Lithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics are notorious for bursting into flame when damaged. These incidents occasionally have grave consequences, including burns, house fires and at least one plane crash. Inspired by the weird behavior of some liquids that solidify on impact, researchers have developed a practical and inexpensive way to help prevent these fires. The researchers presented their results at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. “In a lithium-ion battery, a thin piece of plastic separates the two electrodes,” Gabriel Veith, Ph.D., said. “If the battery is damaged and the plastic layer fails, the electrodes can come into contact and cause the battery’s liquid electrolyte to catch fire.” Read More
Cargill has the intention to invest $150 million to construct an HM pectin production facility in South America. HM pectin is a versatile, citrus fruit-based texturizer used for jams, beverages/juices, acid dairy drinks and confectionery. The intended project is part of a comprehensive plan to strengthen Cargill’s full pectin footprint, including improvements to its existing three plants in Europe (Germany, France and Italy) and adding a new plant in Brazil to take advantage of local resources. “The pectin market has seen a strong growth for several years, primarily driven by the acid dairy drink market, as well as the growing global consumer demand for label-friendly ingredients. Read More
Wood Group has secured a new four-year contract with Total Denmark E&P to provide the development and delivery of a significant operations readiness assurance scope for the Tyra redevelopment project. Wood will deploy its integrated maintenance database (IMD) to build Total’s SAP maintenance management system. Delivered by Wood specialists based in Esbjerg, Aberdeen and Manila, the IMD enables the creation and manipulation of hierarchical equipment lists, job plans and tasks, task lists, object lists, bills of material, routes and planned maintenance.We have a long-standing relationship with Total across their assets globally and are pleased to continue this on our first project together in Denmark. Read More
BASF SE strengthens its collaboration with Gustav Grolman GmbH & Co KG in the marketing of amine-based curing agents for the professional processing of epoxy resins. Grolman expands the marketing of the BASF specialty chemicals under the Baxxodur brand to Italy, Spain and Portugal, (Europe) specifically for use in epoxy resin-based applications. Examples are thermosetting laminates, highly resistant floor coatings, corrosion protection varnish and composite materials. The products are used in the construction industry as well as in the automotive, marine, aerospace and industrial applications manufacturing.With the extended regional partnership with BASF, Grolman, one of Europe’s largest distributors of specialty chemicals, further strengthens its strong position. Read More
