The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) will present awards to 14 leaders and innovators in chemical engineering, at a ceremony to be held in connection with the 2023 AIChE Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 5 – 10. The awards ceremony is slated for Sunday, November 5. AIChE’s highest honor, the Founders Award for Outstanding…
Transforming flies into degradable plastics
From the American Chemical Society (ACS) Imagine using insects as a source of chemicals to make plastics that can biodegrade later — with the help of that very same type of bug. That concept is closer to reality than you might expect. Today, researchers will describe their progress to date, including isolation and purification of…
An innovative addition to the chemist’s ‘toolbox’
From University of Missouri Microscopic materials made of clay designed by researchers at the University of Missouri could be key to the future of synthetic materials chemistry. By enabling scientists to produce chemical layers tailor-made to deliver specific tasks based on the goals of the individual researcher, these materials called nanoclays can be used in…
R&D 100 winner of the day: MaizeCare Clarity Polymer: A Sustainable, Superior Polymer for Clear Hair Styling Gels
MaizeCare Clarity Polymer is Dow’s next generation, 100% bioderived, made from non-GMO corn starch and readily biodegradable hair styling polymer, with excellent clarity in water-based formulas. The diversity of hair types demands high-performance hair care products that create and maintain the best style. Many synthetic polymers have been developed, aiming for better performance. However, these…
What are titration instruments?
Titration is a method of determining the concentration of a substance, otherwise known as volumetric analysis. The substance for which the concentration is to be determined is known as the analyte. The analyte is in a solution at an initially unknown concentration. A substance is added that is known to react with the analyte (a…
What is fluorescence spectroscopy?
Fluorescence spectroscopy is a method of determining the composition of a sample. It excites a sample with electromagnetic radiation, causing it to emit characteristic radiation. This is a non-destructive method of analysing sample composition. Instruments used to perform fluorescence spectroscopy are known as fluorometers. Most commonly the sample is excited using ultraviolet light and the…
What are elemental analyzers?
An elemental analyzer is an instrument that can determine the elemental composition of a sample. The analyzer may simply determine which elements are present, or it may make a quantitative analysis to identify how much of each element is present. In some cases, isotopic composition may also be determined. Elemental analyzers are used in many…
The pizza box problem — and why it might kill everything from Teflon to drugs
R&D 100 winner of the day: Comex VINIMEX TOTAL Antiviral and Antibacterial
PPG’s Comex VINIMEX TOTAL Antiviral and Antibacterial is a 100% acrylic decorative wall paint and the only premium paint in the Mexican market that delivers proven antiviral and antibacterial technology. This paint can reduce up to 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on the surface, such as COVID-19 or H1N1 Influenza, hence generating safer environments. This…
What is liquid chromatography?
Chromatography is a common laboratory technique used to separate a mixture into its individual components, or fractions. This can allow the components to be identified and quantified. The first stage in chromatography is to dissolve the mixture in a fluid solvent, which may be either a liquid or a gas. The fluid solvent is known…
What is ion chromatography?
