essential for safety, operational efficiency, product quality and regulatory compliance in the chemical process industries (CPI). Many of the materials handled in chemical facilities are…
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…
Focus on: Pipes, Tubes and Fittings
Reducing wear on pneumatic conveying lines This company’s Smart Elbow® serves to deflect high-speed solid material in pneumatic conveying lines, thus minimizing abrasion and wear on the surface of the pipe. The design is an alternative to a traditional sweep…
The shifting workforce landscape
A recent Wall Street Journal article [1] described numerous job postings in which employers bluntly describe that they expect employees to hustle and work long hours. The article quotes, for example, a listing that says “If you’re looking for work-life…
Avoiding Over-Pressurization in Synthesis Reactions
Uncontrolled exothermic reactions present significant safety risks, including over-pressurization of a reactor. Presented here is information about how runaway reactions occur, and what can be done to avoid them Synthesis reactions are a cornerstone of chemical manufacturing and engineering. Due…
Targeted step-leaching recovers more critical materials from coal ash
Due to rising demand and widespread supply-chain turmoil, researchers around the world are investigating creative methods to obtain rare-earth elements (REEs) and other critical minerals and metals (CMMs). The ash from combusting coal has previously been seen as a potential…
New material sets a world record for the fastest lithium-ion conductivity
A patent-pending material developed at the Technical University of Munich (TUM; www.tum.de) has achieved the fastest-ever conductivity of lithium ions, and is now poised to significantly improve the efficiency of future solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries, often seen as a more…
Business News: August 2025
Plant Watch Wacker commissions new ultra-pure polysilicon plant in Burghausen, Germany July 17, 2025 — Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) commissioned its new production line for the manufacture of ultra-pure semiconductor-grade polysilicon at its Burghausen production site in Germany.…