Latest News
PFAS-free membrane introduced for water-treatment needs
At Aquatech Amsterdam 2025, this company is launching the new Mytex H5L ultrafiltration (UF) membrane (photo), which includes no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The water treatment industry faces increasing pressure to develop alternatives to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes, which…
High-Purity Processing Demands Contamination Control and Containment
Advanced technologies help pharmaceutical and semiconductor producers achieve excellence Chemical processors are under increased pressure to achieve operational excellence, which involves a balance of increasing yield, improving quality and reducing waste, while also cutting operational costs. Processors in high-purity industries…
A rugged ammonia analyzer for outdoor installation
The NH6000sc online ammonia analyzer (photo) is designed for installation in wastewater applications in outdoor locations. By designing the unit to have reagents conveniently located right inside the door, the bottles can be easily accessed and replaced. With reagents lasting…
UV-sterilized bioreactor could reduce costs for bioproducts
Capital intensity is among the current constraints on industrial-scale fermentation, because the hardware for steam sterilization of bioreactors is complex and expensive. After recently emerging from stealth status, the startup company Biosphere (Oakland, Calif.; www.biosphere.io) has launched a new reactor…
First open process automation (OPA) control system at a commercial manufacturing facility
An ExxonMobil Corp. (Spring, Tex.; www.exxonmobil.com) adhesive-resin finishing facility in Baton Rouge, La. has become the first commercial process-manufacturing facility to be controlled by an open, standards-based process automation system. This is a departure from the closed, proprietary systems currently…
New screening method reveals microbial enzymes for breaking down PET
Breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into its constituent monomers under mild conditions is a key goal of plastics recycling. Knowledge of how many naturally occurring enzymes are capable of breaking down PET, and which would be most effective in industrial…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Mass Transfer: Absorption and Stripping
Absorption and stripping are important mass-transfer operations within the chemical process industries (CPI). This one-page reference provides some basic information on the principles and applications of stripping and absorption in industrial chemistry settings. General operation In absorption, a solute from…
Recycling fiber-reinforced polymers with oxygen-free static thermolysis
A new thermolysis technology developed by Composite Recycling (Ecublens, Switzerland; www.composite-recycling.ch) breaks down fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) into their fundamental constituents, enabling reuse as valuable feedstock for the creation of new composite materials. “Past efforts to recycle composites have allowed waste…
Cybersecurity Implications of IT and OT Convergence
As the “Industry 4.0” revolution progresses, the convergence of IT systems with OT systems presents significant security risks. Presented here are strategies to bridge the divide between the two areas and secure plant operations The convergence of information technology (IT)…
Expanded database tool for olivine samples
Olivine, a magnesium-iron silicate mineral, is common in the earth’s subsurface, and can sometimes contain other valuable elements, such as cobalt, manganese and nickel. Olivine has been explored as a possible sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in carbon-capture methods that…