Monthly Archives: July 2017

07.29.17
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Omega-3 fatty acid stops lupus trigger, but how?


Michigan State University scientists have received a $2.3 million, five-year National Institutes of Health grant to help uncover why an omega-3 fatty acid, known as DHA, is so effective in stopping a known trigger of lupus. Previous MSU research has shown that consuming DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, which is found in fatty, cold-water fish, can stop the onset of lupus when the disease is caused by a toxic mineral that’s inhaled. Read more

 

Orion Engineered Carbons SA (OEC) said that it is increasing prices for all rubber carbon blacks sold in US, by five cents (5¢) per pound, effective 1 September. In addition, Orion announced the stopping of one rubber carbon black production line at its Orange, Texas facility, effective at year end. Orion is taking this action because current price levels of rubber carbon blacks in North America. Read more

 

KBR Inc (KBR) has been awarded a contract by Dorogobuzh JSC (owned by JSC ACRON) to provide licensing and basic engineering design (LBED) to revamp an ammonia plant – originally built by KBR – located in the Dorogobuzh, Russia. Under the agreement, KBR will supply its proprietary ammonia technology to increase plant capacity significantly to 2100 MTPD with improved efficiency. Read more

 

European Union (EU) antitrust regulators have raided several ethylene purchasing companies, including Swiss chemicals maker Clariant and US rival Celanese Corporation, over concerns the firms may have participated in a cartel. Clariant confirmed the EU investigation, while Celanese said some of its units were being investigated. Ethylene is used to make various chemical and plastic products. Read more

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07.28.17
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Researchers uncover a hidden calcium–cholesterol connection


Scientists at the University of Alberta and McGill University have discovered a direct link between calcium and cholesterol, a discovery that could pave the way for new ways of treating high blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a known risk factor for developing heart disease. The researchers began the work after having their curiosity piqued while studying the role of a calcium-binding protein. Read more

 

Scientists at the Institute of Chemistry (IOC) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed a new type of cathode that could make the mass production of sodium batteries more feasible. Batteries based on plentiful and low-cost sodium are of great interest to both scientists and industry. Read more

 

Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce clean energy can be simplified with a single catalyst developed by scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston. The electrolytic film produced at Rice and tested at Houston is a three-layer structure of nickel, graphene and a compound of iron, manganese and phosphorus. The foamy nickel gives the film a large surface. Read more

 

Fatty alcohols are aliphatic compounds derived from fats and oils naturally originating in plants and animals. Fatty alcohols are derived from fatty acids. They contain an even number of carbon atoms, according to a report by Future Market Insights. They are colourless oily liquids or solid waxy substances. Due to their amphipathic nature fatty alcohols, act as non-ionic surfactants and are widely used in cleaning products. Read more

 

In an interview, Srinivasa Raghavan, Professor and Patrick & Marguerite Sung Chair, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland (College Park) with Chemical Today Magazine discusses about his passion for inventing materials that can adapt to the environment and transform into something much better – to have a positive impact on the society. Read more
07.27.17
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Points You Should Remember About Covalent Bonds


Points You Should Remember About Covalent Bonds

A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves sharing of pairs of electronsbetween atoms. These pairs of electrons are known as bonding pairs or shared pair. Covalent bond is also known as molecular bond. Covalent bonding arises between two atoms of the same element, or of elements which are close to each other in the periodic table. Covalent bonding occurs primarily between non-metals. Read more.

 

 

A University of British Columbia (UBC) researcher is suggesting the types of cooking oils people consume may be sabotaging their efforts to stay healthy and avoid illnesses such as diabetes. Sanjoy Ghosh, a Michael Smith Health Research Foundation Scholar and a professor at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has recently published research that concludes a high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) but not monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Read more.

 

 

Water is life. Kirloskar Brothers Ltd expounds on various technologies it has adapted to recycle and reuse water/wastewater – essentially, making this scarce resource go the extra mile. The importance of water in all aspects of life is not lost on anyone, least of all, on India’s rapidly developing industry.This has, in turn, affected the growth of the water industry. Growing urbanisation and industrialisation, coupled with over-exploitation of water. Read more.

