Membrane & Separation Technology News articles from March 2006

Membrane & Separation Technology News archives from March 2006

PERSTRACTION Alcohol Adjustment Finds 'Sweet Spot'.
March 1, 2006... Memstar, a division of Australian wine technology specialists Wine Network, has developed a two-stage membrane method combining RO and evaporative membrane perstraction for removing alcohol from wine without stripping away other essential...

MATERIALS Novel Feed Spacers Enhance Fluid Flow.
March 1, 2006... Researchers from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) have received a patent for a new type of netted feed spacer designed for crossflow membrane modules. The novel cross-sectional shape of the spacers' elongated strands offers...

Lipids Spun Into Fibrous Networks.
March 1, 2006... A team of Virginia chemists has spun fibrous networks out of the phospholipid molecules that make up cellular membranes. The engineered membranes may be used eventually as biocompatible drug-delivery devices or antimicrobial coatings for...

REVERSE OSMOSIS LoSal May Enhance Oil Recovery.
March 1, 2006... BP Exploration (Alaska) has devised a new enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process dubbed LoSal that uses MF and RO to produce low salinity water for waterflood injection into the subsurface to stimulate oil movement. The company currently is...

Hydranautics Releases IMSDesign Software.
March 1, 2006... Hydranautics has released IMSDesign 2006, software created to meet the most demanding needs of membrane professionals. The company provides two software programs free of charge to the industry: IMSDesign (Integrated Membrane Solutions design)...

MICROFILTRATION Single Use System Minimizes SIP, CIP.
March 1, 2006... Meissner Filtration Products, Inc. has launched the DPS (Disposable Processing System) for biopharmaceutical fluid handling. Composed of a medical-grade plastic bio-container, tubing, connectors and membrane filtration device gamma-irradiated...

ULTRAFILTRATION Reduced Power Needs Cut System Size, Cost.
March 1, 2006... Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS) launched its INDUCOR and INDUCOR-G tubular membrane modules for UF of industrial process streams and wastewater. The modules have higher packing density and require less power than traditional tubular...

GAS SEPARATION Process Captures Hydrogen Near Feed.
March 1, 2006... Scientists at the University of Texas (UT) and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in North Carolina have developed a simpler, safer method for separating hydrogen from natural gas and other fossil fuels. The process incorporates reverse...

Hydrogen Extracted from Range of Reformed Fuels.
March 1, 2006... Power+Energy, Inc. (P+E) has introduced a line of commercial membrane hydrogen separators including models that can tolerate and remove sulfur from reformed fuel streams. The separators are based on palladium alloy membranes with a...

NON-SEPARATING C_Change Adapts to Moisture, Temperature.
March 1, 2006... Textile manufacturer Schoeller Textil AG has introduced the Bionic Climate Membrane, a "shape memory material" that provides a flexible microclimate function based on the wearer's activity and changing climatic conditions. The adaptive membrane...

Disposable Bioreactor Maximizes MAb Yields.
March 1, 2006... Integra Biosciences researchers report that their disposable, two-part, membrane-based cell culture system is simpler and more cost effective to use than previous hollow fiber membrane bioreactors. In addition, the cell density achievable in...

ELECTROCHEMICAL Clarifying PEM Cell Phenomena.
March 1, 2006... Two Sandia National Laboratories researchers are investigating the key phenomena that control hydrogen-fueled PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells. The work is leading to a better understanding of how liquid water is produced, transported,...

LEGISLATION FDA May OK More UF Milk Products.
March 1, 2006... It seems likely that the U.S. FDA soon will permit the use of ultrafiltered milk in the making of all standardized cheeses. Pending approval stems from a National Cheese Institute (NCI) petition filed more than five years ago. The FDA...

Tax Credit Offered for Solar-Powered Systems.
March 1, 2006... According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), an increase in the federal tax credit for solar-powered equipment could help businesses install water systems, such as RO units, that run on solar power. The solar tax incentives,...

