Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : catalysts will power China's first biomass-to-green methanol project

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Clariant's MegaMax™ catalysts will power China's first biomass-to-green methanol project

Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, announced today that its MegaMax catalyst was selected for a China’s biomass gasification-to-green methanol project. The plant will use a combination of farm waste and wind power to produce up to 250,000 tons per annum of green methanol in two phases by 2027. Construction of the first plant phase began in March 2024 and is expected to start producing green methanol in the first half of 2025 as China’s first commercialized biomass gasification-to-green methanol plant.

Georg Anfang, Vice President Syngas and Fuels at Clariant Catalysts, commented, “We are very pleased to be part of this groundbreaking project. With over 50 years of expertise in methanol synthesis and a clear commitment to developing innovative catalysts for the energy transition, we are an ideal partner for this prestigious sustainability project. Green methanol will play a crucial role as renewable fuel as well as feedstock for green chemical production.”

Clariant’s MegaMax is an excellent solution for China’s first biomass-to-methanol project, as it provides enhanced stability and tolerance to the fluctuation of the system required for green methanol production. It also offers outstanding activity – even at very low reactor temperatures and pressures. Thanks to the catalyst’s enhanced selectivity, production yield is low in by-product formation, significantly improving the economics of green methanol synthesis.

Clariant will provide comprehensive technical service to ensure optimal catalyst performance through its Applied Catalyst Technology (ACT) team of highly qualified engineers and experts. Further support can be provided through the CLARITY™ digital service portal, which offers access to real-time plant data to enhance reliability, safety, and profitability.

source:Clariant

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : 3 unusual traits of the hemp plant that you might not be aware of

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

The Hemp plant has thousands of ways to be used. Here's 3 unusual traits of the hemp plant that you might not be aware of:

1.Phytoremediation Properties: Hemp has the remarkable ability to clean and restore soil health. It can absorb heavy metals, toxins, and even radiation from the soil through a process known as phytoremediation. This makes it useful for cleaning up contaminated land.

2.Versatile Biomass Potential: The entire hemp plant can be utilized, making it one of the most efficient crops. Its stalks can be used for fibre and hurd (building materials and animal bedding), seeds for food and oil, and leaves and flowers for medicinal and recreational products. This versatility reduces waste and maximizes the plant’s economic value.

3.High Resistance to Pests and Diseases: Hemp is naturally resistant to many pests and diseases, reducing the need for pesticides. This resilience not only makes it a more environmentally friendly crop but also lowers production costs for farmers. As I said, thousands of uses - but these 3 traits/uses alone are fantastic! Try Hemp Today.

#hemp

source:Biocomposites Group

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Highlights marine biodegradability of Eastman Aventa™ compostable materials

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

New research highlights marine biodegradability of Eastman Aventa™ compostable materials

A groundbreaking new study published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering reveals that cellulose diacetate (CDA)-based foams made with Eastman Aventa™ compostable materials rapidly biodegrade in the marine environment. The article concludes that biodegradable, CDA-based foams are commercially useful and will not persist in our oceans as plastic pollution. 

Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the world’s leading independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean research, exploration and education, led the study. WHOI’s research and journal article focuses on CDA-based foams made with Aventa, which lost up to 70% of their mass after 36 weeks of incubation in seawater. In contrast, polystyrene foams a material commonly used for food packaging showed no signs of degradation. The study found that CDA foams degrade faster than any material evaluated under environmentally relevant marine conditions more than quadruple that of paper and up to 1,000 times greater than solid polypropylene, polystyrene and polylactic acid (PLA).  

“Foaming biodegradable bioplastics like Aventa offer a promising strategy to reduce the environmental impact of frequently mismanaged consumer plastics, particularly in food packaging applications,” said Collin Ward, associate scientist at WHOI and lead researcher for the study. “These materials not only degrade rapidly in the ocean but also support circularity and material efficiency.”  

The study dives deeper into a systems-level assessment for redesigning plastic articles for food packaging applications, considering material performance, economics, sustainability and circularity. Aventa is a cellulosic material derived from sustainable wood pulp, ensuring a renewable and sustainable beginning of life, and its compostability translates into a sustainable end of life. 

