Landfill vs Skyfill
How landfill might be the better option for disposal of low-grade plastics
Features
It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas
H21: why we need bold thinking for a greener, cleaner, low-cost future
Shale Gas: Friend or Foe?
An overview of the scientific and technical challenges that have surfaced because of shale gas
Spiralling into Affordable Healthcare
New reactor promises continuous processing of biotherapeutics
Vaccines: The End of the Cold War?
How an award-winning ensilication technology could remove the need to refrigerate life-saving vac...
Reality Check
How augmented reality is ticking all the boxes for the process sector. Simon Clarke, Director at ...
Coming Soon…
The promise of AI for industrial automation
Imagine Chemistry: a New Kind of Innovation Challenge for an Industry that Needs Shaking Up
AkzoNobel is calling on chemical engineers to enter its R&D challenge and help provide the missin...
Biorefining and Integrated Bioresource Engineering
FBP journal – a new avenue for the research
A Greener Future for IChemE
The BioFutures Programme will address the opportunities and challenges faced by the chemical engi...
Buses Full of Beans
The route from coffee waste to biofuel: Dickon Posnett, Argent Energy Director of Corporate Affai...
Little by Little
Creating scalable nanomaterials for industry
Solar-Powered Water Purification Wins Top Prize
Helen Tunnicliffe reviews the winners of IChemE’s annual awards programme
Interreg FCE – Funding Cross-Channel Collaboration
Funding up for grabs for Anglo-French projects
Into the Future
Water and wastewater processes: the last (and next) 30 years
Technology Sharing
Why we must harness the power of horizontal innovation in the formulation sector
Equipped to Innovate
Rethinking the PhD – and your perceptions
CCS: Carbon Capture and Strategy
Helen Tunnicliffe goes on safari in Norway to learn about a government-backed scheme to set up ...
In Orbit
Astronaut Donald Pettit talks to Adam Duckett about his life and work
Better by Design
Quality by design must be viewed as an opportunity, not as a regulatory burden
Transformational Technologies
Transformational technologies in oil and gas. Could we learn future direction from past innovations?
Turning Ocean Trash into Cash
Project turns plastic waste in the sea into vehicle fuels
News
Clouds defeated: real-time control system boosts solar chemicals production
CHEMICAL engineers have developed a control system costing less than €50 (US$61) that overcomes o...
Finalists announced for carbon capture XPRIZE
TEN finalists have been announced in the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE which is incentivising companies...
Water purification using sunlight and hydrogel
A WATER purification method has been developed that uses sunlight along with an inexpensive gel, ...
Printing all-liquid 3D structures
A TEAM of scientists has developed a method to 3D print all-liquid structures which could have ap...
Plastic as a heat conductor
A PLASTIC has been developed that can dissipate heat instead of trapping it, which could be used ...
Engineered enzyme digests plastic
AN EXPERIMENT to study a plastic-eating bacterium accidentally created a mutant enzyme that degra...
New design of lithium-air battery is step towards next generation of energy storage
A COMPLETE overhaul of the design of the lithium-air battery has led to the development of a prot...
Light-controlled yeast produces biofuel
MODIFIED yeast that use light as a switch to change metabolic pathways have been used to produce ...
Unilever joins forces with Ioniqa to scale up breakthrough plastic waste recycling process
UNILEVER has formed a partnership with processing pioneer Ioniqa and Indorama, the world’s larges...
New 4D printer can create shape-changing objects
RESEARCHERS have developed a prototype ‘4D’ printer that allows 3D-printed objects to change thei...
Formic acid-based fuel cell developed for hydrogen storage
A FUEL cell has been developed that can store and transport hydrogen using formic acid so that th...
Nestlé launches first product containing breakthrough form of sugar
NESTLÉ has announced it is launching its first product containing a new form of natural sugar tha...
Easter eggsperts: chemical engineers have chocolate eco-ratings licked
AS we peel the foil off our Easter eggs this Sunday, chemical engineers are urging us to consider...
AkzoNobel joins Swedish green hydrogen partnership
AKZONOBEL has joined a partnership in Sweden that seeks to use excess renewable power to produce ...
Keeping proteins active outside of the cell
A METHOD has been developed for keeping proteins functional in non-native environments, which cou...
Hybrid cells bridge the gap between biological and artificial cells
LIVING and non-living components have been combined using microfluidics to create a hybrid cell c...
Monitoring tablet production with near-infrared chemical imaging
A STUDY has shown that near-infrared chemical imaging (NIR CI) can be used for monitoring the mix...
