Aroma chemicals and the catalyst market

 I have done 2 phone consulting sessions for Fortune500 companies this week. The topics we discussed were Catalyst and Aroma chemicals and their market size, latest trends, Supply chain, and pricing in the global market.

Wish you all a prosperous New year 2022.

Deadly incidents at Indian chemicals plants

 Five dead and at least 15 were injured by explosion and fire at Gujarat Fluorochemicals

Five people were killed and at least 15 others injured during an explosion and subsequent fire at a fluorochemicals plant in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat, India, on 16 December, according to local news reports. The cause of the fatal blast, which was apparently heard several kilometers away, remains undetermined.

Gujarat Fluorochemicals is owned by the Indian conglomerate Inox group. It produces products like fluoropolymers and refrigerants.

An explosion and fire at RP industries in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, on 7 December killed one worker and hospitalized five others; while an incident fire in February at agrochemical maker UPL, also in Gujarat, killed two workers and injured more than two dozen others in February of this year.

Source: Chemistry World

Spain’s first heavy truck powered by hydrogen is under development

The Basque company Cikautxo, the Tecnalia technology center, and Técnicas Reunidas are leading the first entirely Spanish consortium to launch a truck powered by hydrogen and electricity, capable of carrying up to 40 tons. The project, called SHINEFLEET, is actively working on the decarbonization of road freight transport. For this, technological solutions, based on hydrogen, will be developed to promote intelligent and sustainable mobility of heavy transport fleets in order to replace diesel vehicles.

The truck is expected to be in the testing period in 2023. The challenge is to make this vehicle profitable and weigh as little as possible so as not to reduce load capacity. This initiative will result in a hydrogen fuel cell for trucks, and a modular and compact generation system that combines renewable and blue hydrogen.

The project is structured in three different areas:

– The creation of a new intelligent system for the decentralized production of hydrogen with a low carbon footprint.

– The creation of a tractor head that works with this fuel.

– A system that will allow the entire fleet to be interconnected, thus seeking better communication and navigation of the vehicles.

Together with Tecnalia, Técnicas Reunidas, and Cikautxo, companies such as Avia Ingeniería, Carbotainer, Idneo, Fractalia, and FM Logistic participate, as well as the National Hydrogen Center, the Institute of Chemical Technology, the Autonomous and Complutense Universities of Madrid and Eurecat.

Source: Tecnalia

TotalEnergies bets on the production of biomethane for vehicles in Texas

 Through their joint venture, TotalEnergies and Clean Energy are launching the construction of their first biomethane production unit, in Friona, Texas. The biomethane will be used as an alternative fuel for mobility, thus contributing to decarbonizing

road transportation. In March 2021, the two partners set up a 50/50 joint venture to speed up the development of biomethane production in the United States.

Located on the Del Rio Dairy farm, the facility will be fueled by the onsite supply of livestock manure to produce more than 40 GWh of biomethane per year. The fuel will be distributed by Clean Energy through its network of natural gas stations, enabling the supply of biomethane to between 200 and 300 trucks per year.

By processing cow manure, a significant source of methane emissions, and substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies, the project will avoid some 45,000 tons of CO2e emissions per year.

“We are pleased to consolidate our entry into the U.S. biomethane market by jointly developing this first production unit on the Del Rio Dairy farm, through our joint venture with Clean Energy,” said Laurent Wolffsheim, Senior Vice President Green Gases & Growth at TotalEnergies. “This project marks another step in TotalEnergies’ transformation into a multi-energy company, and in the implementation of its ambition to be a major player in renewables.”

“This project at Del Rio Dairy helps to address the increasing demand for renewable natural gas by fleets and is a great example of our partnership with TotalEnergies, one of the world’s leading and most sustainably-minded energy companies,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO, Clean Energy. “Renewable natural gas, one of the cleanest fuels on the planet, manages greenhouse gas emissions and tackles global warming. The added production from Del Rio will help us meet our target to provide this 100% negative carbon emissions fuel at all of our North American stations by 2025.”

Source: TotalEnergies

Hexagon Purus receives €30 million order from bus OEM

Norwegian hydrogen storage specialist Hexagon Purus has signed a long-term agreement with a European bus manufacturer to supply hydrogen tanks for the customer’s next generation of 12- and 18-meter fuel cell buses.

Hexagon Purus does not name the OEM. However, the Norwegians specify that it is an existing customer and that the supply contract has exclusive status. The hydrogen tanks destined for the bus manufacturer will be manufactured in the Hexagon Purus plant at its German subsidiary in Kassel. The deliveries are scheduled for the period from 2021 to 2024. The Norwegian company puts the value of the order at around 30 million euros, whereby this sum already includes some deliveries made in the current year.

Specifically, storage systems are to be the subject of the contract, which will include the lightweight Type 4 cylinder from Hexagon Purus, which, according to the manufacturer, “enables a range of 350 kilometers”. Michael Kleschinski, Executive Vice President of Hexagon Purus, welcomes the fact that “more and more countries are keeping an eye on hydrogen technology, which is an excellent, environmentally friendly solution for decarbonizing public transport”. As more and more European countries and cities announce strategic measures to promote decarbonization in the mobility sector, more and more commercial vehicles – especially city buses – are rapidly converting, he said.

