Chemical Sector Research Articles

A Paris aligned 1.5 °C mitigation pathway for the chemical industry based on 100% renewable energy and novel production technologies

With renewables growing at an unprecedented pace and critical carbon budget deadlines approaching, research is shifting to the new frontier of Paris aligned 1.5 °C mitigation pathways for hard-to-abate sectors, including the chemical industry sector. This is a significant challenge with chemical products such as plastics, fertilizers and many more products intertwined with today’s society and with CO2 emissions originating both from energy and from chemical conversions. This paper presents a detailed bottom-up production-based energy and emission calculation to make a 1.5 °C compatible scenario for the chemical industry based on three main measures compared to a business-as-usual scenario. This research found that the holistic combination of demand and supply measures is critical to reduce the different types of emissions in the sector (energy and non-energy process emissions). An overall reduction of 82% of CO2 emissions in 2050 is calculated with a decrease in base chemical production growth (− 21%), 100% renewable energy for heat and electricity (− 50%) and the introduction of novel electrical-based and biomass-based production technologies for ethylene, propylene, methanol and ammonia (− 10%). Critical system developments include slowing chemical demand growth with recycling and circularity best practices, advanced electrification of heat supply and the substantial market penetration of the current most advanced sustainable production technologies for methanol, ammonia, and ethylene based on their reasonable technology maturation trajectories. Here, green methanol and ammonia will require 381 TWh in 2030 and 3232 TWh in 2050 for green hydrogen electrolysis, which will represent 1% and 4% of global electricity demand.

An Artificial Intelligence Approach to Predict Physical Properties of Liquid Hydrocarbons

Accurate physical property prediction of newly developed compounds is vital across various industrial sectors, particularly for the customization of fuels and additives. Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently emerged as a best practice in numerous industrial fields because of its capacity for swift and precise calculations. While conventional methods such as group contribution models have been used to estimate physical properties from molecular structure, AI offers significant potential for improving the predictive accuracy. Thus, this work focuses on developing an AI model to predict key properties – boiling points, melting points, and flashpoints – of various hydrocarbons, to demonstrate the AI's superior predictive capabilities. A dataset consisting of 202 organic compounds was created and multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks were employed to estimate these properties using atomic numbers, functional groups, and molecular complexity as inputs. The model's performance was evaluated and compared against conventional group contribution methods on the same dataset. The AI model was further tested on new acetal compounds, revealing its broader applicability in both fuel and chemical sectors. Results show that the AI outperformed conventional methods, excelling in 5 out of 8 hydrocarbon types for boiling points, 7 for melting points, and all 8 for flashpoints.

Rapid estimation of carbon footprints in agrochemical development: correlation of process mass intensity with CO2 emissions.

The agricultural sector faces a challenge in balancing increasing food demand while minimizing environmental impacts. Crop protection products are crucial for achieving high crop yields and ensuring food security. However, life cycle assessment (LCA), the standard framework for evaluating environmental impact, is time-consuming and costly, especially during early product development. To address this, a novel tool correlating process mass intensity (PMI) with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been developed as a streamlined alternative. A strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.95) was identified between PMI and product GHG emissions, enabling rapid carbon footprint estimation using simplified PMI data. The model was validated using 13 small molecule active ingredients (AIs), showing a mean absolute error (MAE) of 55 g CO₂/kg AI and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 64 kg CO₂/kg AI. Residual analysis demonstrated random distribution, suggesting reliable predictions. The PMI-based tool provides rapid, accurate estimates of product carbon footprint (PCF), supporting early-stage decision-making in research and development for agrochemical processes. Its simplicity makes it applicable across various chemical sectors and valuable for sustainability efforts. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pengaruh Sustainability Reporting, Dewan Komisaris Independen Terhadap Financial Distress dengan Sales Growth Sebagai Variabel Moderasi

The phenomenon that occurred in this research regarding the growth ratio in chemical sector manufacturing companies in Indonesia in 2019-2022 experienced a decline due to fluctuations which would result in financial difficulties. This research aims to determine the influence of sustainability reports, an independent board of commissioners on financial distress and sales growth as a moderating variable. The data collection technique is downloading annual reports from the official Indonesian Stock Exchange website www.idx.co.id or chemical sector manufacturing company websites, so that there are 25 companies as a population with a sample size of 100 using a purposive sampling method. Data processing with SmartPLS version 4 software uses a partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results of this research show that the variable sustainability report, independent board of commissioners has a significant influence on financial distress. Sales growth can moderate the influence of the sustainability report on financial distress and the influence of the independent board of commissioners on financial distress.