New MOF membrane cuts energy use for petrochemical industry
AN ENERGY efficient separation method for propylene and propane has been developed using metal-or...
Blood-testing 'disruptor' charged with fraud
THE CEO and former-president of Theranos – a company which claimed to have developed technology t...
Carbon nanotubes could make carbon-zero fuels cheaper than fossil fuels
A BREAKTHROUGH has been made in the manufacturing of carbon nanotube membranes which will lead to...
Siempelkamp develops new process for nuclear decontamination
A PROCESS for the chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor cooling systems has been developed ...
Graphene as a carrier for fertiliser micronutrients
A GRAPHENE-BASED carrier system for delivering micronutrients to crops increases the efficiency o...
Metal-free catalyst for ester synthesis
A METAL-FREE and recyclable catalyst has been developed for synthesising complex esters which cou...
3D printing metal alloys for flexible electronics
RESEARCHERS at Oregon State University have developed a method to 3D-print metal alloys which cou...
Nuclear fusion is 15 years away from reality, say MIT engineers
FUSION power – the clean energy technology wryly said to always be 30 years from reality – could ...
Exxon’s algae biofuel venture enters new phase, targeting 10,000 bbl/d
EXXONMOBIL and biotech pioneer Synthetic Genomics are starting field trails for their joint algae...
Trialling hydrogen in the UK gas network
AN ENERGY trial at Keele University, UK, will assess the feasibility of adding hydrogen to the ga...
Toyota magnet cuts need for rare earth elements
TOYOTA has developed a new magnet for electric car motors that requires less neodymium than conve...
Rhyme time for research students
DOCTORAL students were challenged by the University of Bath, UK, to summarise their research in a...
Solar reactor uses storage to produce fuel day and night
A SOLAR reactor has been developed that can store thermal energy to produce fuel around the clock...
Printed hydrogel makes drug testing more efficient
ENGINEERS have devised a way to make drug testing more efficient and affordable. The new drug dis...
Highly efficient ammonia synthesis with new catalyst
A CATALYST has been developed for synthesising ammonia that is around 100 times more efficient th...
New densified wood is as strong as steel
ENGINEERS at the University of Maryland have developed a way to make wood more than ten times str...
DNV GL opens centre to catalyse 3D printing in oil and gas industry
DNV GL has set up an R&D centre in Singapore to accelerate the use of 3D-printed technology by th...
3D printing of living cells using in-air microfluidics
A TECHNIQUE has been developed that allows two fluids to be combined mid-air by using two jets of...
Fission reactor in development for future space travel
A PROTOTYPE nuclear fission reactor is currently being tested as part of NASA’s Kilopower project...
Green steel process given go ahead for testing at pilot scale
AN INDUSTRIAL consortium in Sweden will build a pilot plant to test a steel production process th...
ExxonMobil expects to pump out majority of its oil, even in a low-carbon future
EXXONMOBIL says there is little risk that climate change policies will force it to leave its prov...
New catalyst for hydrogen production
A CATALYST composed of nickel and iron has been developed that will make the production of hydrog...
Using LEGO bricks for microfluidics
RESEARCHERS at MIT have simplified the process of creating microfluidics prototypes by building t...
Genomatica and Aquafil join forces to make bio-based nylon
GENOMATICA is working with nylon-maker Aquafil to produce one of its key feedstocks – caprolactam...
Bread alert: chemical engineers reveal worst sandwiches for the climate
DO you want to do your bit for the climate at lunchtime? If so, chemical engineers say you should...
Saudi Aramco, CB&I and Chevron Lummus Global in new JDA
SAUDI ARAMCO, CB&I and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) have signed a joint development agreement (JDA...
Evonik and Siemens announce two-year plan to create 'technical photosynthesis'
EVONIK and Siemens are working together on a process to produce specialty chemicals from carbon d...
Shale gas ruled one of the least sustainable options for power
SHALE gas is one of the least sustainable options for producing electricity, according to a new s...
Noël wins DECHEMA prize for his leaf-inspired microreactors
CHEMICAL engineer Timothy Noël has been awarded the 2017 DECHEMA Prize for his pioneering work on...
UCL, Tufts find new catalyst to turn shale gas into fuel
A NEW platinum and copper alloy catalyst developed at University College London, UK, and Tufts Un...
Catalyst turns nitrate pollution into water and N2
RESEARCHERS at Rice University, US, have developed a nanoparticle catalyst that converts hazardou...
