The production of commercially important hydrocarbons from synthesis gas (syngas; mixtures of H2 and CO) using the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process is a key strategy for making fuels and chemicals from a range of non-petroleum feedstocks. But F-T processes are relatively…
Advanced safety-instrumented system features minimize complexity, downtime and costs Chemical process plants must be vigilant when it comes to preventing accidents that have the potential to harm people, assets and the environment. While safety instrumented systems (SIS) reduce risks, they…
Among the major challenges facing efforts to chemically recycle common waste plastics is that many methods require a pure stream of a single type of polymer to be effective. Now, researchers at Northwestern University (NU; Evanston, Ill.; www.northwestern.edu), led by…
When paired with deep process expertise, cost estimation becomes a powerful tool for mitigating risk and guiding investment for large capital projects Chemical manufacturing is one of the most complex and capital-intensive industries in the world. From specialty chemicals to…
Pharmaceutical residues, particularly from antibiotics, are extremely difficult to fully remove from wastewater using traditional bulk-treatment methods, wherein antibiotic compounds are often only partially broken down. Even at trace amounts, antibiotic fragments can accumulate and wreak havoc on natural ecosystems.…
Low-carbon ammonia is an attractive driver for decarbonization of many product chains. Here are some practical insights from a legacy plant that was updated for cleaner ammonia production Ammonia production is under growing scrutiny as decarbonization becomes a global imperative.…
By replacing traditional silicon or graphite anode materials with specially crystallized niobium, manufacturers can overcome some of the safety and power limitations of traditional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Echion Technologies Ltd. (Cambridge, U.K.; www.echiontech.com) has developed a proprietary mixed niobium-oxide active…
The widely used plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be depolymerized by reacting it with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) under strong mechanical impact from metal spheres in a ball mill. This type of mechanochemical route to recycling could alleviate some of the…
The ability to forecast costs, align budgets and maintain control throughout the lifecycle of a project can mean the difference between delivering value and facing costly overruns In asset-intensive industries, such as energy, chemicals, power and infrastructure, the balance between…
Siloxanes — synthetic chains of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms — are widely used in personal care products, soaps, pharmaceutical formulations and other products, but are notoriously difficult to manage in production- and waste-fluid streams. Current approaches, including flaring and…