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Institute News

May
2012

Read the latest Institute News reported by CEP.

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Features

Navigating NFPA Codes and Standards

Follow the recommendations and how-to Guidance provided by the National Fire Protection Association to safeguard against fires and explosions.

The Other Bio: Chemicals and Materials

Just in case you haven’t noticed, a new wave of biotechnology is underway. Over the last three decades, we have seen biological technologies used in therapeutics and agriculture. More recently, we have seen the use of biotechnology for industrial purposes.

Economic Opportunities and Challenges for Bio-Based Materials

In order to stay competitive, the bio-based chemicals industry will need to pave a path within the existing value chain, with a sharp focus on economic considerations.

Meet the Authors

Bio-Based Materials in the New Bio Economy

Biological feedstocks are expected to gradually replace some fossil-based raw materials to create eco-friendly products, from car parts and packaging materials to electronic devices and other consumer goods - laying the foundation for a reduced-carbon economy.

SYNTHETIC SPIDER SILK PROTEINS AND THREADS

E. coli can be genetically engineered to mimic the complex natural process by which a spider makes the proteins that it uses to spin the fibers for its web. With additional processing, fibers with properties similar to those of natural spider silk can be obtained.. 

ONE-STEP FERMENTATIVE PRODUCTION OF POLYLACTIC ACID

The use of PLA has been hindered by its complex and expensive synthesis process. A new technology promises to change this — giving PLA a chance to compete with fossil-based plastics. 

RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BIO-BASED MATERIALS

Experimental and analytical tools combined with computational studies can be used to design new bio-based materials tailored for specific applications. 

A ChE’s Guide to Intellectual Property

Patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights are an important part of any company's business strategy.

Smart Blogging for Chemical Engineers

Blogs have come a long way since their first appearance in the late 1990s, when they were little more than online diaries. Today, people are just as likely to turn to blogs (Internet shorthand for “Web log”) as to newspapers or magazines for information and news.

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