New method weeds out flipping drugs
A NEW method has been developed to help drug developers weed out compounds that could potentially...
Improved chemical looping process for greener fossil fuels
ENGINEERS at Ohio State University, US, are developing a chemical looping process which can creat...
Cheap paper sensor detects water impurities
A MULTIDISCIPINARY research team from the University of Bath, UK, has developed a cheap, sustaina...
MIT turns living plants into desk lamps
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS at MIT have engineered a living plant to emit green light, with the eventual h...
Elsevier launches early stage research network
ELSEVIER, the publisher of IChemE’s journals, has launched a new early stage research network ded...
Fraunhofer creates spherical probes for bioreactor optimisation
RESEARCHERS at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nanosystems (ENAS) have developed mo...
3D printing with holograms
“INSTANTANEOUS” 3D printing using holograms could provide an alternative to layer-by-layer additi...
Evonik sets up first Asia research hub
EVONIK is to build its first Asian research hub in Singapore, with a specific focus on functional...
Warwickshire to host £80m UK battery research centre
UK BUSINESS secretary Greg Clark has announced that Coventry and Warwickshire will host the UK’s ...
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 ...
Government outlines plan to make UK world’s most innovative nation
THE UK government has published its long-awaited Industrial Strategy as it seeks to boost industr...
A new whey to drink
TOFU whey, a byproduct from tofu manufacture, has been fermented into a new alcoholic drink, whic...
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...
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...
New continuous cell therapy bioprocess
A COATING that allows the first ever continuous production of cells could remove a significant bo...
Cost-effective ‘supercatalyst’ recycles CO2 and CH4
CHEMICAL engineers at the University of Surrey, UK have developed a cost-effective ‘supercatalyst...
Stored heat from the sun can provide energy on demand
ENGINEERS at MIT, US, have developed a chemical composite that can store heat from the sun during...
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...
New graphene oxide membrane filters organics
GRAPHENE OXIDE membranes were once thought to be permeable only to aqueous solutions, but researc...
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...
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...
Bioinspired polymers self-assemble like proteins
RESEARCHERS in the US have worked out how to make polymer chains self-assemble into a desired str...
NUS, NTU and ExxonMobil set up Singapore Energy Centre
THE National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have signed...
New magnesium process cuts energy use by 60%
A SPINOUT from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) has developed a process to extract...
Using AI to discover new processes
A MACHINE learning tool with the potential to search through millions of research papers to devel...
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...
2D materials with ‘smallest possible’ holes sieve salt from seawater
RESEARCHERS at the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute (NGI) have assembled me...
Novel coating turns windows into radiators
MUCH of the heat loss from buildings is through the windows, but researchers in Sweden have devel...
Rice solves mystery of asphaltene clearance in oil pipes
ASPHALTENE, the cholesterol of the oil industry, clogs pipelines and interrupts flow, but dispers...
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...
14 partners join CO2-to-plastic consortium
COVESTRO is leading a consortium of 14 European partners from seven countries in a new project to...
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...
First liquid MOF described, retains porosity
NOVEL research has demonstrated that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), commonly produced as fine p...
Evonik develops new process for MMA
EVONIK has developed a more efficient process to produce methyl methacrylate (MMA), a widely-used...
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 ...
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...
EFCE honours individuals and team that developed 3D-printed reactor
THE European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) has today announced the winners of a serie...
Vapour jet printing personalised medicines
RESEARCHERS at the University of Michigan have developed vapour jet printing technology, usually ...
An olive branch for a circular economy
RESEARCHERS have piloted a process to turn a waste stream from olive oil manufacture into biofuel...
Lund team turns chicken feathers into food
MILLIONS of tons of chicken feathers are wasted every year, but researchers at Lund University in...
Filtering fracking water for reuse
A SUPERHYDROPHILIC filter has been shown to remove 90% of hydrocarbons, bacteria, and particulate...
Open-access reaction optimisation
FREELY-available software which is hoped will provide an easy-to-use tool for automated reaction ...
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...
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...
IgNobels reward coffee fluid dynamics and liquid cats
THE IgNobel Awards, celebrating the weirdest of weird science, have this year been awarded to suc...
Caterpillars might not break down plastic after all
RESEARCHERS in Germany say that research earlier this year showing that waxworms can chemically b...
Shott: UK chemical industry should focus on strengths
FORMER IChemE president Ian Shott says that the huge UK chemical industry must focus on its stren...
Storing energy brick by brick
FIREBRICKS similar to those used to line kilns for over 3,000 years could provide an industrial e...
