A Battery Olympics
Getting around the limitations of battery devices with clever ways of teaming different technolo...
Features
Rubbish Roads
A solution to the world’s plastic problem could be right under our feet. Toby McCartney, MacRebur...
Reality Check
How augmented reality is ticking all the boxes for the process sector. Simon Clarke, Director at ...
Buses Full of Beans
The route from coffee waste to biofuel: Dickon Posnett, Argent Energy Director of Corporate Affai...
Capturing Ionic Winds
STUNNING 3D images that show the effect of electric fields on ionic winds flowing from a flame co...
A Beacon for Biotech
Neil Clark ventures inside University of Nottingham’s new green chemicals hub
Shape-shifting 3D-printed food may soup up industry
Flat-pack pasta promises to cut down on transportation costs
Adding Value to Gold
Scotland’s first ever commercial goldmine proves that precious metals can be worth more than thei...
Branching Out
Demand for paper is declining - but can the recovery of biomaterials add value to the industry?
The chemical sector and its digital journey
THERE has been a lot of media attention regarding the term Industry 4.0, what it means, and how i...
News
Trump proposes opening most US waters to drilling
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s administration has revealed a plan to open almost all US offshore waters...
UK plastic recycling crisis expected
THE UK’S recycling industry says it may not be able to cope with an increase in plastic waste, as...
Nexen charged after oil sands explosion deaths
CANADA’s Alberta province has brought eight charges against Nexen Energy after an on-site explosi...
ThaiBev buys US$4.8bn stake in Sabeco
THAI Beverages (ThaiBev) has won an auction to buy a US$4.84bn majority stake in Vietnam’s top br...
Campbell Soup to buy Snyder’s-Lance for US$4.87bn
CAMPBELL Soup has agreed to buy pretzel and chip manufacturer Snyder’s-Lance for US$4.87bn as it ...
Unilever sells spreads business to KKR for €6.8bn
UNILEVER has sold its spreads business, including margarine brands such as Flora, Becel and ProAc...
3D printing with holograms
“INSTANTANEOUS” 3D printing using holograms could provide an alternative to layer-by-layer additi...
One dead, one injured in Maersk oilfield accident in Norway
A MAERSK Drilling employee has died after falling into the sea during maintenance work on the Mae...
Sheffield plans continuous powder processing plant
THE UNIVERSITY of Sheffield plans to launch the UK’s first continuous powder processing plant, wh...
Preparing for a turf war
THE US military plans to go green – as it announces plans to fund the development of “spy plants”...
One-step metabolic engineering
A NEW model in the production of biofuels and chemicals by metabolic engineering could be enabled...
World’s largest dynamic hydrogen electrolysis plant inaugurated
THE WORLD’S largest dynamic hydrogen electrolysis plant has been inaugurated in Germany, and has ...
A new whey to drink
TOFU whey, a byproduct from tofu manufacture, has been fermented into a new alcoholic drink, whic...
ExxonMobil to revamp refining and chemical operations
EXXONMOBIL will reorganise its refining and chemical operations in an attempt to boost profits am...
BASF in talks for DEA oil and gas merger
BASF has announced that its Wintershall unit is in talks to merge with Letter One’s oil and gas a...
A microbial ‘tape recorder’
BACTERIAL cells that work as a “tape recorder”, by recording environmental interactions and time-...
Ethylene from artificial photosynthesis
ETHYLENE has been produced from an integrated artificial photosynthetic device for the first time...
Tees Valley £123m Budget boost
UK CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond announced in his 2017 budget on Wednesday an investment of £123m (US...
ExxonMobil made gold partner
EXXONMOBIL has been awarded IChemE Gold Corporate Partner status for its UK sites in Fawley, Hamp...
Molten metal for clean hydrogen
MOLTEN metal could be used for a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly alternative to produce H2...
Bioengineering opportunities and risks
MAJOR issues that could face industry, society and the environment as a result of the growing bio...
Call for engineering in schools
IMECHE has released a report calling for the UK government to integrate engineering into the scho...
INEOS expands North Sea oil and gas operations
INEOS will move into deep water oil and gas exploration, after agreeing to buy a majority stake i...
New continuous cell therapy bioprocess
A COATING that allows the first ever continuous production of cells could remove a significant bo...