Polystyrene is commonly used in food packaging, but it is not biodegradable and is difficult to recycle. The study concludes, through calculations that include annual consumption rates and the social costs of pollution, that switching from polystyrene to CDA-based foams for food trays could potentially save society more than $1 billion by reducing costs associated with plastic pollution. The study highlights the need for holistic assessments of environmental impact to avoid swapping one issue for another.  

“Traditional plastic foams face challenges in end-of-life management, often unintentionally ending up as plastic pollution in the environment,” said Jeff Carbeck, vice president of Eastman corporate innovation and care solutions technology. “Eastman Aventa materials offer a sustainable alternative, and this research shows that CDA-based foams will not contribute to persistent marine plastic pollution.” 

source:Eastman

Clariant launches melamine-free flame retardant for intumescent coatings:

Clariant has launched its new generation of melamine-free flame retardants, a safer, more future-proof solution that delivers superior fire performance and meets the stringent requirements of modern industry.

The classification of melamine as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) in 2023 makes Exolit AP 422 A a valuable asset for the fire protection industry, enabling coatings and sealant products to maintain high performance standards without relying on melamine.

 

In response to current and future regulatory challenges surrounding melamine, Clariant has been actively working on this innovative solution for several years, developing a SVHC-free alternative to the existing melamine-containing Exolit AP 422 flame retardant.

 

“Exolit AP 422 A builds on the proven reliability of Exolit products in the market and ensures that our customers’ fire protection products remain competitive, especially in terms of chemical compliance. It enables manufacturers to adapt to changing regulations while maintaining the effectiveness of their fire safety solutions.

 

The new Exolit AP 422 A addresses concerns surrounding melamine as a substance of very high concern while providing superior fire protection performance in a variety of applications such as intumescent coatings, fireproofing sealing systems and PIR insulation boards. Its non-halogenated nature helps to minimize harmful emissions, providing safer use in critical industries.

 

Christian Battenberg, Global Business Development Manager for Polymer Solutions at Clariant, added: “Exolit AP 422 A responds to key market trends around increasingly stringent fire safety standards, environmental and health concerns, regulatory compliance needs, operational efficiency demands and the need for versatile solutions across multiple applications.”

 

Customers who have already incorporated Exolit AP 422 A into their fire protection products describe the new melamine-free flame retardant as a game-changer as it delivers reliable fire protection while also meeting sustainability commitments.

source:Clariant/www.echemi.com

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Light Vehicles Sales Jan-Sep 2024

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

This is the full ranking for the global sales of light vehicles (passenger cars, pickup trucks, and light commercial vehicles) between January and September 2024.

Main facts:

- Top leadership unchanged with Toyota always ahead despite posting a 4% decrease. The company is being challenged in China, where its volume fell by 10%, but keeps a solid position in both USA and Europe. Toyota is the top seller in the majority of the emerging and poor economies.

- Volkswagen Group lost 2.8% vs Jan-Sep 2023, mainly because of China (-10%) where it’s no longer the leader. As its electric vehicles struggle outside Europe, it is looking desperately to join forces with local Chinese makers and reduce costs in Europe.

- Hyundai-Kia was down by 1.6% driven by China’s drop of 37% in contrast to stable sales in USA. Its electric vehicles are also suffering in the West.

- Stellantis is the most worrying case. It is not exposed to the Chinese market but still recorded a sales drop of 15% or 700,000 units less than Jan-Sep/23. The group lost 17% in sales in USA, and 15% in Europe. Seven of its 13 brands are in dire need of new products.

- General Motors improved its EV sales but was negatively affected by its Chinese operations (-44%). China is the group’s second largest market.

- Ford total sales increased by 21,000 units thanks to the 3% growth in USA, which was offset by the 16% drop in China and 7% drop in Europe.

- Honda was down by 3.7% also affected by its Chinese operations, down by 26%. Sales increased by 30% in Europe, but the total is not relevant compared to volumes in Japan, USA, and Asian nations.

- BYD is the star of the year thanks to the outstanding results at home in China. Total sales increased by 32% boosted by more demand in China, where it sold 89% of its global volumes. Meanwhile it is climbing rankings in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe. BYD is expected to hit the world’s top 5 by the end of next year.

Other facts:

- Geely Group, up by 22%, thanks to Volvo, ZEEKR and Galaxy products in China.

- Xiaomi is heading to 100,000 units mark sales by the end of the year.

source:Felipe Munoz

#carindustryanalysis #automotive

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Differential Shrinkage Driven Warpage Problem

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

How to experimentally spot a differential shrinkage driven warpage problem ?

