A semiconducting material synthesized by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI; Troy, N.Y.; www.rpi.edu) could enable new ways of manipulating electronic materials remotely using light. The material, explains RPI professor of materials science and engineering Jian Shi, derives its unique…
Ethylene is a multifunctional phytohormone that regulates growth, ripening and other functions in plants. For example, bananas stored next to apples will ripen quickly due to the ethylene released from the apples, which in turn are triggered to release more…
Today’s steam crackers are bigger than ever — those of tomorrow might be carbon neutral Steam cracking is a key process of the petrochemical industry, whereby naphtha or other petroleum-based feedstock is thermally broken down (cracked) into smaller building-block compounds,…
Improved equipment and controls, as well as continuous mixing, improve efficiency Optimization is imperative for today’s chemical processors who strive to remain competitive by providing higher quality products at lower costs in a more timely fashion. And mixing operations are…
Raman spectroscopy capability with bioreactor platforms BioPAT Spectro (photo) is a Quality by Design (QbD) tool for use with this company’s ambr automated micro and mini bioreactor systems and with Biostat STR single-use production bioreactors. The new tool offers access…
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an analytical chemistry technique used to elucidate molecular structure and help identity unknown compounds. It is a powerful research tool used for quality control, reaction monitoring, purity analysis and other functions. Nuclear spin The…
This column is based on “Neopentyl Glycol Production Process – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/neopentyl-glycol-production-cost. Neopentyl glycol (NPG; 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diol) is an industrially important and versatile diol, mainly employed as a building block…
IFAT (rescheduled for September 7–11, Munich, Germany; www.ifat.de) is the world’s leading tradefair for water, sewage, waste- and raw-materials management. More than 3,000 exhibitors are expected to participate, presenting the latest products and services spanning the environmental sector, from sewage-treatment…
Interphex 2020, originally scheduled for April 28–30, has been postponed to July 15–17. Taking place at the Javits Center in New York City, the biopharmaceuticals-focused event offers a full technical conference with dedicated session tracks covering compliance, inspection, automation and…
Today’s detection equipment can provide early sensing of H2 gas and flames, provide alarm information to a fire- and gas-safety system controller to initiate mitigating measures, and integrate with process control to further minimize H2-fire risk Hydrogen is the most…