Plant Watch World-scale black pellet plant begins commercial operation in Vietnam October 14, 2025 — Idemitsu Kosan Co. (Tokyo; www.idemitsu.com) has commenced commercial operation of its newly constructed plant in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, to produce black pellets (BP), a…
Nearly all of the currently produced building-block chemical acrylonitrile (AN) results from the ammoxidation of propylene, a process that requires precise heat control and generates several toxic side products, such as hydrogen cyanide. The startup company Mars Materials (Houston, Tex.;…
A hazardous-materials storage system with climate control The WHS hazardous-material storage system (photo) features intelligent air conditioning to combat extreme weather, and to allow storage of substances that must be stored under precise temperature conditions. The integrated heating and cooling…
AI, machine learning and predictive analytics encourage faster, data-driven decision making To help offset the loss of experienced operators and optimize operations, advanced features, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and predictive analytics, are being applied to software…
Carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are used in a broad range of products, including automotive parts, construction materials and many others. Economically recycling these materials has proven challenging due to their multi-material makeup. Typically, they are chopped into pellets or strips…
Following regulations for drinking water, increasingly stringent limits for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in industrial wastewater are anticipated, necessitating improved technology to handle higher rates of removal, as well as to destroy the compounds in concentrated samples. Gradiant (Boston,…
Electrically conductive plastics, also known as conjugated polymers, bring many cutting-edge benefits for flexible sensors, medical devices, energy-storage systems and more. They are currently produced at relatively small volumes and come with extremely high prices. A novel technology discovered at…
Eliminating the traditional electrolyte from electrolysis, a new electrolyzer design is aiming for higher efficiencies and lower costs in green hydrogen production. Tobe Energy (Oklahoma City, Okla.; www.tobe.energy) has developed a high-voltage all-stainless-steel electrolysis system that operates at much lower…
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is among the world’s most widely used polymers. Recycling PVC via mechanical and high-temperature chemical processes is challenging due to its chlorine content.The startup company Plastic Back (Tel Aviv, Israel; www.plastic-back.com) aims to raise the rates of…
Understanding the forces acting on agitator impeller blades during turbulent flow in a mixing vessel is essential for successful and efficient operation. Presented here is information on the hydraulic force, its source, and how to calculate it Mechanically agitated vessels…