HDPE Drums for Chemical Sector in India

HDPE Drums for Chemical Sector in India

Nexus between board characteristics and financial performance: Evidence from developing economy

Corporate performance is the key indicator of availing the economic performances in all economies. Especially for the emerging economy, it is the oxygen for smooth economic operations. The study aims to investigate the influence of board characteristics on the corporate performance of the listed pharmaceuticals and chemicals sector from a developing country, namely Bangladesh. This empirical study examines eight attributes of the board and four financial performance indicators of the businesses. Here, the annual reports of the DSE-listed pharmaceutical and chemicals companies are considered to examine the impact of board attributes on corporate performance. Based on panel data analysis, this empirical study concludes that the fixed effect regression model is suitable for all four models. Except board size, the results demonstrate that all board attributes are generally statistically significant. Furthermore, it confirms that all the significant characteristics of the board are positively associated with corporate performance, except for board independence. The research offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, organizations, and scholars, promoting optimal board structures, innovative solutions, and an enhanced understanding of corporate governance matters. This research explores the challenges in board attributes, which enhances our understanding of corporate governance matters and their impact over the last decade in the listed pharmaceutical and chemicals sectors in Bangladesh.

The Great Versatility of Supercritical Fluids in Industrial Processes: A Focus on Chemical, Agri-Food and Energy Applications

Long a thermodynamic curiosity, supercritical fluids (SCFs) have gradually gained ground in today’s life, generating an increasing number of new, efficient processes in diverse industrial sectors and fueling active R&D programs. Indeed, the versatility of SCFs allows them to serve a wide variety of applications. The list includes not only food processing, biofuel production, extraction of biomolecules marketable as medicines, cosmetics and nutraceuticals, but also emerging technologies for the production of electrical power, based on supercritical or transcritical thermodynamic cycles. This jointly authored article will provide a review of important applications covered by our laboratories in the agri-food, chemical and energy sectors. We will then try to detect recent trends and outline future prospects.

High entropy alloys: Next-generation material for space exploration

High entropy materials (HEMs) have become a prominent research focus because of their remarkable properties, such as superior thermal stability, mechanical strength, and oxidation resistance, including High entropy alloys (HEAs), high-entropy polymers (HEPs), and high-entropy ceramics (HECs). These unique materials hold significant potential for advanced applications across leading industries, including aerospace, defense, military, biomedical, and chemical sectors. An overview of a diverse range of HEAs, their effects, classification, and various entropy alloy manufacturing techniques is presented to discover the optimized HEAs for significant applications particularly relevant to the aerospace industry. Their exceptional performance in the numerous fields of applications has made HEAs a promising alternative over solitary metals, alloys, and composites. Furthermore, it highlights numerous challenges faced in manufacturing. It presents a detailed analysis of the future scope of their development to enhance their applicability in aerospace and other high-demand fields.

Mobilising tensions: transnational union network formation in the Asia-Pacific region

Trade unions are an important actor in the social regulation of the transnational corporation. How and why trade unions engage with the continued rise of global corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives remains largely under-researched, particularly in transnational arenas beyond Europe. Transnational trade union networks are a concerted development intended to advance collective worker voice and influence, especially in contexts without a history of strong social dialogue. Our qualitative fieldwork centres on a transnational trade union network comprised of global, national, and local union representatives from different countries in the Asia-Pacific representing workers from one Germany-headquartered multinational corporation in the chemical sector. We examine how labour actors involved in the network engage with global CSR initiatives to advance worker voice and influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Our micro-sociological and relational approach focused on the practices, relations, and affective dimensions of building and sustaining a transnational network. What emerged is the centrality of tensions and how actors creatively utilise and shape those tensions into resources for building the network. We analyse the nature of the tensions and their effects and discuss how key actors work generatively with tensions.

