LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced it has acquired Colortech da Amazonia, a manufacturer of color concentrates, additive masterbatches and mineral-filled compounds located in Manaus, Brazil. “As a well-respected producer of masterbatches, compounds and additives in Brazil, Colortech da Amazonia is…
October 2022: The following are recently published books that may be relevant for professionals working in the chemical process industries (CPI). Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing: Nondestructive Creation. By Girish Malhotra, deGruyter Press, 2022, 317 pages, $94.99 (e-book). Keys to Improving…
E-Cracking Last month, construction began on the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale, electrically heated steam cracker furnaces. The demonstration plant will be fully integrated into one of the existing steam crackers at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It…
Organic-solvent nanofiltration (NF) uses membranes with tiny pores to remove dissolved molecules. “Although NF is more energy efficient than alternative separation methods, such as distillation, the majority of polymer-based membranes exhibit poor chemical stability,” says Rifan Hardian, a post-doctoral researcher…
A few months ago, this column addressed the megadrought in the U.S. Southwest and the increasing concerns over water scarcity [ 1]. Since that time, the drought in that region of the U.S. has continued, further impacting communities across the…
Researchers from Chung-Ang University (Seoul, South Korea; https://neweng.cau.ac.kr) have developed a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is operable via breathing and can, therefore, be integrated into gas masks. The device is capable of powering LEDs and Bluetooth trackers, and can monitor…
Electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide offers a pathway to use CO2 as a feedstock, but the reaction is challenging because it requires catalyst molecules and dissolved CO2 to meet on the electrode surface. One approach to help this…
Using proper installation practices and adhering to maintenance schedules helps ensure reliable operation of safety-relief valves Safety-relief valves are critical components of any pressurized system. In fact, a functioning safety-relief valve could be the most important piece of equipment on…
Every three years, the world of plastics and rubber meet in Düsseldorf, Germany. From October 19 to 26, 2022, the world’s leading trade fair K presents new products and innovations from all sectors of the industry — from production to…
Organized by The Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.; www.wef.org), this year’s Weftec conference and exhibition is taking place October 8–12 in New Orleans, La. Focusing on the water and wastewater industries, the event will feature a large exhibit hall, an…