Adsorbents: Essential Tools for Efficient Separation and Purification

By | News & Info

Adsorbents are materials that have the capacity to hold molecules of gases, liquids, or dissolved substances on their surface. This characteristic makes them vital in various industries, including environmental management, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processing. The process of adsorption involves the adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface, creating a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This process is widely used for purification, separation, and decontamination processes.

Recent advancements in adsorbent technology focus on enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of adsorbents. Researchers are developing novel materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and carbon nanotubes, which offer higher surface areas and tunable pore structures. These innovations hold promise for more effective environmental cleanup, improved industrial processes, and the development of new pharmaceutical applications.

Types of Adsorbents

  1. Activated Carbon is one of the most common adsorbents used for water and air purification. Its high surface area and porous structure make it highly effective in removing contaminants.
  1. Silica gel is a highly porous form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is commonly used as a desiccant to control humidity and in chromatography for separation purposes.
  1. Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates known for their uniform pore size and high surface area. They are extensively used in gas separation and as catalysts in chemical reactions.
  1. Activated alumina is a form of aluminum oxide used in water purification and as a catalyst in various chemical processes. It is particularly effective in adsorbing fluoride and arsenic.
  1. Natural clays, such as bentonite and kaolin, are used as adsorbents in a variety of applications, including oil refining and wastewater treatment.

Applications of Adsorbents

  1. Water Treatment – Adsorbents play a crucial role in the removal of pollutants from water. Activated carbon, for instance, is widely used in both municipal and industrial water treatment facilities to remove organic compounds and chlorine.
  1. Air Purification – In air filtration systems, adsorbents like activated carbon are used to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants from the air, improving indoor air quality.
  1. Chemical Processing – In the chemical industry, adsorbents are used to separate and purify products. Zeolites are particularly valued for their ability to catalyze reactions and facilitate the separation of hydrocarbons in petroleum refining.
  1. Pharmaceuticals – Adsorbents are used in the pharmaceutical industry for the purification of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and the removal of impurities during drug manufacturing.
  1. Environmental Cleanup  – Adsorbents are critical in environmental remediation efforts. They are used to clean up oil spills, remove heavy metals from soil, and treat contaminated groundwater.

Optima Chemical has growing portfolio of customers in the adsorbents market. Built on a history manufacturing and modifying Zeolite materials, we both help customers develop and scale-up their new technologies as well custom manufacture materials. Our clients range  from global blue-chip companies to cutting edge start-ups. Our flexibility to handle a broad range of chemistries from Alumininates and Silicates through to more complex organometallic and polymer chemistry has enabled us to assist our clients across all application areas.

Contact us today and see how Optima Chemical can help you in the development of your new Adsorbent technology.

image of LI for lithium scientific code with blue batteries and lithium rocks. Black mass recovery and recycling is a process used for recovering metals from spent batteries.

Optima supports Black Mass recycling and battery recovery development

By | Featured

Recycling lithium-ion batteries has several benefits, including reducing the demand for new raw materials, lowering the environmental impact of mining, and reducing the amount of hazardous waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Chemical separation, Black Mass recovery, is one of the techniques used in the recycling of batteries to recover valuable metals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. The process involves the use of chemicals to selectively dissolve and extract metals from the battery materials.

One common chemical separation process used in battery recycling is hydrometallurgy, which involves the use of aqueous solutions to dissolve and extract metals from battery materials. The process typically involves several steps, including:

  1. Leaching: The shredded materials are then treated with an acidic or alkaline solution to dissolve
    the metals.
  2. Purification: The dissolved metals are purified to remove impurities and other metals that are
    unwanted.
  3. Recovery: The purified metals are then recovered from the solution by precipitation or electro-
    winning.

The recovered metals can then be further refined and processed into high-purity materials that can be used in the production of new batteries or other products. The choice of technique depends on the type of battery and the specific metals that need to be recovered.

Optima has assisted several companies in developing specialty cathode materials and battery additive materials and are now working with companies on how to solve the recycling of the metals back into the battery. We have successfully developed the pilot processes and commercial process for these chemistries. Maybe we can assist you in solving problems and developing your commercial process.

Optima invests into improving process safety management

By | News & Info

Belle, WV – Optima Chemical Group LLC is proud to implement a new tool towards improving safety for potentially hazardous processes. An Advanced Reactive System Screen Tool (ARSST) was recently purchased and installed in Belle, WV to aide in the understanding of process safety critical parameters. The information produced from this specialized calorimeter will be used during process planning and development for prevention of related undesirable conditions.

