Apples: From waste to bioethanol production
Apple pomace, the waste in the form of peel, stem, seeds and stalks which can make up 25 to 30% of the processed fruit, is often discarded into landfill despite its high carbohydrate content and potential for bioconversion. Because apple pomace is rich in cellulose, pectin and hemicellulose, it can be enzymatically converted into sugar monomers and then into alcohol.
High-energy compound could be rocket fuel for round-trip to Mars
US researchers have created a new high-energy compound suitable for rocket fuel. The boron-containing compound could make return flights from Mars possible, says the group at the University of Albany, New York.
Lithium: Remaking the global supply chain
A short video clip posted on social media by Tesla in January 2026 served as a perhaps modest introduction of a major development: the electric vehicle maker’s new lithium refinery – the largest in North America – becoming operational.
Middle East crisis results in global supply disruption
About 20% of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas is transported through the Strait of Hormuz, with about 20m barrels of crude oil and oil products usually passing through the narrow sea passage each day.
Probiotics, but for plants: How microbiomes of the phyllosphere help crops thrive
Plants rely on many different microbes, but the ecosystem on the above-ground or green parts of plants is less well known and offers opportunities to improve health and resilience. Michael Gross reports.
EU Industrial Accelerator Act proposal welcomed
The EU Commission’s proposed EU Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) has been welcomed by the European chemical industry association, Cefic, as having the potential to accelerate industrial decarbonisation and strengthen resilience and competitiveness. Cefic adds, however, that more is needed, particularly on the demand side, where public procurement provisions remain limited for the chemical sector.
Business digest: Chemistry industry updates
The latest business digest for C&I Issue 4 2026 with all the latest mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry.
Gas safety in laboratory environments
The use of gases is both fundamental and commonplace within laboratory environments, integral to essential sterilisation or decontamination procedures, for example, and also across a broad range of industries. The use of gases can pose significant hazards to the health of employees, and sometimes to the safety of the facility as a whole.
Comment: Patenting battery materials
It is possible to look at general trends for patent publications in a particular area, such as battery materials, to find changes in research focus and direction. But this ‘helicopter view’ can miss some of the interesting detail we see by looking more closely at particular patent applications.
EU briefs - news from the chemistry industry in Europe
Read the news in brief from the EU from C&I Magazine Issue 4 2026.