If you are molding a relatively uniform thickness part and suffer from warpage, there is a nice trick to experimentally separate the contribution of differential shrinkage from other sources of problems (differential cooling, anisotropy).

Just make parts that are roughly full (say, 99% full), with zero packing (no pressure, no time). By not packing, you avoid packing one area better than another (for instance overpacking the gate area vs. distant areas). As a result you have a lighter part, with sink marks all over and voids, but with essentially NO DIFFERENTIAL SHRINKAGE. If this "short shot" is flatter than your packed part, you have experimentally demonstrated a strong contribution from "uneven packing", i.e. differential shrinkage.
Learn about all this in detail in my online course on the packing phase.

source:Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share :High speed Carbon fiber ship

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

China's largest carbon fiber high-speed passenger ship with a capacity of 500 passengers was launched in Nansha New District of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

The ship, Xin Ming Zhu III, which was undertaken by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Guangzhou Shipbuilding Co Ltd and built by Guangdong Zhongwei Composite Material Co Ltd, will be used to transport passengers within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region waters.

The ship measures 44.75 meters long, 11 meters wide and 3.65 meters deep, with a draft of 1.4 meters and a design speed of 26 knots. Its maximum cruising speed can reach up to 33 knots when fully loaded. With enhanced navigability and operability, the ship can withstand sails when experiencing winds of up to 8 on the Beaufort scale.

Equipped with lithium battery packs and solar energy storage batteries, the ship is also environmentally-friendly.

Entirely constructed using advanced carbon fiber high-tech materials, the ship also features technical advantages such as lightweight construction, corrosion resistance and low noise levels. Compared to traditional ships, it can further save fuel and reduce maintenance costs.

source: China Daily/Composights

#composites #carbonfiber

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Researchers Develop New Way to Create Stronger Adhesives with Salt

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

FAMU-FSU researchers pioneer new adhesive polymer technology using a secret ingredient found on your kitchen table.

Adhesives are everywhere, from the tape used in households to the bonding materials in vehicles and electronics. The search for stronger, more adaptable adhesives is ongoing and may come down to adding a dash of salt to two special polymer ingredients known as polyzwitterions, or PZIs.

New research from a FAMU-FSU College of Engineering team led by Hoyong Chung, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, shows a new way to create adhesives by using the natural attraction between positively and negatively charged materials. The work was recently published in Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“We want to create stronger and more versatile adhesives using a strategy involving electrostatic interactions,” Chung said. “Our research centers around two special polymers, known as PZIs, with the goal of getting them to bond more effectively.”

The research team was interested in how the shape of the polymer affects its stickiness, comparing bottlebrush polymers (which have branches coming off the main chain) to straight-chain (linear) polymers. These two differently shaped polymers can be engineered to improve their adherence properties.

One of the study’s key findings is that by simply adding sodium chloride — table salt — the strong but brittle polymers are transformed to be strong and flexible. Most adhesives are either strong or can stretch a lot, but it’s difficult to find adhesives that do both. The amount of salt is key to making the adhesive strong but stretchy.

“The initial key to our discovery lies in the sophisticated and precise design and synthesis of multifunctional polymers,” Chung said. “This new polymer could have wide-reaching impacts across several industries, offering a way to tailor the toughness and flexibility of adhesives with precision. The finding challenges previously held beliefs about adhesion and salt.”

Chung and his team’s discovery lays the groundwork for creating better industrial adhesives and highlights the importance of electrostatic interactions in developing new materials. The findings provide a promising step in their goal of crafting ideal adhesives for a myriad of uses. The study will continue, focusing on developing biomedical tissue adhesives with drug delivery, imaging and disease diagnosis functions.

Chung collaborated on this study with Biswajit Saha, a postdoctoral researcher at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Jacob Boykin, a graduate student. Saha is the first author on the publication.

“Our discovery shows that adding salt could be a key to making an adhesive that is both strong and flexible,” Saha said. “We believe that the study provides a steppingstone toward the long-term goal of developing ideal adhesives.”

