Many ZnO@TiO2 core-shell nanorod arrays (the notation means ZnO is the core inside the TiO2 shell) with good photocatalytic activity have been designed and synthesized. There has been an increasing interest in the design and synthesis of those arrays to…
Carbon fibers, an increasingly essential component for lightweight materials, are typically made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in a three-step process consisting of oxidation/stabilization, carbonization and surface treatment/sizing. 4M Industrial Oxidation, LLC (Knoxville, Tenn.; www.4mio.com) intends to commercialize a technology to produce…
A new approach to making silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries has the potential to lower materials costs for batteries, while achieving higher energy and power. Silicon-based anodes are attractive because of silicon’s natural abundance and its high specific capacity, but…
Earlier this year, Coolbrook Oy (Helsinki, Finland; www.coolbrook.fi) received a €3.6-million grant from the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes to further develop its patented RotoDynamicReactor (RDR) technology, which has the potential to improve ethylene yields by 34% compared to…
FCC catalyst BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) recently launched Borotec, the newest evolution of its resid-oil fluid-catalytic-cracking (FCC) catalysts portfolio. Borotec is the latest innovation using BASF’s unique Boron-Based Technology (BBT) platform to provide mild- and moderate-resid-feed FCC units more…
Construction has been completed on a 1,000-ton/yr facility to produce surfactants — mainly sucrose esters for use as additives in dairy products and beverages. The plant will be operated by TMT Co. — a joint venture (JV) established by Microwave…
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) running on hydrogen are an attractive proposition, particularly as a power source for motor vehicles. In situ release of the required H2 from a stable liquid ensures its safe storage and transportation before use.…
A new fuel-upgrading catalyst for petroleum refineries has several features that boost sustainability and minimize environmental impact. In March, specialty chemical maker Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) launched PolyMax 850, a new generation of its PolyMax catalyst series. The new catalyst,…
Biopharmaceutical companies — especially those involved in manufacturing vaccines — spend a lot of effort and money to remove host cell nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) impurities from fermentation batches. The total downstream processing costs can account for up to…
Graphene-oxide-based materials are lamellar carbon compounds that are approximately 1-nm thick, and are expected to show excellent properties for various functional materials, such as innovative battery materials, lubricants, water-treatment membranes and catalysts. However, because these materials have been synthesized by…