Wood improves solar steam generation
POROUS wood from trees like poplar and pine could be used for an efficient, biodegradable water p...
First kerosene made from solar syngas
SYNGAS made from solar energy has been processed into kerosene for the first time, which research...
Cutting long-lived nuclear waste
THE half-life of nuclear fission products could be reduced from hundreds of thousands of years to...
Locking plastic in concrete
ADDING plastic bottles to concrete could lead not only to lower carbon emissions, but improve str...
Keeping oil and water mixed for months
EMULSIONS that can stay stable for months have been created using a low-cost, low-energy process ...
Detecting water leaks with ‘smart paper’
A SMART paper laced with conductive nanomaterials could be used to easily locate water leaks in a...
EU launches €6m project to valorise jellyfish
A PROJECT seeking to explore turning jellyfish blooms into new products such as biofilters, ferti...
Advanced nuclear design gets Canadian approval
THE Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has given the first regulatory nod to a commercial ...
Living solar panel printed on paper
BIO-SOLAR panels have been printed to resemble wallpaper, and could lead to new types of electric...
Natural gas emissions threaten EU carbon budget
METHANE emissions from natural gas have been underestimated by governments, and the “bridging fue...
BP, Shell lead energy trading blockchain plan
A CONSORTIUM including energy companies BP, Shell and Statoil is developing a blockchain-based di...
Using AI to discover new processes
A MACHINE learning tool with the potential to search through millions of research papers to devel...
IChemE Energy Centre responds to UK Clean Growth Strategy
THE IChemE Energy Centre has welcomed the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy and investment in carbon cap...
Acid ISR recovers uranium tenfold
A MINING company is seeking to switch from an alkaline to acidic method of uranium recovery in a ...
3D printing of catalysts
CHEMICALLY active catalysts have been 3D printed in a single step, which researchers say could al...
Putting human waste to good use
NUTRIENTS, energy and water will be safely recovered from the faeces and urine of up to 1,000 peo...
Russia signs nuclear agreements with Nigeria
RUSSIA has signed agreements to build a nuclear power plant and a research centre housing a multi...
Removing silica from power plant water
COOLING tower water could be reused and recycled ten or more times by using a new silica-removing...
Functionalising waste methane in remote locations
A NOVEL electrochemical process to convert methane into methanol precursors could reduce the need...
Australia to set new national energy policy
A NEW proposal from the Australian government seeks to remove renewable energy subsidies and prom...
Ceramic pump works at 1,400°C
A CERAMIC pump capable of transferring molten tin at temperatures of more than 1,400°C could lead...
BASF to enter seeds business with €5.9bn Bayer deal
BAYER has agreed to sell some of its crop science businesses to BASF for €5.9bn (US$7bn), as it s...
Industrial fellowship for ‘living medicine’ cancer treatment
AN ICHEME Associate Member has won a prestigious funding award for her work on a cancer treatment...
First liquid MOF described, retains porosity
NOVEL research has demonstrated that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), commonly produced as fine p...
IChemE to publish guide on natural hazard infrastructure threats
AN ENGINEER-focussed guide to help better understand the threats presented by UK natural hazards ...
Liveris to leave Dow for battery firm Novonix
ANDREW Liveris will take a board position at an Australian battery company when he steps down fro...
Glencore to spend US$1bn on Chevron South African assets
GLENCORE has announced that it will spend US$973m acquiring Chevron’s oil assets in South Africa ...
Plasma synthesis turns CO2 and CH4 into fuels and chemicals
RESEARCHERS have reported a “major breakthrough” in reforming CO2 and CH4 into liquid fuels and c...
Singapore "model factory" to help SMEs
SINGAPORE’S first 'model factory' has been launched, which will allow SMEs to gain experience of ...
IChemE member an ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women finalist
ICHEME associate member Chong Mei Fong will represent Malaysia as a finalist in the ASEAN-US Scie...
Fracking banned in Scotland “indefinitely”
THE SCOTTISH government has announced an effective ban on fracking activities, following “overwhe...
ISC report sets out safety roadmap
PROCESS safety incidents are not decreasing over time, and steps must be taken to reduce the repe...
