A novel carbon-capture project at Michigan Technical University (MTU; Houghton, Mich.; www.mtu.edu) couples the collection of carbon dioxide from power-plant fluegas with a system to use the captured CO2 as a raw material to make oxalic acid, which can be…
Many desalination technologies have been developed, but they usually require a large amount of energy. Forward osmosis (FO) has the potential to become an excellent alternative desalination technology due to its lower energy consumption. Nano structured materials have also attracted…
A novel and versatile performance chemistry that enables a variety of supramolecular assemblies has been released for its first commercial applications. The molecules, tradenamed AqBit, are characterized by their ringed structures, barrel-like shapes and ability to capture, hold and release…
Reducing carbon dioxide to useful fuel molecules is a highly desired objective, but is difficult because the required reactions are energetically unfavorable, and a cost-effective and robust catalyst for the reduction has been elusive. Now researchers at Oak Ridge National…
The compound 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an attractive raw material that can be used to create polyethylene furanoate, which is a bio-polyester with many applications. One way of making FDCA is through the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), a compound…
In late February, construction began on a test facility that will be used to demonstrate a CO2-capture process being developed by JGC Corp. (Yokohama, Japan; www.jgc.com) and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. (JOGMEC; Tokyo; www.jogmec.go.jp). When the Texas-based…
The novel performance characteristics and tunability of quantum dots make them a promising nanomaterial in numerous emerging applications Quantum dots (QDs) represent a broad group of semiconducting nanoparticles that feature a unique combination of optical and electronic properties. For example,…
New column internals boost efficiency and improve reliability of distillation towers In the chemical process industries (CPI), the majority of separations are done via distillation columns. And, when the rest of the process relies upon those columns, inefficiencies, bottlenecks and…
Overpressure in a process can damage the seals in a pressure instrument’s sensor or skew the zero point. Here’s how to avoid the problem Pressure is one of the most commonly measured variables in the chemical process industries (CPI). Accuracy…
Closing off pressure upstream can minimize the need for pressure-relief systems to open, avoiding product waste and possible environmental damage Any system within a chemical process industries (CPI) manufacturing plant that is pressurized, or could experience pressure during an upset…