Thorium nuclear research boost
A THORIUM molten salt reactor (TMSR) experiment – the world’s first in over 45 years – has been s...
Singapore pharma innovation programme launched
A MEMORANDUM of understanding between three industry giants and Singapore’s public sector was sig...
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...
Making magic
BIOSYNTHESIS of psilocybin, the psychoactive drug found in so-called “magic mushrooms”, has been ...
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, ...
Light-activated catalyst turns CO2 to CO
RESEARCHERS at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US have developed a “spongy” nickel-b...
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...
Turning dirty foil into useful catalysts
CONTAMINATED foil is unrecyclable as grease and fats damage recycling equipment, so it is often l...
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...
Protein made using CO2 and electricity
RESEARCHERS in Finland have successfully produced a batch of single-cell protein using electricit...
Nano-sand in EOR
MORE oil could be recovered from wells by injecting a mixture of ‘nano-sand’ and a surfactant, ac...
Bismuth could replace lead in solar cells
BISMUTH could offer a non-toxic alternative to lead in next-generation perovskite solar cells, ac...
Floating cellulose gel cleans up oil spills
A NEW type of cellulose composite material which can turn spilled oil into a rigid floating gel t...
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) ...
New project to tackle surface corrosion
A NEW £5m (US$6.5m) project led by BP and the University of Manchester, UK, will seek to better u...
First global plastics analysis
A WORLD-first study of the production, use and fate of all plastics ever made has shown that 8.3 ...
Engineers dispel 100-year fluid flow law
A 100-YEAR law used to describe how fluid flows through rocks has been overturned by engineers at...
Science sans frontières
PRICE often limits training and research opportunities in developing countries – but researchers ...
Very strong plant-inspired graphene aerogel
A NEW form of graphene aerogel, inspired by the structure of a plant stem, is exceptionally stron...
Hydrogen-powered boat begins six-year journey
SEEKING to raise awareness of the promise of hydrogen fuel, a converted racing boat equipped to p...
Cutting biofuel production time
A BIOMASS pre-treatment technique could make biofuels cheaper, safer and up to 172% faster to pro...
Nuclear fusion in Europe delayed past 2050
NUCLEAR fusion in Europe from the DEMO demonstration plant could be pushed back beyond 2054, acco...
New way to clean water in developing world
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY team at the University of Bath, UK, is developing a new portable, cheap and e...
Spinning webs sustainably
HYDROGEL fibres similar to spider silk have been spun at room temperature, and researchers say it...
Evonik plans €100m digital investment
EVONIK has earmarked €100m (US$114m) for investment in digitalisation by 2020 and formed strategi...
Roadtrip fuelled on whisky waste
PROCESS developers are celebrating a roadtrip fuelled by whisky waste.
Lithium promotes hot plasma edge for fusion
LITHIUM could hold the key to improving the confinement of plasma in fusion reactors, and ensurin...
Consider treating unused desal filters
A BIOFOULING study that has examined colonies of bacteria on membranes suggests desalination plan...
Modularisation of nuclear new builds
A NEW R&D centre aiming to develop modular manufacturing in the UK’s nuclear energy sector has be...
Evonik and Sinopec partner on OSN
EVONIK and the SINOPEC Beijing Research Institute of the Chemical Industry (BRICI) have agreed to...
Industry 4.0 in R&D
BASF has described how digitalisation is affecting all areas of its business, from product develo...
Method makes olefins under mild conditions
CHEMISTS in the US and South Korea have developed a technique to produce olefins, a vital chemica...
IChemE’s PSEP impact factor up 40%
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (PSEP) now has the highest impact factor ever held by...
GTI will demo R-GAS gasification in China
GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (GTI) in the US will be partnering with China’s Yangquan Coal Industry G...
UK government commits funding to fusion
THE UK government has committed to funding the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion energy research ...
New MOF turns CO2 into methane
A NEW metal-organic framework developed at the University of Adelaide, Australia, can convert CO2...
Making polycarbonate from sugar and CO2
CHEMISTS at the University of Bath, UK, have developed a process to create polycarbonate plastic ...
Notts Uni to reprogramme chemicals production
GREEN chemicals are a focus of a new £200m (US$253m) investment announced by the UK’s University ...
Exxon and partner double algae oil output
EXXONMOBIL and biotech pioneer Synthetic Genomics have announced a breakthrough in biofuels resea...
Solar paint turns wall into a fuel station
ONE day, fuel stations could become little more than a wall coated with a special catalytic paint...