Safety is essential to any process operation and obtaining information is key to that. Compliance requirements and good business practices tend to have a common theme related to the adequate process safety information; It is imperative that companies have the proper level information to ensure processes can be conducted safely under both desired and worst-case scenarios. 

It is critical to understand how robust the desired reaction is to ensure that process changes do not result in catastrophic events. The ARSST is developed by Fauske and associates to serve as a rapid screening adiabatic tool that can simulate upset scenarios and be used to prevent or manage the effects of a chemical related accident. Bench scale simulations yield directly scalable data that can be used to quantitatively highlight the consequences of runaway reactions, non-condensable gas formation, cooling variations, mischarged materials, and other upset conditions. 

From a business perspective an added benefit is that it contributes directly to risk mitigation and disruption prevention. From a risk management and process safety perspective, this new investment is a natural evolutionary next step at Optima Chemicals and we are happy to include it into our future preliminary hazard assessments. We are also re-evaluating existing processes to better understand what potential hazards we have in our existing processes. 

More about our thermal analysis lab can be found here: 

https://optimachem.com/thermal-analysis-services/

Optima Chemical Awarded National Performance Improvement Gold Award

By | News & Info

Receives Association’s Highest Honor

Douglas, GA Optima Chemical Group LLC is pleased to announce it has received the Gold
Performance Improvement Award for exemplary efforts in improving environmental, health, safety
and security (EHS&S) by the
Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), the leading
trade association representing specialty and fine chemical manufacturers and service providers.

Optima Chemical is a longtime participant of SOCMA’s
ChemStewards®, a rigorous and innovative
program that promotes ongoing facility efforts in areas of environmental, health, safety and
security.


Stewart Fletcher, Optima Chemicals Operations Manager, received the Gold
Performance
Improvement Award
on behalf of the company during SOCMA’s virtual Annual Meeting on
December 14. The Optima Chemical team will also be recognized in person at SOCMA’s
Specialty &
Custom Chemicals Show
, February 28March 2, in Fort Worth, TX.

Performance Improvement Awards judges were impressed by Optima Chemical’s efforts toward
increased efficiencies and optimization, noting the facility’s ongoing demonstration of excellence and
determination to strengthen EHS&S programs that exceed industry standards. Optima’s involvement
in the Douglas, GA, community also stood out to the judges. The Optima team is working handin
hand with local business leaders to resolve labor challenges, including building curriculum and
continuing education to help prepare future generations of people entering the workforce.


Over the past year, the Optima team underwent extensive reviews of procedures, adapting more
effective and transparent levels of safety standards, risk evaluation and hazard analyses,” said Gene
Williams, President of Optima Chemical. We are extremely proud to have our hard work and
persistence recognized by SOCMA in receiving this highest honor of the Gold Performance
Improvement Award.”


We congratulate Optima Chemical and its strong team for their unwavering commitment to
improving environmental, health and safety efforts,” said SOCMA President & CEO Jennifer Abril.
We look forward to Optima’s continued participation in
ChemStewards®, where there is a solid
platform to learn from each other and share best practices that will build customer confidence,
community trust and strengthen product stewardship throughout the value chain.”

About SOCMA
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) is part of a $300 billion industry
that’s fueling the U.S. economy.
www.socma.org

Optima Chemical Selected as Recipient of Seven Seals Award

By | Events, Featured, News & Info

Optima has just been selected as the recipient of the Seven Seals Award, which is an award given to the selected employer for supporting the National Guard and Reserve Component Service Members. We have had several past employees who were in the National Guard, and Optima worked with them to accommodate their schedules when they were called out on duty. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has chosen us as the Employer who most exemplifies the qualities of a Supportive Employer.

Chemicals America – Feb 10th to 13th – Fort Worth, TX

By | Events, News & Info

For the first time, the Specialty & Custom Chemicals America trade show is partnering with SOCMA for an inaugural event offering business networking to both SOCMA members and the broader specialty and industrial chemical industry a focused meeting forum and opportunity for business networking. This event is a complement to the main July trade show, Specialty & Agro Chemicals America.

Meet the Optima Chemical team at Chemicals America in Fort Worth.

Request a meeting below

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About Optima Chemical

Optima Chemical is a full-service Chemical company with the infrastructure to take ideas and turn them into delivered products and solutions. We have an engineering skill set that enables us to manufacture high energy and high hazard, sensitive chemistry safely at large scale, and two US based manufacturing plants where we manufacture products for our partners, as well as manufacturing our own products such as grignard reagents and providing toll manufacturing services. Underpinning all of this is a culture of safety, service and flexibility.

