Matt Blois

2 weeks ago | cen.acs.org | Matt Blois

Pilanda Watkins-Curry keeps a chessboard on her coffee table at home. She started playing with her father and grandfather when she was 5 years old. Now, playing with her family gives her a chance to focus her analytical mind on an orderly puzzle and block out the chaos that comes with founding a chemistry start-up. In 2021, Watkins-Curry cofounded Olokun Minerals, where she serves as chief technology officer and leads R&D.

3 weeks ago | cen.acs.org | Matt Blois

The neoprene maker Denka Performance Elastomer (DPE) is ceasing production at a plant near LaPlace, Louisiana that regulators have scrutinized for harmful emissions. While the Donald J. Trump administration has promised to relieve the regulatory pressure, DPE says the cost of controlling emissions has rendered the plant unprofitable. Neoprene, also known as polychloroprene, is an elastic rubber used to make wet suits, hoses, gaskets, and many other products.

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Matt Blois

In brief For many years, the vibrant yellow of Kraft Heinz's iconic macaroni and cheese came from the artificial food colorings yellow no. 5 and yellow no. 6. In 2012, the company started searching for a natural replacement. It was an enormous technical challenge. To color the cheese powder in each packet, Kraft needed a natural yellow that would stain the macaroni like the synthetics do.

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Matt Blois

New rules requiring firms in China to get a license before exporting some rare earth elements are bolstering plans to establish rare earth processing in other countries. The US and European Union are eager to support these projects, but new producers still face a difficult path forward. Rare earth elements are used to manufacture powerful magnets for electric motors, wind turbines, missiles, and many other products.

2 months ago | cen.acs.org | Matt Blois

Battery materials producers across the globe are hitting the brakes on expansion plans. Umicore, LG Chem, and other firms say that subdued demand for electric vehicles and uncertainty about policies supporting the battery industry are forcing them to pull back. Umicore executives recently told investors that the company is halving the amount of money it will spend on battery materials projects between 2025 and 2028.