The research was funded through Florida A&M University by a $763,457 four-year grant from the National Science Foundation.

source: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Ethylene Production Based On Steam Cracking:

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Knowledge of Petrochemical units:

Ethylene Production Based On Steam Cracking:

Ethylene production is primarily achieved through steam cracking, where hydrocarbons like ethane, propane, or naphtha are heated to high temperatures (around 800-900°C) in the presence of steam. This process breaks down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones, with ethylene being a major product. The cracked gases are then rapidly cooled to stop the reactions, and the mixture is sent through a series of separation and purification steps to isolate ethylene. Ethylene is a key building block in the petrochemical industry, used to produce various plastics, chemicals, and synthetic materials.

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Process Flow Diagram Overview:

Using the basic flow sheet in the appendix:

Feed Furnace: The hydrocarbon feedstock (e.g., ethane or naphtha) is preheated in the feed furnace to around 400°C.

Cracking Furnace: The preheated feed is further heated to about 800°C in the cracking furnace, where thermal cracking occurs. This high temperature breaks down the hydrocarbons into smaller molecules like ethylene, propylene, and other by-products.

Quenching: The cracked gas is rapidly cooled in a quenching system to stop further reactions. This is typically done using water or oil quenching.

Caustic Wash: The cooled gas undergoes a caustic wash to remove acidic impurities like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

Drier: The gas is then dried to remove any remaining moisture.

Cold Box: The dried gas is cooled further in a cold box to condense and separate the lighter hydrocarbons.

Demethaniser: The gas enters the demethaniser, where methane is separated from the mixture.

De-ethaniser: The remaining gas is sent to the de-ethaniser, where ethylene and ethane are separated from heavier hydrocarbons.

Ethane Product Compressor: Ethane is compressed and recycled back to the cracking furnace.

Secondary Demethaniser: Further separation of methane from the gas mixture.

Ethane Depropaniser: Separation of propane from the ethane-ethylene mixture.

C2 to C4 Splitter: Separation of ethylene (C2) from other hydrocarbons like butanes (C4).

MAPD Converter: Conversion of methyl acetylene and propadiene (MAPD) impurities to ethylene and propylene.

Final Purification: The purified ethylene is then compressed and stored or sent for further processing.

source:Saeed rooeentan

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Evonik unveils flame retardant PA12 and carbon black embedded 3D-printable powders

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Evonik is unveiling its latest innovations in PA12 polymer applications for 3D printing at Formnext 2024, the highlight exposition and convention for the world’s additive manufacturing community.

Most notably on display will be the company’s PA12 based INFINAM® 6013 P and INFINAM® 6014 P 3D-printable powders, which through a feat of engineering, possess a relatively substantial amount of carbon black in the core of each particle.

Produced through the precipitation process, these carbon black powders are specially designed for powder bed fusion techniques like SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), and offer high flowability and homogenous sintering. Additionally, the high core-shell carbon black content allows for true pigmentation uniformity, minimizes visibility of surface abrasion and wear, as well as provides elevated resistance to ultraviolet rays and greater isotropic performance.

“These properties make our carbon black powder an ideal material for producing 3D-printed items destined for use outdoors – especially in applications that need to withstand an elevated exposure to heat and light, such as those found in the aerospace and automotive industry,” says Arnim Kraatz, director of Powder Bed Fusion at Evonik.

To better serve the needs of this specialized customer base, the carbon black embedded INFINAM® 6013 P and INFINAM® 6014 P powders will be available for direct purchase from Evonik.

Also featured at Formnext will be the product launch of HP 3D HR PA12 FR, a robust, PA12-based 3D-printable polymer. Developed jointly by Evonik and well-known additive manufacturing technology powerhouse, HP Inc., the innovative powder is halogen-free, flame retardant, and remarkably features 50% reusability.

“We are very excited to be introducing the new HP 3D PA12 FR, a halogen-free flame-retardant polymer enabled by Evonik. Our long-term partnership is key to developing innovative solutions to continue growing the industry. This innovative material, which is 50% reusable, enables cost-effective production of high-quality parts and is poised to be a breakthrough in 3D printing, paving the way for scalable applications in consumer electronics,” says François Minec, VP and Global Head of 3D Polymers at HP Inc.

“We are proud of the fruits of this successful partnership with HP Inc., as it is the latest application of an encapsulation technique enabled by Evonik’s specially pioneered precipitation method,” says Dominic Stoerkle, head of Evonik’s High Performance Polymers’ Long Chain Polyamides product line. “Partnerships like these help Evonik continue to develop innovative technology that put customers at the center of our business.”

source:Evonik