Orica decarbonises chemicals, fertiliser and explosives production

Chemicals and explosives manufacturer Orica is to deploy tertiary emissions abatement technology at a second site – its Yarwun chemicals and ammonium nitrate facility in Gladstone, Queensland (pictured). Orica expects to eliminate an estimated 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) annually once the project is complete. The installation of two tertiary abatement reactors at…

Sparc Hydrogen reveals details of photocatalytic hydrogen pilot plant

Sparc Hydrogen has significantly progressed the design and engineering of a pilot scale photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) reactor to produce green hydrogen at cheaper cost than traditional electrolysis. The company, a joint venture between Sparc Technologies, Fortescue and the University of Adelaide, has been working collaboratively with a linear Fresnel equipment supplier to ensure the…

Pact Group aims to recycle a million chemical drums a year through new program

A new initiative between industry organisation CropLife, its not-for-profit stewardship subsidiary Agsafe, and plastic recycler and manufacturer Pact Group could see nearly a million plastic agricultural chemical containers recycled a year, according to those involved. According to a statement from Pact on Wednesday, Drums-to-Drums is a new part of the drumMUSTER initiative, which has been…

Australian team to develop health monitoring device for space passengers

The Australian National University, Axiom Space and Aqacia are partnering through a project supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer to develop a wearable space health device. According to a statement from iLAuNCH on Tuesday, the device “will sense, transmit, and real-time assess health data in remote areas including sub-orbital flights” and help “enable real-time simulation, diagnosis,…

Why the slippage in deciding CRC funding – by Dr Tony Peacock

When the federal government came to office it promised a timetable for announcing which competing group of businesses and research institutions would be funded to perform R&D under the hugely successful Cooperative Research Centres scheme. Bids cost big dollars to put together, says Dr Tony Peacock, with business now dismayed that the latest deadline for…

Capral to offer extrusions made from recycled aluminium

Aluminium extrusion producer Capral Aluminium is to offer products manufactured using partly recycled aluminium billet following the successful completion of trials. Capral trialled Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba)’s EternAl-30 and EternAl-15 primary aluminium billets which contain 30 percent and 15 percent recycled content, respectively. Recycling aluminium consumes up to 95 percent less energy than producing it…