Expanding the biosynthesis spectrum of hydroxy fatty acids: unleashing the potential of novel bacterial fatty acid hydratases

BackgroundHydroxy fatty acids represent an emerging class of compounds with promising applications in the chemical, medicinal and functional food sectors. The challenges associated with their chemical synthesis have spurred exploration of biological synthesis as an alternative route, particularly through the use of fatty acid hydratases. Fatty acid hydratases catalyse the regioselective addition of a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl group from a water molecule to the carbon–carbon cis-double bond of unsaturated fatty acids to form hydroxy fatty acids. Despite having been discovered in the early 1960s, previous research has primarily focused on characterizing single fatty acid hydratase variants with a limited range of substrates. Comprehensive studies that systematically examine and compare the characteristics of multiple variants of fatty acid hydratases are still lacking.ResultsIn this study, we employed an integrated bioinformatics workflow to identify 23 fatty acid hydratases and characterized their activities against nine unsaturated fatty acid substrates using whole-cell biotransformation assays. Additionally, we tested a dual-protein system involving two fatty acid hydratases of distinct regioselectivity and demonstrated its suitability in enhancing the biosynthesis of di-hydroxy fatty acids.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that fatty acid hydratases can be classified into three subtypes based on their regioselectivity and provides insights into their preferred substrate structures. These understandings pave ways for the design of optimal fatty acid hydratase variants and bioprocesses for the cost-efficient biosynthesis of hydroxy fatty acids.

Organizational purpose and employee motivation: an fsQCA analysis

PurposeOrganizational Purpose (OP) has become increasingly important in the organizational context. This research focuses on how OP can contribute to employee motivation, using personal and institutional OP factors and considering the importance of employee motivation toward organizational success.Design/methodology/approachTo conduct the research, we selected a branch of a leading multinational company in the chemical sector. Based on data collected through a questionnaire sent out to employees and using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), we identified combinations of individual and institutional OP factors leading to high (or low) employee motivation.FindingsThe results reveal that individual and institutional OP factors synergistically promote high employee motivation. The employees' contribution to the OP and the integrity of the organization’s leadership are two key motivating factors.Practical implicationsOrganizations struggle to develop sustainable competitive advantages in an ever-competitive environment. Focusing on the “why” instead of the “how” may help organizations differentiate and achieve higher employee motivation. This research clarifies how to turn purpose into an asset to improve employee motivation.Originality/valueThe conclusions highlight the need to share the OP through leadership actions and the importance of helping workers recognize the OP and its values, integrate them into their actions and feel how they contribute to its achievement.

Geographical and organised proximities influencing circular economy practices: the closer partners, the better?

ABSTRACT Research argues that the proximity between firms represents an important determinant of their adoption of circular economy practices. However, several shortcomings remain: (1) extant studies do not explicitly examine the role of proximity between firms, but rather study the importance of inter-organisational cooperation; (2) some exclusively investigate geographical proximity, but focus on specific context through case studies, leading to a lack of generalisable and robust evidence; and (3) the role of organised proximity remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we address those issues by relying on data from an original survey of 1000 firms in the chemistry sector in France.

Preparation of Lyocell Fibers from Solutions of Miscanthus Cellulose.

Both annual (cotton, flax, hemp, etc.) and perennial (trees and grasses) plants can serve as a source of cellulose for fiber production. In recent years, the perennial herbaceous plant miscanthus has attracted particular interest as a popular industrial plant with enormous potential. This industrial crop, which contains up to 57% cellulose, serves as a raw material in the chemical and biotechnology sectors. This study proposes for the first time the utilization of miscanthus, namely Miscanthus Giganteus "KAMIS", to generate spinning solutions in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide. Miscanthus cellulose's properties were identified using standard methods for determining the constituent composition, including also IR and atomic emission spectroscopy. The dry-jet wet method was used to make fibers from cellulose solutions with an appropriate viscosity/elasticity ratio. The structural characteristics of the fibers were studied using IR and scanning electron microscopy, as well as via X-ray structural analysis. The mechanical and thermal properties of the novel type of hydrated cellulose fibers demonstrated the possibility of producing high-quality fibers from miscanthus.

Development of cellulose-supported Pd-nanocatalyst for the heck coupling and michael addition reactions

The development of reusable, bio-resource based nanocatalysts with high turnover numbers (TONs) is essential for increased sustainability in the chemical sector. Herein, cellulose-supported bio-resourced poly(hydroxamic acid) is employed as a ligand in the synthesis of a palladium nanocomposite (PdNc-PHA) that exhibits higher TONs that previously reported similar systems for the Mizoroki-Heck and Michael addition reactions. The PdNc-PHA catalyst was characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analyses. Results showed that the PdNc-PHA catalyst exhibits excellent durability and high catalytic activity in the Mizoroki-Heck and Michael addition reactions, leading to high yields of the desired corresponding products. The Mizoroki-Heck reaction of aryl/heteroaryl chlorides with olefins resulted in the production of cross-coupled products, while the Michael addition reaction of phenol/thiophenol and aliphatic cyclic/alicyclic amines with a variety of olefins synthesised the corresponding O-, S-, and N-alkylated products. The recycle and reusability of the catalyst were tested using 4-nitrochlorobenzene and butyl acrylate. The results demonstrated that the catalyst maintained its catalytic activity effectively for up to ten cycles without any noticeable loss in performance. This research represents a promising strategy for efficient catalysis based on bio-waste as a wealth material.

