Latest News: Technologies
Solar cells integrated into car hoods
In recent years, some car manufacturers have developed vehicles that integrate photovoltaic cells into the roof — the easiest surface to use for onboard solar-power generation. Now, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE; Freiburg, Germany;…
Chemenator Briefs
Carbon Capture Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR; Newark, Calif.; www.mtrinc.com) Carbon Capture announced it has commenced construction of a large pilot plant at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) in Gillette, Wyoming. When operational in 2024, it will be…
Seawater electrolysis stabilizes and immobilizes atmospheric carbon dioxide
Seawater is being used in a new electrolysis scheme for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), while also producing hydrogen as a byproduct. Developed by Equatic (Los Angeles, Calif.; www.equatic.tech), the platform draws seawater into a closed electrolysis system, taking advantage of…
Taking graphene into the next dimension
Graphene has been touted as a “super” material, boasting ultra-high strength, superconductivity and many more superlative properties, but, as a planar two-dimensional material, its commercial use has been limited in terms of reactivity, since reactions can only occur at the…
A new electrolyzer system makes propane from CO2
Electrolyzers are typically associated with the production of “green” hydrogen from water and renewable electricity, but a new device borrows from traditional electrolyzer principles to convert CO2 into propane. A team of researchers from the Electrochemical Energy Materials and Devices…
Scaled up facility under construction for single-step, CO2-to-fuels process
Construction is underway by AIR Co. (Brooklyn, N.Y.; www.aircompany.com) for a commercial demonstration plant capable of converting captured carbon dioxide into fuel-grade paraffins, as well as ethanol and methanol, in a single step. The facility will be a larger version…
Commissioning completed for a carbon-capture pilot plant that uses a novel solvent
Commissioning is wrapping up this month for a pilot facility designed to validate the capabilities of a new carbon-capture solvent. The pilot plant was constructed by Koch Modular Process Systems (KMPS; Paramus, N.J.; www.kochmodular.com) as part of Project Enterprise, a…
This indirectly heated rotary kiln is powered by electricity
Metso Corp. (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) has optimized its existing rotary kiln technology and launched RotarEkiln, an electrically powered, indirectly heated rotary kiln. The electric heating system of the RotarEkiln provides a sustainable alternative to conventional fuel-powered indirect rotary kilns. The…
Using microwaves to make ammonia
Ammonia is becoming more crucial for the energy transition as renewable-power producers look to its potential as a means for energy storage. Typically made using the energy-intensive Haber Bosch (HB) process, solutions for decarbonizing NH3 typically involve the adoption of…
Chementator briefs
Steam Reforming Honeywell International Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.; www.honeywell.com) and ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies, LLC (ZFRT; Windsor, Conn.; www.zoneflowtech.com) have successfully conducted pilot-plant testing of the ZoneFlow Reactor in ZFRT’s large-scale pilot plant at Université Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. The…