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2D polymer Chemical engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge; www.mit.edu) have synthesized two-dimensional sheets of polyaramide. The achievement, described in a February issue of Nature, is said to be the first time a polymer has been grown…
Solar clinker produced for the first time
Last month, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico; www.cemex.com) and Synhelion SA (Lugano, Switzerland; www.synhelion.com) successfully connected the clinker production process with the Synhelion solar receiver to produce solar clinker. The milestone is a first step towards fully solar-driven…
A new catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane
Converting propane to propylene by oxidative dehydrogenation with CO2 is an alternative route to conventional propane dehydrogenation, but existing catalysts for this conversion are not very efficient. Now, in a study described in a recent issue of Nature Catalysis, researchers…
PFAS destruction using supercritical water
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater and groundwater has garnered increased attention as a health and environmental issue because of their recalcitrance and bioaccumulation. To complement existing PFAS separation technologies, the Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio;…
Ultra-rapid production of battery materials using plasma technology
A new ultra-rapid plasma-based process could significantly expand the availability of premium materials for battery applications. Developed by 6K, Inc. (North Andover, Mass.; www.6kinc.com), UniMelt is a single-pass, continuous process that employs a proprietary microwave torch technology to create a…
A sulfur-tolerant catalyst for the deoxygenation of sulfoxides
The transformation of sulfur-containing molecules is an important reaction in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. However, the sulfur atom strongly coordinates with the active sites of metal catalysts, significantly decreasing the catalytic performance. Sulfur impurities contained in chemical feedstocks also cause…
Chevron to acquire Renewable Energy Group for $3.15 billion
Chevron Corp. (San Ramon, Calif.) and Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG; Ames, Iowa) announced a definitive agreement under which Chevron will acquire the outstanding shares of REG in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.15 billion, or $61.50 per share. The…
DuPont Sustainable Solutions rebrands as dss+
DuPont Sustainable Solutions, a global operations consulting firm, announced it will operate under a new name: dss+ (pronounced ‘dss plus’). Since DuPont Sustainable Solutions became an independent consulting firm after separating from DuPont in 2019, it has evolved and enhanced its…
BP selects Honeywell technology for SAF project in Western Australia
Honeywell International Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.) announced that bp plc (London) and Honeywell have signed a licensing agreement for Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining technology. bp is undergoing pre-feed engineering for its proposed diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Western Australia.…
Axens and Univation enter cooperation agreement focused on LAO production
Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France) and Univation Technologies, LLC (Houston) have entered into a cooperation agreement with the purpose of developing improved capital and operating efficiencies for the production of on-purpose linear alpha olefins (LAO) – including both butene-1 and hexene-1 -for…