 

 

ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM) said that it has discovered additional oil in the Payara reservoir offshore Guyana, increasing the total Payara discovery to approximately 500 million oil-equivalent barrels. These positive well results increase the estimated gross recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to between 2.25 billion oil-equivalent barrels and 2.75 billion oil-equivalent barrels. Read more.
07.26.17
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7 few quick facts about Argon Gas


7 few quick facts about Argon Gas

Argon is the 3rd noble gas, in period 8(p-block) of Periodic table, it makes up about 1 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere. The solubility of Argon is approximately the same solubility as oxygen has. It is 2.5 times as soluble as nitrogen in water. The name “argon” is derived from the Greek word ?ργ?ν, meaning “lazy” or “inactive”. Read more

 

Understanding how oil and gas molecules, water and rocks interact at the nanoscale will help make extraction of hydrocarbons through hydraulic fracturing more efficient, according to Rice University researchers. Rice engineers George Hirasaki and Walter Chapman are leading an effort to better characterise the contents of organic shale by combining standard nuclear magnetic resonanceNMR) he same technology used by hospitals. Read more
The 3M Company said that it has launched 3M Attest rapid readout biological indicator (BI) system for vaporised hydrogen peroxide sterilisation (VH202). The new system has received Food & Drug Administration’s 510(k) clearance. Now healthcare facilities can obtain faster sterility assurance results for surgical instruments. BI results for VH202 sterilisation cycles with the 3M Attest system can now be read in just 24 minutes. Read more
Showa Denko K K (SDK) has established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Showa Chemicals of America Inc (SCA), in Austin, Texas, aiming to strengthen its sale of high-purity gases for electronics in US. Until now, SDK has been marketing high-purity gases through Showa Denko America, Inc, which is SDK’s wholly-owned subsidiary headquartered in New York. Read more
07.25.17
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All That You Need To Know About Carbon Element


Carbon is the 15th most plentiful element on the Earth’s crustand is abundant in the Sun, stars, comets, and in atmospheres of most of the planets. It is a soft element and dull grey or black in color. Its name is derived from a Latin word “carbo” which means “charcoal”. Read more.

The growth of the global surface and fire protection coatings market looks promising as more and more consumers are preferring these coatings as opposed to conventional paints. Although the market for surface and fire protection coatings is niche, there lies tremendous opportunity in this market owing to the effectiveness of these coatings and the wide range of surfaces on which they can be applied to, according to a report by Market Research. Read more
The global silicone sealants market size was estimated at over 550 kilo tonnes in 2015 and is likely to exceed 820 kilo tonnes by 2023 and is expected to grow at over 4.5% from 2016 to 2023, according to a new report by Global Market Insights Inc. Properties such as excellent thermal & weather stability, oxidation & ozone resistance, physiological inertness, high gas permeability and extremely low-temperature flexibility favour silicone sealants Read more
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are developing a technology for fuel production from coal processing wastes. This fuel is ten times more environmentally friendly that will make it possible to resolve two problems at once: to reduce the amount of anthropogenic emissions of TPSs and efficiently dispose wastes from coal processing and beneficiation. Read more 
07.24.17
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Researchers develop soft, stretchy fabric-based sensors for wearables


Researchers develop soft, stretchy fabric-based sensors for wearables

 

A team of researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at Harvard University has created a highly sensitive soft capacitive sensor made of silicone and fabric that moves. Read more.

 

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd (SSYS) has been chosen by Airbus to produce 3D printed polymer parts for use on A350 XWB aircraft. Stratasys is one of the world’s largest 3D printing and advanced manufacturing service providers. Read more. 
07.21.17
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How gold can recycle biofuel waste into useful additive


How gold can recycle biofuel waste into useful additive

 

Gold nanoparticles serve as catalysts for obtaining valuable chemical products based on glycerol. Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and their international colleagues are developing gold catalysts to recycle one of the main byproducts of biofuel production.  Read more.

 

 

 

 

KAIST researchers have established an efficient biocatalytic system to produce terephthalic acid (TPA) from p-xylene (pX). It will allow this industrially important bulk chemical to be made available in a more environmentally-friendly manner. Read more. 

 

 

 

Paul Lauridsen is a year away from earning his bachelor’s degree, but the chemistry major is already working on the front lines of USC efforts to turn greenhouse gas into methanol fuel. Read more. 

 

 

 

Global aerospace adhesives and sealants market to grow exponentially during 2016-2026

 

Aerospace adhesives and sealants are different from regular adhesives and sealants, as they are exposed to high temperature and high-pressure gradients during their lifetime. Read more. 

 

 

07.20.17
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ADM completes acquisition of Israeli agricultural feed distributer


ADM completes acquisition of Israeli agricultural feed distributer

 

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has completed the acquisition of Industries Centers’ controlling interest, which will now be known as ADM Israel. Industries Centers is an Israel company specialising in the import and distribution of agricultural feed products. Read more. 