Optima Chemical Group LLC Receives National Performance Improvement Honor

By | News & Info

Company Recognized for Outstanding Efforts in Product Stewardship

Douglas, GA – Optima Chemical Group LLC is pleased to announce it has been recognized for its outstanding efforts in improving environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) by the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), the leading trade association representing specialty and fine chemical manufacturers.

 

Optima Chemical participates in SOCMA’s ChemStewards® program that has for 13 years encouraged and recognized companies for operating their facilities in an environment that promotes safety and environmental compliance to all stakeholders.

 

Optima Chemical President Gene Williams accepted the Silver Performance Improvement Award in Product Stewardship during a ceremony at SOCMA Week in New Orleans on December 5.

 

The judges were impressed particularly with Optima’s development of a detailed HSE Assessment Survey covering every step of processing. Optima’s EHS&S team is also involved in each step of new product development, from testing through the approval process, and all potential products undergo a very detailed risk review. Optima’s assessment program provided significant details that illustrates their commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. The company has also developed a more robust incident tracking system to ensure all incidents/near misses are reported and investigated.

 

“We are extremely proud of the hard work our employees have done on our EHS&S program,” said Williams. “This award reflects our commitment to constant improvement for our products, our workers and our neighbors in the community.”

 

“Optima Chemical Group has truly made steadfast efforts to provide a safe work environment for their employees and has fully embraced EHS&S excellence,” said SOCMA President & CEO Jennifer Abril. “We commend the Optima Chemical team for setting a standard that companies in the specialty industry can learn from and emulate as they build and strengthen their own EHS&S programs. We are honored to have them as a dedicated member of ChemStewards, which provides a platform where colleagues in the industry can learn from each other and share best practices that will assist them in building customer confidence, community trust and strengthening product stewardship throughout the value chain.”

 

About SOCMA

The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) is part of a $300 billion industry that’s fueling the U.S. economy. www.socma.com.

About Optima Chemical

Optima Chemical is a full-service Chemical company with the infrastructure to take ideas and turn them into delivered products and solutions. We have an engineering skill set that enables us to manufacture high energy and high hazard, sensitive chemistry safely at large scale, and two US based manufacturing plants where we manufacture products for our partners, as well as manufacturing our own products such as boronic acids. Underpinning all of this is a culture of safety, service and flexibility.

Optima Chemical Has Been Committed To Boronic Acid Research For Over 20 Years

By | News & Info

At Optima Chemical, we’ve always understood the powerful chemical potential of boronic acids. As stated in the introduction to a paper published in July of 2019 in the Science Advances publication from the AAAS, “Boron plays an exquisite role in synthetic chemistry, with boronic acids and their esters of paramount importance to all facets of chemical science.” That’s why we’ve become a leading US supplier of boronic acids.

This wasn’t always the case. It was only in 1979 that Dr. Akira Suzuki discovered that coupling boronic acids with an organohalide catalyzed by a palladium(0) complex would unlock the potential of this element. As the paper further mentions, Dr. Suzuki is the scientist behind “the introduction of the Pd-catalyzed C─C Suzuki-Miyaura couplings that brought boronate esters into vogue, the boronic acids moiety has become a very important functional group.”

Dr. Suzuki’s work with boronic acids awarded him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010 along with fellow scientists Richard F. Heck and Ei-ichi Negishi. Here at Optima Chemical, we knew Dr. Suzuki’s work was revolutionary, and that’s why in 2001 — a decade before his Nobel prize — Optima Chemical invited him to tour our facility (pictured above), and share with our staff the cross-coupling reactions of organoboron compounds.

We pride ourselves in being leaders in specialty chemical manufacturing, and we are committed to seeking out new science so that we can continue to manufacture the highest quality boronic acids to better serve our customers. Today, we sell over 300 varieties of boronic acids.

About Optima Chemical

Optima Chemical is a full-service Chemical company with the infrastructure to take ideas and turn them into delivered products and solutions. We have an engineering skill set that enables us to manufacture high energy and high hazard, sensitive chemistry safely at large scale, and two US based manufacturing plants where we manufacture products for our partners, as well as manufacturing our own products such as boronic acids. Underpinning all of this is a culture of safety, service and flexibility.

2019 Trade Show Schedule

By | Events

Optima Chemical Group is proud to be attending the following trade events this year: Chemical Americas Show, Dallas Feb. 11 – 14 CPhI North America, Chicago April 30 – May…

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