Latest Chemical Stories
Mega is out and bio is in: biomanufacturing is the future of chemical productionMay 9, 2017
Engineers propose that the future of chemical production lies in decentralised biomanufacturing facilities that will push innovation and achieve efficiency not possible at today's megaplants
Optimisation of film-coating suspension mixing for vessel scale-upMay 9, 2017
Rebecca Power, a chemical and biopharmaceutical engineering student at Cork Institute of Technology, outlines the final-year research project she undertook as part of her industrial placement in a pharmaceutical company
MOREFISH research project: engineering sustainability in Irish aquacultureApril 24, 2017
We outline the challenges and opportunities facing Irish aquaculture, the MOREFISH collaborative research project being carried out in NUI Galway and Athlone IT, and how engineers can play a major role in the future success of this sector
Engineers invent process to produce renewable car tyres from biomassApril 24, 2017
The new technology produces automobile tyres from trees and grasses in a process that could shift the tyre-production industry away from fossil fuels and toward using renewable resources found right in our backyards
Optimisation of a multi-component distillation column in Whitegate RefineryApril 11, 2017
Cork Institute of Technology chemical and biopharmaceutical engineering student Naina Thomas describes the final-year research project that she undertook at Irving Oil's Whitegate Refinery facility last autumn
Automated manufacturing technology offers fast peptide synthesis for new drugsApril 11, 2017
New research has resulted in a machine that can rapidly produce large quantities of customised peptides. This technology could rapidly generate new drugs to test on diseases including cancer and diabetes
How solar energy can be transformed into synthetic fuelMarch 28, 2017
New research has looked into how solar energy can be transformed into sustainable fuel. The resulting new procedure uses the sun's thermal energy to convert carbon dioxide and water directly into synthetic fuel
Chemical engineers boost bacteria’s productivity by improving yield of useful chemicalsMarch 28, 2017
Chemical engineers have shown that they could significantly enhance the yield of glucaric acid, a chemical precursor to products such as nylons and detergents, by shutting competing metabolic pathways in the cells
Resource consumption and process performance of wastewater treatment plantsMarch 14, 2017
E. Doherty, G. McNamara, L. Fitzsimons and E. Clifford outline the best methods of measuring, auditing and benchmarking for process optimisation in Irish wastewater treatment plants
From wings to walls: conductive polymer project turns on a new era in heatingFebruary 28, 2017
Can you imagine a wind turbine or aircraft wings that de-ice themselves in extreme conditions; floors and walls with invisible, built-in heating; or clothes that warm you up on cold days? New EU-funded research is making this a reality
Protective coating extends the lifespan of offshore maritime structuresFebruary 28, 2017
EU-funded researchers have developed thermally sprayed aluminium, an innovative coating that provides better, more environmentally friendly protection to offshore energy installations
Front end loading in a phased project-approval processFebruary 15, 2017
Peter Marsh outlines the key stages in a phased project-approval process, which is best practice for efficient implementation of major projects in hydrocarbon processing. The process is also applicable to many other industries in the manufacturing sector
Matters of the heart: Researchers create 3D beating heartFebruary 14, 2017
Researchers have now found a way to create 3D heart tissue that beats in synchronised harmony that will lead to better understanding of cardiac health and improved treatments
Designing data integrity into pharma equipment – a systems integrator’s perspectiveJanuary 31, 2017
Shane Loughlin outlines how the pharma industry can comply with the European Medicines Agency's draft guidelines on data integrity during manufacturing, packaging, distributing and monitoring of medicines
Design for toxic-waste incineration facility wins Kevin Kelly Design AwardJanuary 31, 2017
UCD graduate in chemical and bioprocess engineering Amy O'Keeffe outlines her award-winning design of a toxic incinerator plant for Irish domestic requirements and her review of the use of electrostatic precipitators in industry
Irish-designed software is a game changer for safe disposal of pharmaceutical wasteJanuary 17, 2017
Kevin Walsh’s research carried at Waterford Institute of Technology has led to engineering consultancy Aphex developing revolutionary software for safe disposal of chemical waste for the pharmaceutical industry
3D antibody arrays could help diagnose malaria and other diseasesJanuary 17, 2017
MIT chemical engineers have built three-dimensional arrays of antibodies that could be used as sensors to diagnose diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis
A cleaner, more efficient car? New material designed to better store hydrogen fuelDecember 13, 2016
Chemical engineer Jose Mendoza-Cortes has designed new materials that could be used to store hydrogen fuel more efficiently in hydrogen fuel cars or other devices that use clean energy
‘Mood ring’ materials: a new way to detect damage in failing infrastructureNovember 29, 2016
Mixing nanoparticles into a batch of clear polymer resin results in a smart material that changes colour when it is damaged or about to fail. The technology could play an important role in minimising and mitigating damage to failing infrastructure, say researchers
New discovery by chemical engineers could help oral medicines to work betterNovember 29, 2016
A new method has been discovered for customising ingredients that help oral medications, such as anti-seizure drugs and prostate-cancer drugs, dissolve in the body and be absorbed into the bloodstream