Powder bed fusion of solid and permeable Crofer 22 APU parts for applications in chemical process engineering

AbstractAdditive manufacturing of metals has attracted significant attention across various industries. However, its adoption in certain chemical and energy sectors remains constrained by the absence of optimized alloys tailored for high temperatures and corrosive environments. This study explores the laser-based powder bed fusion processing of Crofer 22 APU, a high-temperature, corrosion-resistant alloy ideal for applications such as methane steam reforming reactors, high-temperature fuel cells, and palladium membrane supports. Systematic optimization of laser parameters including laser power, hatch distance, point distance, and building angles was conducted for both dense and porous objects. Dense parts achieved a relative density of 0.9999 and surface roughness of Sa= 41.27±1.48 on a 45$$^\circ$$ ∘ overhang. Porous samples showed a porosity range of 28.655.5% and surface roughness Sa 22.2 $$\upmu$$ μ m to 45.9 $$\upmu$$ μ m as hatch distance increased from 0.12 mm to 0.16 mm. Additionally, an 8YSZ coating applied via screen printing demonstrated the impact of hatch distance and laser power on surface quality. The combination of additive manufacturing of Crofer 22 APU and screen printing of 8YSZ simplifies the preparation of metallic supports for Pd-based membranes, reducing fabrication time and cost by shortening the number of preparation steps. This technique offers a promising approach for scaling up membranes and membrane reactors.

The Impact of Audit Quality on the Financial Performance of The Listed Jordanian Chemical Company Sector

The study aims to find out the impact of audit quality on the financial performance of the chemical company sector, to explore how audit quality, especially focus on auditor independence and the size of the audit committee, affects the financial performance (ROA, ROE, EPS) of the Jordanian chemical industries sector listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. In order to examine the data a questionnaire was distributed to study sample consists of (59) employees working within chemical companies, (48) from it valid for statistical analysis where the number of chemical companies reached (8). Ordinary Simple Linear regression method employed in the analysis of data. The study revealed that auditor’s independence has a positive and significant effect on financial performance of Chemical Company Sector. It was concluded that aspect of audit quality influence financial performance of Chemical Company. The study recommended Auditor’s independence should be increased greatly in order to enhance financial performance (ROA, ROE, EPS) of the Chemical Company Sector, by improving internal control of the company, also, Always Conduct integrity and appropriate usage tests for auditors. Shareholder should control the committee size, by controlling the audit committee members, which will reflect positively on the audit report quality.

Analyzing the Impact of Executive Excess Compensation on Organizational Technological Innovation: Evidence from Bangladesh Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals Industry

This study analysing the impact of executive excess compensation (EEC) that is influencing the quality and efficiency of Organizational Technological Innovation (OTI). Using the Agency Theory, the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Upper Echelons Theory perspective in this study, the study has identified the compatibility of Executive Excess Compensation (EEC) with Organizational Technological Innovation (OTI) and then it has focused on investigation of the relationship between Executive Excess Compensation (EEC) with Organizational Technological Innovation (OTI) and for this quantitative analysis has been done by the usage of a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach by the usage of SmartPLS software. The findings regarding the compatibility of EEC with OTI suggest even a strong alignment between the executive compensation levels and the organization’s innovation capabilities. This indicates that companies offering the executive excess compensation which tend to demonstrate greater innovation efforts that is potentially driven by incentives linked to the compensation structures. Further, the analysis has revealed that higher levels of EEC were consistently associated with the overall greater technological innovation efficiency and to the technological innovation quality which is indicating on a robust relationship between executive pay and innovation performance. The results of this study ultimately provide empirical support for the notion that executive compensation plays a crucial role in case of driving innovation initiatives within organizations which is particularly in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors of Bangladesh. The findings of the study can give insights for researchers, industry practitioners, policymakers, investors and for academics. However, the study is with some limitation and by acknowledging that further research is definitely needed to explore on the potential areas of improvement on this untapped or unique field.

