Chemical Engineering November 2020 - 6

domochemicals.com) has
developed a new enhanced
polymer material for the replacement
of sintered carbon
in submersible-pump thrustbearings
applications. Thermec
S is designed to replace
sintered carbons in submersible
pumps that are exposed
to continuous application temperatures
of up to 200°C. Combining
polyphenylene sulfide
(PPS), glass, mineral fillers and
lubricating additives, results in
a synergistic effect that brings
excellent abrasion resistance.
This delivers a final product with
better mechanical properties
than sintered carbon samples.
Due to its excellent processability,
Thermec S is suitable
for both injection molding and
extrusion applications.
VOC SEPARATION
Evonik Industries AG (Essen,
Germany; www.evonik.com)
recently launched PuraMem
VOC, a new membrane technology
for the separation of
volatile organic compounds
(VOCs). This polymer-based
membrane was developed for
the separation of long-chain
hydrocarbons from a natural
gas or nitrogen mixture.
The spiral-wound membrane
module has been optimized for
specialty applications, such as
natural gas treatment, emission
control in tank farms and
other applications.
The new membrane technology
functions on the basis of
the different molecular sizes
of the substances to be separated:
the gas mixture streams
through the membrane at a
pressure of up to 80 bars; the
larger VOC molecules pass
through the membrane while
the smaller gas molecules are
retained. The company can
adjust the selectivity to match
a given application.
HYDROGENATION
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany;
www.basf.com) has
introduced a new series of
commercially proven alumina
catalysts, which is now available
with new performance
features that can benefit
selective-hydrogenation applications,
such as first-stage
pyrolysis gasoline (Pygas) or
(Continues on p. 7)
6
Flexibility
said to be the first to be tested against SARSCoV-2
(the virus that causes COVID-19). It
demonstrated long-lasting self-sterilizing effects.
" There are many sterilizing products on
the market that are based on zinc, copper
and silver as the active ingredient. However,
many of those products are not fast-acting,
unlike Biaxam, which can inactivate 99.99%
Antibacterial & Antiviral
Strength
potential partners to explore applications for
Biaxam. " Biaxam could be used in a variety
of non-porous, non-food, high-contact surfaces,
such as countertops, door handles,
elevator buttons and public transportation
surfaces, among others. It can be applied as
a film, coating or replaceable peel-and-stick
application, " adds Mhetar.
A microwave-plasma process that efficiently
makes hydrogen and acetylene
A
new modular process based on microwave-plasma
reactors aims to efficiently
convert natural gas into acetylene
and H2 without combustion
or CO2 formation. Transform Materials LLC
(Riviera Beach, Fla.; www.transformmaterials.
com) has designed a reactor that overcomes
some of the previous limitations of microwaveplasma-based
methane processing, such as
low single-pass conversion and low selectivity.
" Our technology is singularly high in both
conversion and selectivity. In addition, our
process consumes approximately an order
of magnitude less energy to process a fixed
amount of methane, " explains David Soane,
Transform Materials CEO. Furthermore, the
high single-pass conversion rates allow for a
more compact reactor and overall simpler operations.
" High-selectivity transformation into
the desired coproducts of acetylene and hydrogen
means that the requisite downstream
separation process is straightforward, " says
Soane. He adds that the company has also
made significant breakthroughs in removing
minor amounts of byproduct impurities from
the reactor effluent. " Our compact system favors
distributed manufacturing. Future commercial
plants can be installed where the natural
gas feed exists and where there is local
demand for the products, " he continues.
The company has operated a fully integrated
dual-reactor pilot plant with two
30-kW reactors, as well as a single-reactor
100-kW front-end demonstration system.
Soane expects that future commercial installations
will see multiplexing of 100-kW
reactors coupled with appropriately sized
back-end separation and purification units.
The technology's modular nature means
that plant capacity can be incrementally increased
as demand rises. Transform Materials
recently signed a technology-license
agreement with Royal DSM N.V. (Heerlen,
the Netherlands; www.dsm.com) that will
enable DSM's Nutritional Products business
to use biogas feedstock to make key ingredients.
Transform Materials is also in talks with
chemical manufacturers and other potential
industry partners for further commercialization
of its technology.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
NOVEMBER 2020
A fast-acting, durable self-disinfecting polymer
A
patented polymer material developed
by Kraton Corp. (Houston; www.
kraton.com) has shown rapid antimicrobial
capabilities with expected
long-lasting self-disinfecting efficacy. Currently
pursuing
regulatory review in the U.S.
and other select countries for use as an antimicrobial
agent, Biaxam is a copolymer with
an active sulfonated block that is permanently
attached to the larger molecule, yielding a
pentablock structure that balances antimicrobial
activity with structural strength and flexibility
(diagram). While there are other self-disinfecting
products on the market, Biaxam is
of microbes in as little as five minutes, " explains
Vijay Mhetar, senior vice president and
chief technology officer at Kraton. Combining
fast antimicrobial action with longer-lasting
sanitizing sets Biaxam apart, says Mhetar,
since most products currently on the market
are only effective immediately, or require periodic
treatment or reapplication.
Biaxam is manufactured using well-established
styrenic-block copolymer chemistry,
and Kraton is currently outlining its capabilities
to scale up production once required
regulatory approval is obtained. The company
is also in discussion with a number of
Pentablock Structure Enables Unique Balance of Properties
Kraton
http://www.domochemicals.com http://www.kraton.com http://www.evonik.com http://www.transformmaterials http://www.basf.com http://www.dsm.com http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering November 2020