Chromatography is commonly used to separate mixtures into their individual components. Most commonly, this involves separating a mixture dissolved in a liquid solvent, by passing the solution over a solid surface, with the components moving at different rates depending on their affinity for the surface. In ion chromatography, ions and polar molecules are separated based…
DOW and CAS collaborate to accelerate R&D capabilities and efficiency
Dow, a materials science company, and CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, have established a strategic collaboration focused on digital capabilities that accelerate research and development and identify new opportunities within key growth areas around the world. “We are committed to improving systems and processes that advance scientific progress and enhance the efficiency…
New additive technology protects paper products from food liquids and oils
AGC Chemicals Americas introduces FibraLAST non-fluorinated sizing additives that protect paper products from both water and food oils. These patent-pending grades are designed as alternatives to traditional sizing products. This new barrier technology is suitable for molded, formed fiber and cardboard products such as fast-casual bowls, plates, containers and pizza boxes. FibraLAST grades prevent the bleed-through…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Guardiant
Corning’s Guardiant is an antimicrobial additive that can be dosed into paints and coatings. Testing performed at the University of Arizona’s microbiology lab show that coatings containing Corning Guardiant can kill 99.9% of germs on coated surfaces, including the virus that causes COVID-19 within two hours. Guardiant uses Corning’s expertise in glass ceramic technology, allowing…
R&D 100 winner of the day: PPG HI-TEMP 1027 HD
PPG HI-TEMP 1027 HD is PPG’s next generation ambient cure, high temperature Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) coating for carbon steel and stainless steel, reducing the risk of unexpected shutdowns. Corrosion costs the global economy an estimated $2.2 trillion annually. Ten percent of total annual maintenance costs are dedicated to repairing damage caused by CUI. In…
R&D 100 of the day: Autonomous Self-Healing Sealant
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Autonomous self-healing sealants self-repair microcracks and cuts, recover mechanical properties and adhere well to dusty surfaces. They are formulated by mixing a low-cost additive into commercial sealants according to a process developed at ORNL. The treatment increases sealant lifetime and energy savings by lowering air and water leaks in buildings. Even…
Why there’s a neon shortage — and why it matters
By Mark Jones In a normal world, vodka, nickel, palladium, and neon would have nothing in common. In our current world, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they do. All are currently experiencing supply chain disruptions due either directly to the fighting or to sanctions. Nickel and palladium come from mines. Russian mines produced about 10%…
R&D 100 winner of the day: PPG BFP-SE Battery Fire Protection
Electric vehicles (EVs) have many advantages, including reducing the emissions that contribute to climate change and smog, improving public health and reducing ecological damage. However, electric vehicles pose a new fire risk that must be efficiently and cost effectively addressed to allow safe and widespread adoption. Electric vehicles require protection from external and internal fires.…
Yakima Chief Hops achieves patent status on Cryo Hops process
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), an American hop supplier, has been awarded a US patent for its innovative hop processing technology used in manufacturing their Cryo Hops brand products, as they also celebrate the 5th anniversary since its launch to the brewing industry. YCH is known for its leading hop research and advanced products. With a…
Greener chemistry, better planet
By Becky Chambers Hennessy, contributing writer If you haven’t heard the drumbeat from the American Chemical Society (ACS), April 17 marks the start of 2022 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, designed to promote “the positive role that chemistry plays in the world.” But as important as that role is, let’s face it: “Chemistry” has an…
The chemical cost of salting our roads
R&D collaborations looking to build expertise, in this week’s R&D power index
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending February 18, 2022, closed at 5,075.11 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -2.18% (or 113.00 basis points) from the week ending February 11, 2022. The stock of nine RDWI members gained value from 0.96% (Novartis) to 6.14% (Cisco). The stock of…
DuPont invests in bioprocessing supply chain to enhance drug development purchases
DuPont has launched a new online sales portal tailored to the needs of bioprocessing industry purchasers. The portal handles online sales transactions, with target lead times of less than one week. DuPont’s bioprocessing solutions enable sophisticated purifications and separations for therapeutics and diagnostics, with brands such as DuPont AMBERCHROM and DuPont AMBERLITE being well established…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Multi-functional Sorbent Technology (MUST)
Multi-functional Sorbent Technology (MUST), from Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Somerset International and The Dow Chemical Company, is a game-changing suite of sorbents that remove cationic (positively charged) and oxygen-containing anionic (negatively charged) heavy metals from aqueous and nonaqueous sources. Such versatility and low cost make MUST highly effective to clean contaminated…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Ubiquitous Water Wand (UWAW)
Ubiquitous Water Wand (UWAW), developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Chyi Ding Technologies, is an ultrahigh efficiency vapor/air separation equipment which extracts clean water from the air we breathe. It provides ultra clean drinking water without water sources, cooling media or water filters. In conjunction with an air-conditioner, UWAW can also provide buildings…