INDUSTRY NEWS Funds Support Better Performance, Durability.
March 1, 2006... The DOE will distribute $119 million in funding and a research roadmap aimed at identifying and overcoming technical and manufacturing challenges associated with developing commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The department will provide up...

AFS Adds Benefits for Corporate Sponsors.
March 1, 2006... In support of their new tagline, "Education and Networking of Industry Professions," the American Filtration & Separation Society (AFS) has implemented new benefits and programs for AFS corporate sponsors. AFS corporate sponsors are leaders in...

Proposal Jeopardizes Co-Located Plants.
March 1, 2006... California's State Lands Commission is poised to prohibit the renewal of permits for once-through power plant water cooling systems after 2020, a move that could jeopardize RO desalination projects from Moss Landing to Carlsbad. While the...

India Implementing Cleaner Processes.
March 1, 2006... Membrane technology is helping Indian industry meet environmental challenges such as mercury pollution generated in chloralkali production, and tannery and textile wastes. * By 2008, India's chloralkali industry will completely phase out...

CALENDAR.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... April 2-6, 16th Annual Membrane & Separations Technology Short Course with Daily Pilot Plant Demonstrations, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Contact: Carl J. Vavra, Tel: 979/845-2758, email: cjvavra@tamu.edu, website:...

((NEWS BRIEFS)) CORPORATE.
March 1, 2006... Sharp, Sandia Join in Energy Agreement. Sandia National Labs (Albuquerque, NM) and Sharp Corp. (Osaka, Japan) have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop renewable, alternative energy technologies, including...

FINANCIAL RESULTS.
March 1, 2006... Millipore Nears $1 Billion in Annual Sales. Millipore Corp. (Billerica, MA) has reported financial results for its fiscal 2005 fourth quarter and full year. Revenues for quarter grew to $256.3 million. In constant currency, quarterly revenue...

PRODUCTS.
March 1, 2006... DuraPES Offers Many Benefits. Membrana has launched the DuraPES membrane, a hydrophilic sulfonated PES flat sheet with a patent pending pore structure and dual asymmetric wall that provides a protected separation layer. According to the...

PROJECTS.
March 1, 2006... Minneapolis Plant Up and Running. The largest potable UF plant in the Western Hemisphere, the second largest in the world, is now treating and supplying high-quality drinking water to Minneapolis area residents. With a current capacity of 70...

PATENTS.
March 1, 2006... High Purity Ionic Liquids Made with Less Waste. Sachem, Inc. (Austin, TX) has patented a method for manufacturing ionic liquids in electrochemical membrane cells. Cells may be configured as two-, three- or four-compartment cells incorporating...

RESEARCH.
March 1, 2006... ITM Passes Durability Milestone. ITM Power (London, UK) has tested its membrane in an electrolyzer in excess of 1,500 hours without any external evidence of failure. According to CEO Jim Heathcote, the performance of ITM's is encouraging, and...

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Conversion of Sodium Acetate into Reusable Acetic Acid and Caustic Soda.
March 1, 2006... By Daniel Bar, VP, General Manager, Ameridia, Division of Eurodia Industrie, 20 F Worlds Fair Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873; Tel: 732/805 4003, Fax: 732/805 4008, email: dbar@ameridia.com In early 2003, Eurodia Industrie commissioned a new...

Figure 1 Schematic of EDBM.
March 1, 2006... At the German plant, the sodium acetate stream is fed at an average concentration of 22-23 w% and the acid is produced at a concentration of 18-19 w% (3.2-3.5 M). The NaOH is produced at an average concentration of 6-6.5 w%, sufficient for...

Figure 2 EDBM Unit at German Specialty Chemical Plant.
March 1, 2006... The EDBM unit has been designed and constructed according to CGMP principles and to customer specifications. Commissioning has been completed within a short time and, since, it has met the needs of the customer and always been in operation when...