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Industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well defined. Now, process simulations and a techno-economic analysis identify barriers to the future commercial viability of this technology and the key process requirements and advances needed to make the process feasible.
Future industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well understood. The authors develop unit operations and full process designs, evaluate the techno-economics at scale, identify key process requirements and barriers, and elucidate the minimum benchmarks needed for the future commercial viability of this technology.
Electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals has received notable interest as renewable electricity becomes more available and environmental challenges are increasingly recognized. This Perspective discusses critical engineering advances, unaddressed challenges and potential directions for the electrothermal synthesis of commodity chemicals toward its broader implementation for future chemical manufacturing.
A multistep stretch–relaxation process is used to produce critically thin polyethylene films. Several key physical properties of the polyethylene films are presented, and their potential applications in nuclear fusion and epidermal sensing are highlighted.
Miniaturized, flexible lithium-ion droplet batteries offer a promising solution for powering implantable medical devices, providing reliable energy for a wide range of biomedical monitoring and therapeutic applications.
The development of tiny, soft and biocompatible batteries to power minimally invasive biomedical devices is of critical importance. Here the authors present a microscale soft rechargeable lithium-ion battery based on the lipid-supported assembly of silk hydrogel droplets that enables a variety of biomedical applications.
Molecular thermodynamics emerged from the convergence of classical thermodynamics with molecular chemistry and physics. In this Editorial, we reflect on the impact of molecular thermodynamics in chemical engineering and share our excitement for future developments in this field.
Advanced recycling is an end-of-life option for plastics waste toward the generation of high-value products. This Review highlights the importance of developing holistic analyses of candidate recycling technologies, with a focus on industrial pitfalls, key assessment parameters, complexities of recycling infrastructure, scale-up considerations, and environmental and economic trade-offs.
A protocol termed electrothermal chlorination is developed for the energy-efficient recovery of critical metals from electronic waste. The incorporation of direct electric heating into a chlorination process enables precise temperature control and rapid heating and cooling rates, facilitating metal separation based on subtle differences in thermodynamics as well as kinetic selectivity.
Biodegradable plastics, often considered environmentally friendly, may contribute to environmental impacts in natural ecosystems, which are not fully understood due to inadequate assessment methods. The authors develop a life cycle impact assessment method to evaluate the climate-change and aquatic-ecotoxicity impacts of biodegradable microplastics in freshwater environments and support the design of future plastics.
This study develops a liquid-gating topological gradient microfluidics device that generates finely tuned microbubbles in a functional liquid in a high-throughput manner for air purification in different scenarios.
Metal recycling plays a crucial role in mitigating the shortage of critical metals. Here the authors develop an electrothermal chlorination process incorporating direct electric heating into chlorination metallurgy for rapid and selective recovery of metals that are critical in electronics.
Low-temperature CO2 methanation processes have potential for improved energy efficiency due to high equilibrium conversion but are generally limited by poor catalyst activity. Here the authors report an inverse CeZrOx/Ni catalyst that realizes high low-temperature (200 °C) methanation activity at ambient pressure.