CFD Simulation of the Influence of the Type of Gas Distribution in the Burners on Thermal Aerodynamic Processes in the DKVR 10-13 Boiler

Topics related to fuel combustion and its impact on the environment will never lose their relevance, as the issues of efficient combustion and emission reduction are key in power generation and environmental protection. The countries of the European Union are massively abandoning the use of natural gas as a fuel for thermal power stations. However, in Asian countries, the ease of using natural gas as the main fuel and its environmental friendliness compared to coal made it possible to widely use natural gas in industry and energy sector. Comparing natural gas with alternative combustible gases (generator, blast furnace, mine, biogas), the main conclusion that it has the most attractive characteristics for its use in industry, including energy facilities, can be drawn. Therefore, it is impossible to replace it with alternative fuels in the chemical, heavy industry and energy sector in the near future. The paper is devoted to CFD modeling of stabilized combustion without premixing in a burner with low swirl for two operating modes of the boiler unit - nominal one and at 60% capacity. The study was carried out using numerical methods with the ANSYS-Fluent application program package. The object of the study is a burner built according to the technology based on the use of jet-niche systems with gas distribution of fuel by circular jets fed perpendicularly into the flow of the oxidizer through a single-row system of holes. Hydrodynamics and heat exchange processes were chosen as the subject of research, based on the analysis of which a model of NOx generation in jet-niche systems was obtained. The authors of the paper believe that replacing the regular burners of the DKVR-10-13 water heating boiler with a jet-niche ones can contribute to better mixing of fuel and air and ensure more complete combustion. In this paper, two types of burners are considered. In one of the burners, fuel is supplied through rectangular slits, in the other – through round holes arranged in a row. Air is supplied to both burners through rectangular slits. It was determined that gas distribution through round holes increases the spraying of the mixture and increases the area of combustion products spraying. Visualization of the distribution of pressure, temperature, kinetic energy profiles of turbulent pulsations and vorticity was carried out. The obtained results indicate that there are no changes in the flow regime, flame displacement or its instability. It was determined that both the axial velocity and the tangential velocity of the flow affect the distribution of combustion products and harmful impurities such as NOx. Gas distribution in circular jets stabilizes combustion and reduces flame expansion.

Connectedness and Shock Propagation in South African Equity Sectors during Extreme Market Conditions

This study examined the connectedness and propagation of risk in the South African equity sectors during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the European Debt Crisis (EDC), the US–China trade war, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily returns of nine Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) super sectors were examined from 3 January 2006 to 31 December 2021. Applying the connectedness matrix and time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model, in full sample and sub-periods, the study showed that dynamic total connectedness of the super sectors is high in absolute form (62%). Furthermore, it was found that the highest volatility connectedness was during the EDC (68.83%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (68.57%), followed by the GFC (63.16%) and lastly the US–China trade war (42.09%), respectively. This suggests that the tendency for a systemic risk is highest during the EDC, COVID-19, and GFC periods, and lowest during the US–China trade war. The financial sector was the primary net-transmitter of shocks during the COVID-19 period, while the automobile and parts sector was the strongest net-transmitter of shocks during the GFC, EDC, and US–China trade war. Similarly, the strongest net recipient of shocks during GFC, EDC, and COVID-19 is the chemical super sector. The study concludes that there is a significant volatility connectedness among JSE super sectors. In addition, the JSE super sectors exhibit time-varying connectedness during extreme events. Moreover, the net-transmitter and net-receiver of shock do not change significantly during different crisis periods. The policy implications of the findings are highlighted in the concluding section.

Pengaruh Mekanisme Good Corporate Governance Dan Pengungkapan Akuntansi Lingkungan Terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Perusahaan Manufaktur Sektor Industri Dasar Dan Kimia Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia Tahun 2019-2021

This research aims to determine the mechanism of Good Corporate Governance and Environmental Accounting disclosure on Company Financial Performance. Good Corporate Governance in the proxy mechanisms consists of board of commissioners, board of directors, audit committee and institutional ownership. Data was obtained from annual reports of manufacturing companies in the basic industrial and chemical sectors for 2019 - 2021. The total population was 79 companies, using purposive sampling techniques obtained as many 159 samples. Data were analyzed using panel data regression. The research results show that the board of commissioners, board of directors, audit committee and institutional ownership have no effect on the company's financial performance. And also environmental accounting disclosures have no effect on the company's financial performance.