Founders of £65m UK battery research institute named
SEVEN British universities have been named as founding partners of the £65m Faraday Battery Insti...
Key US coal and nuclear announcements
AMERICA’S power markets could move away from renewables and natural gas towards coal and nuclear,...
An olive branch for a circular economy
RESEARCHERS have piloted a process to turn a waste stream from olive oil manufacture into biofuel...
Starter for ten…
AN ICHEME student member is representing the profession on the BBC’s University Challenge – and h...
Filtering fracking water for reuse
A SUPERHYDROPHILIC filter has been shown to remove 90% of hydrocarbons, bacteria, and particulate...
Malaysia’s Sabah to set up first oleochemical plant
THE Malaysian state of Sabah is to set up its first oleochemical plant, which will process indust...
Open-access reaction optimisation
FREELY-available software which is hoped will provide an easy-to-use tool for automated reaction ...
UK offers £5m funding for North Sea exploration
NORTH Sea oil and gas exploration will receive £5m (US$6.7m) in funding from the UK government in...
Engineering better healthcare
AN ENGINEERING approach towards designing and managing complex systems could transform health and...
A fashionable process
A PILOT facility in Finland has successfully trialled an environmentally-friendly process to recy...
Surf and turf: replacing plastic laminates
A COMPOSTABLE biomaterial made of derivatives from lobster shells and wood could sustainably repl...
IChemE member wins Malaysian award
A PRESTIGIOUS award that honours outstanding young Malaysians has been won by IChemE Member Denny...
Capturing ionic winds
STUNNING 3D images that show the effect of electric fields on ionic winds flowing from a flame co...
UK and US sign science agreement
A SCIENCE and technology agreement between the UK and US was signed yesterday, which is the first...
Biodiesel: The tip of the fatberg
A GIANT “fatberg” made of congealed insoluble matter will be converted into 10,000 L of biodiesel...
Major hydrochloric acid leak in Hull
A VAPOUR cloud formed over the Port of Hull, UK, after a leak of hydrochloric acid from a tank, a...
Process integration across sectors
THREE Humberside process industry giants are participating on a European industrial efficiency pr...
Finalists announced for IChemE Awards 2017
ICHEME has announced a total of almost 200 finalists for its 2017 Global, Singapore and Malaysia ...
Storing energy brick by brick
FIREBRICKS similar to those used to line kilns for over 3,000 years could provide an industrial e...
IChemE Fellow on UK Council for Science and Technology
CHEMICAL engineer Max Lu has been appointed to the UK Council for Science and Technology (CST), a...
Thorium nuclear research boost
A THORIUM molten salt reactor (TMSR) experiment – the world’s first in over 45 years – has been s...
Free safety data for Hurricane Harvey relief
A PROVIDER of environment, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability software has offered free acce...
Sarawak to set up own oil company
SARAWAK’S state government plans to set up its own oil exploration company, despite the national ...
Singapore pharma innovation programme launched
A MEMORANDUM of understanding between three industry giants and Singapore’s public sector was sig...
Chemical fire reported at Arkema Texas plant
ARKEMA has reported a chemical fire at its organic peroxide (OP) plant in Crosby, Texas, amid flo...
Chemical fire expected at flooded Texas plant
A CHEMICAL fire or explosion is expected within days at Arkema’s organic peroxide plant in Crosby...
US CSB safety warning after Hurricane Harvey
A SAFETY alert has been issued by the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), ur...
EU probes Bayer-Monsanto deal
AN IN-DEPTH investigation has been launched by the EU Commission into German chemical giant Bayer...
Spraying electric rainbows
A SAFER, easier process to apply colour-changing conjugated polymer films to consumer goods such ...
Cyborg bacteria make chemicals from sunlight
“CYBORG” bacteria covered in tiny solar panels have been demonstrated to produce acetic acid from...
Sadara JV commissions last plant
SAUDI-based Sadara Chemical Company has commissioned the last of 26 plants at its US$20bn petroch...
Making magic
BIOSYNTHESIS of psilocybin, the psychoactive drug found in so-called “magic mushrooms”, has been ...
Transocean to buy Songa Offshore
TRANSOCEAN announced today that it has agreed a deal to buy Norwegian offshore drilling competito...
