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Will the Trans-Caspian pipeline ever be built?
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesTurkmenistan is home to the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas, making it an enticing source of gas for Europeans in an increasingly desperate quest to find alternative supplies to Russian gas.
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Dual laminates gaining in corrosive environments
Alan Kelsky EngineeringWhen it comes to the handling, storing and distribution of all types of liquid solutions within chemical manufacturing plants, composites enjoy a well-earned place for durability. In general, they are among the most cost-effective anti-corrosion materials used in the chemical industry today.
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Bioplastic applications rapidly developing across major markets
Don Rosato EngineeringThe bioplastics industry is experiencing a sense of arrival confirmed by a growing volume and variety of applications from disposable packaging to durable goods. Bioplastics are no longer viewed as a mere fad, a "green" public relations stunt or a feel-good ecoluxury. They are proving to be legitimate tools of the plastics industry.
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Is high-speed rail finally taking hold in America?
Ryan Clark Transportation Technology & AutomotiveOn Oct. 15, the California Supreme Court declined to hear the most recent appeal against the state’s long-suffering high-speed rail project, thus clearing the way for further construction. And although the $68 billion high-speed endeavor could still face future legal challenges, for now the California High Speed Rail Authority can continue to move forward with a project that seems to be both a gift and a curse.
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Winning the war against brain tumors with nanotechnology
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Greeks used the Trojan horse to enter the city of Troy and win the war after a fruitless 10-year siege. For brain tumors, the war is ongoing, but researchers may have finally found their secret weapon using nanotechnology.
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Keeping the US manufacturing industry on a positive track
Alan Kelsky ManufacturingAs we approach the midterm elections, politicians from both parties are calling each other job killers and suggesting that outsourcing of jobs in manufacturing has permanently damaged the manufacturing sector. If they listened long enough to the news and experts in manufacturing, they might understand that manufacturing is alive and well in the United States and can stay that way.
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FDA examining regulations for 3‑D printed medical devices
Renee Eaton EngineeringThe official purpose of a recent FDA-sponsored workshop was "to provide a forum for FDA, medical device manufacturers, additive manufacturing companies and academia to discuss technical challenges and solutions of 3-D printing." The FDA wants "input to help it determine technical assessments that should be considered for additively manufactured devices to provide a transparent evaluation process for future submissions."
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Suppliers, manufacturers prepare for low‑GWP future in Europe
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe big Chillventa show in Nuremberg, Germany, earlier this month is a meeting place for the European cooling industry. Alongside the wealth of innovation that is on display, there is always good debate. Shows such as these are a rare chance to get the senior management from suppliers in one building.
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Report: Market for corrosion inhibitors expanding rapidly
Alan Kelsky EngineeringThe use of corrosion inhibitors is expanding rapidly across the world as more plants, refineries and drilling sites come online. In a report published earlier this month, Grandview Research disclosed that the global anti-corrosion market expects significant growth, especially in Asian countries, to $7.55 billion by 2020.
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Highlights of bioplastic material and process building blocks
Don Rosato EngineeringThe chemical industry relies heavily on traditional sources of carbon — oil, natural gas, coal and biomass. These four substances are the starting point for around 40 basic chemicals and more than 40,000 chemical products. With its low cost and low toxicity, carbon dioxide is an attractive carbon feedstock for the synthesis of polymers, especially polycarbonates and polyurethanes that are primarily based on the condensation of highly toxic phosgene and aromatic or aliphatic diols.
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