Fraunhofer project for better recycling processes of paper packaging
The fertilizer sector is caught in a global paradox between growing food to feed billions and the urgent need to decarbonise. Compressors present a largely overlooked opportunity to reduce lifecycle costs and carbon emissions, while enabling more sustainable production of ammonia. Author: Greg Gedney, Business Development Manager, Industrial Operations, Greene Tweed
Polyurethanes (PUR) are found in many products, such as upholstered furniture, foam or insulation materials, flooring, paints and even medical catheter tubes. The production of these high-demand plastics, however, relies on toxic isocyanate. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed an alternative production process using harmless dicarbamate.
APC enables capacity increases without new hardware, energy savings and cost reduction through continuous optimization, and more stable product quality under fluctuating conditions.
BASF already produces metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on an industrial scale that can store large quantities of CO₂ and water vapour in a limited space.
Precision and accuracy are essential for liquid dosing applications to ensure quality and safety. While these factors are vital at the micro level, macro scale applications, involving litres of product, can also make significant efficiency gains by optimising dosing control. To achieve this, selecting the right valve and measurement technology is vital, with the right level of automation.
Conductivity Sensor is Key to Energy-Saving Dairy CIP System
The climate crisis is driving demand for the electrification of transportation and energy infrastructure, which in turn is accelerating the need for more powerful and safer rechargeable batteries, including li-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state. However, one of the key issues affecting battery quality is accurate humidity monitoring and dry control during manufacture.
The measurement of low flow is becoming widely used in many industries. However, the smaller the flow, the trickier it is to control and measure, and finding a suitable flow measuring technology at reasonable cost can prove challenging for both users and flow sensor manufacturers.
Absolute sterility, optimised processes and lower operating costs – the food industry is challenged to align its production procedures amid these conflicting interests. The measurement technology employed to check individual process parameters plays a decisive role here. WIKA has now opened up a new chapter in pressure instrumentation: an in-line process transmitter with a “dry” measuring cell takes monitoring of this variable in sterile applications to a higher level.
In the process of transforming our economy and society towards greater sustainability and climate neutrality, green chemistry can make a decisive contribution. Fraunhofer scientists are playing a key role in supporting industry with practical solutions. At ACHEMA, the world's leading trade fair for the international process industry, 10-14 June, they will present a selection of their current projects and research results at Fraunhofer Stand D49 in Hall 6.0.
Joint development and construction of electric steam cracking furnaces at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen. The technology has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 90% compared to conventional steam crackers.
Under the heading "Forging Tomorrow – Unleashing the Industrial AI Benefits", a panel on the assessment of artificial intelligence by experts from the industry took place at the Emerson Exchange.
A digital twin is not only the basis for a holistic view of the system and the individual processes. It is also the basis for automatic routines that react autonomously to changes in the process. It helps applications identify unwanted situations and the countermeasures to be taken often long before the plant comes to a standstill. Predictive maintenance is a key to the efficient operation of a process plant. However, digital processes are not a question of individual products or components, but require the seamless interaction of people and systems.
Veolia Water Technologies has built an ultra-modern plant to produce drinking water in Ostend, Belgium. In a multi-stage filtration process, the water supplier is now producing drinking water of excellent quality – far above the statutory requirements. At critical points of the process – during reverse osmosis, filtration with activated carbon and remineralisation of the water – sliding gate valves made by Schubert & Salzer Control Systems are responsible for regulating pressure and flow rate.
To date, the KHS coating of wafer-thin, chemically pure glass on the inside wall of PET bottles was primarily applied to improve the quality and shelf life of sensitive soft drinks and juice. VILSA-BRUNNEN Otto Rodekohr GmbH is now the first mineral water bottling plant to profit from Plasmax technology. The family business is consistently investing in its product quality and the long-lasting freshness protection of its premium beverages – and in doing so is setting standards on the market.
Two-in-One Analyzer for measuring hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as part of quality and process control
Avelino Corma Canós is being recognised on 4 July in Valencia for his work on synthetic catalysts to improve chemical reactions. His inventions are used today in the energy, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries among others. Corma is the inventor or co-inventor behind nearly 200 European patent applications and co-founded the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint centre from the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).
As an innovative technology leader, JUMO has been supplying high-quality measurement and automation technology for the food industry for decades. So it was an obvious idea to have our own anniversary beer created for the 75th anniversary in 2023. In the brewing process, all relevant JUMO products that are supplied to the brewing industry were to be combined in one application. The choice therefore fell on an in-house, modern, and highly efficient brewery plant.
New process controller increases performance and enables plant-wide digitalization, offering a non-invasive modernization of the installed base
US-based pioneer in digitalizing the monitoring of polymerization reaction processes now part of the Yokogawa group
Flow device helps improve accuracy and reproducibility of chemical reactions
How Raman process monitoring is providing a spectra of benefits across the biopharmaceutical industry. Dean Stuart, Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Effectively enabling upscaling of chemical processes
Fraunhofer process increases methane yield from biogas plants
Technology for hydrogen generation expected to go into production in 2025
Accurate measurement in chlor-alkali electrolysis sub-processe
Methanol reformers convert easy-to-transport methanol into hydrogen. But conventional reformers still come with a number of drawbacks – catalyst attrition, to name but one example. An innovative methanol reformer for mobile applications from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM is able to overcome these challenges.
Inline measurements in real time directly in the system and without sampling
An easy alternative to nitrogen purge for void space layup
BenLink, a company owned by the Swiss technology group Bühler, announces its strategic partnership with Alfa Laval. With this partnership, Alfa Laval gets access to BenLink’s digital crowd platform and network of over 4,000 local and field technicians.
Accurate measurement and control of liquids at very low flow rates
Contributions to the congress program and PRAXISforums of ACHEMA 2022 can be submitted as of now. Scientists from industry and research institutions are invited to submit their papers until 13 September 2021.
Anis Zenadji, editor of IEN Europe interviewed Craig M. Carroll, Vice President – Global Marketing & Commercial Strategy at Magnetrol about level measurement technology, challenges faced by the chemical industry, and safety in chemical processes.
Devastating water leak drives move to improve sustainability
"All-in-one" process for feed and fertiliser production
First-time demonstration of novel production technology co-developed by OMV and BASF for highest isobutene quality and maximum energy efficiency
German Researcher develop a new process to safeguard consumers from potential food poisoning
Versatile system with new dosing function
Tightening climate targets in Finland and the EU are forcing industry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Switching to electricity to replace fossil fuels is a growing trend in industry. VTT is developing electrically heated reactor technology that could significantly reduce emissions from the chemical industry.
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