Meanwhile, the hint that the current client is said to be a “long-standing customer” narrows down the round of potential names. In 2019, Kleschinski named “Daimler, MAN, New Flyer and others” as notable clients in the commercial vehicle sector.

Incidentally, just a few weeks ago Hexagon Purus drew attention to itself with the announcement that it was taking over Wystrach, a German supplier specializing in high-pressure systems and hydrogen technology. The purchase price is up to 43.3 million euros. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Both sides have long-standing cooperation; among other things, Hexagon Purus has been supplying Wystrach with pressure vessels for various applications since 2008. After the takeover, Wystrach and its plant in Weeze will become the main location for the assembly of hydrogen systems, while Hexagon Purus’ container production will remain at the Kassel site.

Source: hexagonpurus

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Zoltek Continues to Expand Carbon Fiber Production in Mexico

 Zoltek Companies, Inc., the global leader in industrial-grade carbon fiber, has announced it is expanding its carbon fiber production capacity again at the facility located in Guadalajara, Mexico.

This 6,000 MT expansion in Mexico will start production in early 2023 and will add to the 6,000 MT expansion recently completed in 2021. By expanding operations again in Mexico, Zoltek will increase its North American carbon fiber capacity to 20,000MT.

  Zoltek’s global carbon fiber production capacity will increase to 35,000MT, making it the largest carbon fiber supplier in the world.

Zoltek continues its mission to commercialize carbon fiber and increase its position as the global leader in industrial-grade carbon fiber. 

Zoltek has dedicated 100% of its global capacity to establish the standard for large-scale industrial applications such as wind energy and automotive. “Demand for our industrial-grade carbon fiber in energy and transportation applications continues to grow at a rapid pace,” notes David Purcell, Executive Vice President for Zoltek, “and we are supporting this growth with the 6,000 MT installation in 2021, and again in 2023. 

 More importantly, we have diversified our customer base to create a stronger foundation for future growth”. Zoltek’s PX35 carbon fiber has the largest global capacity, and is the preferred carbon fiber for industrial applications due to its balance of cost competitiveness and delivered performance.

Source:TORAY GROUP

BactiBlock to Exhibit Antimicrobial Additives at Foam Expo 2021

BactiBlock will be present as an exhibitor at the Foam Expo Europe fair, which will take place from November 9 to 11 in Stuttgart.

The BactiBlock team is looking forward to meeting with its current and potential clients again to continue launching new projects and discovering applications.

Application in Various Sectors

BactiBlock additives, in their two technologies (clay base and polyphosphate base), have demonstrated the durability of their antimicrobial properties in different polymers, which have been subjected to accelerated aging treatments by humidity and UV light.

Among many other applications, BactiBlock antimicrobial additives can be applied in various types of polymeric foams, used in innumerable applications. Some of the sectors in which our current clients are applying their foams are the medical sector, the automotive sector, the furniture sector, the production of sports equipment, etc.

Foam Expo Europe is the most important event in the foam industry in Europe, bringing together the main companies in the sector during its celebration. In addition, this year the Adhesives & Bonding Expo 2021 fair will take place at the same time and in the same fairgrounds, which will make Stuttgart one of the main businesses centers in the industrial sector on those days.

Source: BactiBlock

Composites in 1969

 📢It's Story-Time!📢

Let's talk about a pioneer jet engine that used carbon fiber composites in 1969!

During the mid-sixties, both aircraft and engine manufacturers were in the process of updating their products from those of the initial jet era. There were new large aircraft that needed more powerful and economical engines. Three engine manufacturers were looking at these new requirements. General Electric started with its TF-39 (developed into the CF-6), and Pratt and Whitney were developing their JT9D to address the USAF Very Large Transport competition requirements. Ironically, the JT9D and Boeing were the losing designs, however, out of these grew the 747 air-frame and engine combination.

During research into a basic design for the long-term development of the company, Rolls-Royce determined that if they could develop a three spool engine then they would be able to match the air mass flow better to the compressors, provide superior fuel consumption and a much better path to even higher thrust engines. The RB211 was one of a proposed family of these engines. Now while the triple spool design had advantages, it was also over 450kg heavier than the competing engines.

One of the innovations proposed for this engine was the material proposed for the main front fan stage – a new, high strength, lightweight carbon fiber material called Hyfil. The first engine runs were in 1969 and the initial thrust of ~33,000 lb was gradually increased with testing, to ~40,000 lb. In May 1970 however, the massive 33 blade carbon fiber fan failed bird strike tests and Rolls Royce had to switch to using a heavier titanium alloy.

Unfortunately, at the time, composite technology was not ready for such a big leap. Nevertheless, nowadays, the usage of carbon fiber composites blades is increasing considerably!

Source: Article "Rolls Royce RB211 Turbofan Jet Aero Engine", published by the HARS Aviation Museum.

#managingcomposites