Latest News
Decarbonizing cement production using solar-thermal energy
Last month, the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov) awarded $3.2 million in funding for the Solar MEAD project, which aims to decarbonize cement production. This joint project is headed by Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico;…
A customized catalyst for solid-state reactions
Chemists at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; www.global.hokudai.ac.jp) and the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery have developed what is said to be the first high-performance catalyst specifically designed and optimized for solid-state, mechanochemical synthesis. The new approach was…
Using a ‘green’ oxidizer to degrade Kraft lignin into vanillin
The demand for vanillin vastly outstrips the natural resources of this flavoring agent. A chemical process is thus used to produce the required large quantities of vanillin from petroleum, which is far less expensive than obtaining the substance from fermented…
Patented technology captures real-time ‘hyperspectral’ images
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M; Spain; www.uc3m.es) has patented a new system for capturing hyperspectral images — those capable of collecting information across a broad frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum (near-infrared, mid-infrared and terahertz). The system can…
Energizing the CPI
The first issue of this publication in September of 1902, then titled Electrochemical Industry, contained this statement from professor C.F. Burgess: “Chemical manufacturing was a number of years ago considered best developed when the processes were so simple that no…
A new six-channel transmitter with easy setup and configuration
With the new 9950-10/11 transmitter (photo), this company has added a six-channel option to its 9950 product family. Additional features, such as derived functions and Boolean logic, provide expanded control options that may reduce the need for programmable logic controllers…
New platform makes warehouses safer than ever
Amesphere is a proprietary “safety as a service” platform designed to help companies handle safety in complex work environments in warehouses and logistics centers. The platform was first launched last month at the ProMAT Expo. Amesphere includes services for vehicle-person…
This seal stops leaks very quickly and holds for hours
RuptureSeal leak-stopping devices (photo) can be easily deployed to form a secure mechanical seal that stops leaks for up to 10 h. This technology is fully functional in just 20 s and is said to be faster and cleaner than…
A new product platform for liquid-measurement needs
The Polaris line of inline process refractometers (photo) can be used for a broad range of industrial liquid-measurement applications. Used for inline liquid-concentration measurements, this process refractometer family is said to be the first fully in-house developed refractometer series that…
Pushing the boundaries of valve-position indication to Industry 4.0
The new ThinkTop V20 (photo) is the next generation of hygienic valve-indication units. With automation, digitalization and real-time communication, the ThinkTop V20 raises the bar on process control, making it more reliable and accurate, while saving time and money on…