Lab on a chip 3D-printed
MICROFLUIDIC devices that are effective at a scale less than 100µm have been 3D-printed for the f...
Transocean to buy Songa Offshore
TRANSOCEAN announced today that it has agreed a deal to buy Norwegian offshore drilling competito...
Bank notes to retain animal fat
BANKNOTES in the UK will continue to be manufactured using animal-derived tallow, following an in...
New Zealand offshore mining approved
NEW Zealand’s first offshore mining project has been approved despite environmental concerns, and...
Solving the big butt problem
STREETS worldwide could be made greener and cooler by incorporating waste cigarette butts into as...
Fighting ageing with AI
AS FAR as humans go, doctor-turned-investor Gregory Bailey is pretty good at spotting patterns an...
UAE’s ADNOC to split offshore oil concession
STATE-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) has said it plans to split a large offshore oil con...
Petrofac and Samsung awarded Oman project
PETROFAC and Samsung Engineering say they are to be awarded a US$2bn contract for a 50/50 joint v...
Taking BPA out of water
RESEARCHERS have described a quick and cheap technique that they say removes 99% of toxic bisphen...
IChemE members honoured at Chemeca 2017
MEMBERS of IChemE were presented with awards of excellence at Chemeca 2017, to celebrate their co...
Giving green polymers the blue light
BLUE light has been used by researchers to create an interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) in ...
Merck unsure of cyberattack impact
MERCK & Co has said that it still does not yet know the full impact of the NotPetya cyberattack, ...
Jellyfish and prawn cocktail
A GASTRONOMIC delight in Asia could be making its way to the western world, thanks to a new proce...
Medical adhesive inspired by slugs
AN ADHESIVE inspired by a species of slug has been described by researchers, who say it adheres f...
Produce less, pollute more
A STANFORD University study suggests that ageing oilfields can demand more energy even while petr...
Making polysulfates and polysulfonates
RESEARCHERS using so-called “click chemistry” say they have developed a fast, easy way to make su...
Wood digestion without enzymes
SUCCESSFULLY understanding the unique, non-enzymatic digestion of wood by a fungus has been descr...
New asymmetric synthesis method
A HIGHLY enantioselective method for the decarboxylative halogenation of carboxylic acids has bee...
Nano-sand in EOR
MORE oil could be recovered from wells by injecting a mixture of ‘nano-sand’ and a surfactant, ac...
Spinning silkworm cocoons
BIOCOMPATIBLE, biodegradable silk cocoons capable of being accurately spun on a nano-scale could ...
UK battery technology funding announced
BATTERY technology in the UK received a boost today, as the government announced £246m (US$321m) ...
Exxonmobil sues US Treasury
EXXONMOBIL is suing the US Treasury in response to a US$2m fine, which was imposed yesterday for ...
Chemical engineers at World Engineers Summit
ENERGY issues in South East Asia and ways to implement climate change mitigation innovations were...
First global plastics analysis
A WORLD-first study of the production, use and fate of all plastics ever made has shown that 8.3 ...
Science sans frontières
PRICE often limits training and research opportunities in developing countries – but researchers ...
Student placements key to employment
WHEN looking for work, experience could be more influential than socio-economic background for ch...
Cutting biofuel production time
A BIOMASS pre-treatment technique could make biofuels cheaper, safer and up to 172% faster to pro...
Chemistry Australia's gas price warning
CHEMISTRY Australia has said that manufacturing and jobs are still being affected by rising gas p...
Ireland bans onshore fracking
IRELAND has passed a private member’s bill that bans onshore hydraulic fracturing, making it the ...
Nuclear fusion in Europe delayed past 2050
NUCLEAR fusion in Europe from the DEMO demonstration plant could be pushed back beyond 2054, acco...
Spinning webs sustainably
HYDROGEL fibres similar to spider silk have been spun at room temperature, and researchers say it...
Modularisation of nuclear new builds
A NEW R&D centre aiming to develop modular manufacturing in the UK’s nuclear energy sector has be...
Hinkley Point £2.2bn over budget
FRENCH energy supplier EDF has forecast that UK nuclear power station Hinkley Point could cost up...
Industry 4.0 in R&D
BASF has described how digitalisation is affecting all areas of its business, from product develo...