 

 

Geologists discover tonnes of precious minerals in Indian waters

 

Scientists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the presence of millions of tonnes of precious metals and minerals deep under the waters that surround peninsular India. Read more.

 

 

 

AkzoNobel CEO steps down, current regional head named successo 

 

AkzoNobel NV said that its chief executive officer (CEO) Ton Buchner steps down with immediate effect due to health reasons. The company has announced Thierry Vanlancker as the new CEO. Read more. 

07.19.17
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BASF completes sale of bleaching clay, mineral adsorbents businesses


ISELIN, US: BASF SE has closed the previously announced transaction to sell its bleaching clay and mineral adsorbents businesses to EP Engineered Clays Corporation. The divestiture includes a production site and a clay mine in Mississippi, and the mineral rights sublease associated with a mine in Arizona. Sixty-six employees have transferred to EP Minerals. Read more. 

 

 

 

IRVING, US: Fluor Corporation (FLR) has appointed Bruce Stanski as its chief financial officer (CFO) effective 4 August. He will be replacing Biggs Porter, whose retirement was previously announced. Porter will continue to support Fluor as an advisor on NuScale Power as well as in other capacities. Read more. 

 

 

 

Weicon has developed a new adhesive that is especially suitable for bonding different types of plastic – Weicon Easy-Mix RK-7300. It is a fast curing, solvent free structure and construction adhesive based on MMA (methyl methacrylate) with a mixing ratio between resin and hardener of 1:1. The adhesive has a high-strength and a high viscosity. Read more. 

 

 

BAAR, SWITZERLAND: Sika AG said that it is commissioning a new production line for PVC membranes at its factory in Lobnya, near Moscow, expanding its product portfolio in Russia. It will now also manufacture high-performance thermoplastic membranes for waterproofing structures at this location, resulting in significant cost savings and competitive advantages. Read more.

 

 

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS: AkzoNobel NV said that its speciality chemicals business is planning to double organic peroxides production capacity at its facility in Ningbo, China, during the next two years. A project to boost the capacity by 40 percent is already underway, which is expected to be completed by mid-August. Read more. 

 

 

LIMBURGERHOF, GERMANY: BASF SE has received a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for Interceptor G2, a long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito net (LN) based on chlorfenapyr. Chlorfenapyr is a completely new insecticide class for combating mosquitoes for public health.
07.18.17
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Less known Facts of Fluorine


Less known Facts of Fluorine

Fluorine is a chemical element, with symbol F and has an atomic number 9. It is the lightest halogen and exists as an exceedingly hazardous light yellow diatomic gas at normal conditions. As the most electronegative component, it is reactive in nature. Every other component, including some noble gasses forms compounds with fluorine. Fluorine reacts to all other elements and no chemical substance can liberate fluorine from any of its compounds. Read more.

 

 

 

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a fresh investigation against state-owned GAIL (India) for alleged abuse of dominant position with regard to supply of natural gas. This is the second time in less than a week the company has come under the lens of the watchdog for alleged unfair business practices. The CCI has ordered the probe based on a complaint by Uttar Pradesh-based glass-bottle manufacturer Mohan Meakin, after finding a prima-facie evidence of a violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act.  Read more.

There are many applications of adhesives in the textile space, some more obvious or better known than others. A quite interesting and dynamic textile application is the use of adhesives to create disposable hygiene products. The disposable hygiene segment is divided into three sub-segments: Adult Care, Baby Care and Feminine Care. Read more.

 

 

 

LIMBURGERHOF, GERMANY/ MOSHAV SHARONA, ISRAEL: BASF SE and Kaiima Bio-Agritech, a genetics and breeding technology company, have collaborated for the discovery of novel herbicide resistance traits to develop new weed control systems to improve farmer productivity. Read more.

 

 

 

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA: Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) have found that chemicals in everyday plastics are linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure in men.  Read more.

 

 

 

BERTRANGE, LUXEMBOURG: Guardian Glass has added a new laminated glass production line at its Oroshaza, Hungary plant. The new line will produce both standards and coated laminated glass, as well as speciality products such as acoustic, coloured and thick laminated glass. The rising demand for laminated glass is being driven by three long-term trends. Read more.

 

 

Spectracron AdvantEdge HPP primer from PPG is a polyurethane primer that breaks new ground in the product category, capable of delivering greater corrosion resistance, edge performance and chip resistance than other available polyurethane and traditional two-component epoxy primers. Read more.