The heroic age has passed. Very little revolutionary process technology has emerged in the chemical industry in recent years. No pioneering achievements like Haber-Bosch. Nevertheless, the labs are still alive and well — a journey to the world of developers and innovation.

Transportation and disposal of ash in thermal power station burning high sulphur coal — Coal is the primary fuel for a thermal power plant. Few power plants burn imported coal and pet coke which contains higher quantity of sulfur. While burning this type of fuel, lime will be injected to absorb the sulfur dioxide liberated while burning the coal in order to reduce the quantity of sulfur dioxide emitted in to the atmosphere along with the flue gas. The ash generated contains Calcium sulfate and unburnt CaO.

A recovery system for recycling and reusing hydrogen chloride (HCI) developed by SGL Group will be part of a new electrolytic smelting system of the Chinese potassium producer Qinghai Salt Lake Industry.

At the recent “Thailand 4.0 Towards Connected Industries” symposium, PTT Global Chemical encouraged partnerships with Japanese companies and foreign investors for projects in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

Scientists at Cardiff University in the UK have created methanol from methane using oxygen from the air.

Caloric has won the international tender for engineering and construction of a biomethanation pilot & demonstration plant in Solothurn, Switzerland. For the methanation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, microorganisms are used as biocatalyst.

For the industrial production of pure oxides such as iron oxide, alumina or magnesia as well as for mixed oxide products, the thermal chlorides decomposition in hydrochloric solutions has gained world wide importance. Typical, these processes use spray roasting in gas fired reactors to supply raw materials for the ferrite industry, pigments and heat resistant refractories and different types of special ceramics.

Technip signed a Project Management Consultancy contract for the upgrading of the Basra refinery in Iraq. Together with its partner Unico, a Japanese engineering consultant, the company will provide expertise for the engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, start-up and warranty management phase.

Future chemicals could be generated from shale gas, biomass, residual materials and waste gas — In fact, chemical companies and institutes around the world are working on the material use of CO2 and other effluents. Are projects like Carbon2Chem bringing about a new era of recycling management?

Weather green fuel or energy storage for overrun of solar and wind energy — hydrogen is an essential building block of the energy transition. Therefrom also Siemens benefits. The Technology-Company has been awarded to supply hydrogen electrolysis system to Germany and Switzerland.