In this exclusive interview, Christoph Kowitz, president and CEO of Wacker Chemical Corporation, offers his perspective on the goals, challenges and accomplishments of the company, as well as the challenges faced by the chemical process industries Christoph Kowitz is the…
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…
Launched at the International Production & Processing Expo 2025, Baldor-Reliance Food Safe SP5+ motor (photo) is said to be the world’s first IP69-certified ultra-premium efficient motor. Built for food and beverage applications, the motor’s IP69-rated stainless-steel construction is engineered to…
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…
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…
Plant Watch LG Chem set to commence production of bio-based acrylic acid February 13, 2025 — LG Chem Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea; www.lgchem.com) will commence the production of bio-based acrylic acid in the second quarter of 2025, with plans to…
Algae show promise for removing nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater due to their natural absorption abilities. However, the widespread use of algae-based wastewater treatment is limited by challenges related to system footprint, mass transfer and maintaining optimal conditions…
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…
Biological air-cleaning systems are an effective alternative to filtration and activated carbon in many industrial applications, especially those with ultrafine particles or highly toxic contaminants Companies must maintain high air-quality standards, both indoors and outdoors, to ensure continued quality control…
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…