Bacteria enlisted to help recover stranded gas
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produce pre-accelerated resins. The Netherlands-based NPSP Composieten used Nouryact CF12 to manufacture the composite Pastoe Low LC03 chair. NPSP found that Nouryact is a straightforward substitute for cobalt and that process flexibility and the mechanical properties of the end product are preserved. Original Source: Reinforced Plastics (London), Jan/Feb 2013, 57 (1), 29-32 (Website: http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/) © Elsevier Ltd 2013 Bacteria enlisted to help recover stranded gas The US Department of Energy (DoE) has awarded $4 M in funding for a research project involving the use of bacteria to convert ‘stranded’ natural gas into diesel fuel on an industrial scale. A team of chemical engineers at the University of Washington is undertaking the government-backed project, targeting gas extracted from remote oil fields. The Washington team will work closely with the DoE’s National Renewable Lab in Colorado and two industrial partners, LanzaTech of New Zealand and the UK’s Johnson Matthey. The chemical engineers will develop a hardy strain of bacteria discovered in an alkaline salty lake in Mongolia that is capable of efficiently converting energy-rich fat-like molecules. Biofuel specialist LanzaTech will develop a way for growing the bacteria on a large scale. The National Renewable Energy Lab will develop an efficient way to get the energy-rich molecules from the microbe’s cells, and Johnson Matthey will convert those molecules into diesel using chemical catalysts. The aim is to have a product with comparable fuel characteristics to diesel. Original Source: TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Feb 2013, (860), 20 (Website: http://www.tcetoday.com) © Institution of Chemical Engineers 2013 Umicore tests a new catalyst based on cerium oxide with only a minimum of platinum Umicore (Germany), innovative material supplier, started to test a new catalyst based on cerium oxide with only a minimum of platinum in 2013. The use of cerium oxide instead of platinum in the catalyst is a result of eight-year research of scientists from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic. The catalyst based on cerium oxide is roughly 100-times cheaper than the catalyst using only platinum. The platinum catalytic converter in a fuel cell for a car hydrogen drive costs about CEK 500,000 and the cerium oxide catalytic converter roughly CEK 5000. The Czech scientists invention is patented in the USA and Japan. Czech scientists received a grant of CEK 100 M from EU for the research, in which universities from Germany, Italy, and France are involved. The grant will be used to develop the new catalyst to a state usable for the production. ThunderNil (Italy), also participating in this project, is testing the possibilities of cerium use in new nanotechnologies, for example for micro-chips. The new nanotechnologies could also be used for the production of micro-cells on silicon chips. In addition the calibration supplies and microscope accessory manufacturer LET Optomechanika (Czech Republic) is involved in the project. Original Source: Hospodarske Noviny, 20 Feb 2013, 57 (36), 1,4 (Website: http://hn.ihned.cz) (in Czech) © Economia AS 2013 Carbon dating: European researchers are developing carbon-based catalysts FreeCats, a €4 M pan-European research project, was launched to develop carbon-based catalysts that could be less expensive and less polluting than those based on rare metals. The project is aimed at making Europe more competitive and cutting the region’s reliance on imports of rare precious metals. FreeCats is backed by the universities of Warwick in the UK, Porto in Portugal, CSIC in Spain, CNRS in France, and CNR in Italy. Sicat of France, Prototech of Norway and Advantech of Portugal are industrial partners to the project. Researchers will work on catalysts for three different areas: fuel cells, olefin production and water treatment. On completion of the project in 2015, Freecats partners are expected to have developed catalysts that work better than existing platinum-based versions and to have demonstrated them at pilot-plant level. To date, researchers have already synthesized some of the catalysts and have set up facilities to test them. Original Source: Speciality Chemicals, Feb 2013, 33 (2), (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2013 PATENTS Glycerol-to-propylene glycol A one-step process in which glycerol, methanol, and hydrogen are heated together at 150-290° and 20-80 atm with a supported copper catalyst. US 8,394,999, GTC Technology US LLC, Houston, TX, USA, 12 Mar 2013 Diesel from sygas The problem which this patent claims to solve is to maximise the production of diesel whilst minimising the production of waxes. The catalyst is the traditional Co, Fe, or Ni, on an inorganic support, promoted by a precious metal. The catalyst particles have a particular, lobed geometry and other specified physical characteristics. US 8,394,862, Pacific Renewable Fuels, Inc, McClellan, CA, USA, 12 Mar 2013 Manufacture of maleic anhydride from renewable materials A variety of plant-based renewable materials can be used. They are converted to butanol by fermentation with a microorganism, and the butanol is catalytically oxidised to maleic anhydride by known methods. US 8,394,973, Arkema France, Colombes, France, 12 Mar 2013 Carbonylation of dimethyl ether The object of this process is to make methyl acetate for the manufacture of acetic acid or acetic anhydride. Exemplified catalysts are mordenite, ferrierite, and offretite loaded with copper or silver. US 8,394,983, BP Chemicals Ltd, Middx, UK, 12 Mar 2013 APRIL 2013 7 FOCUS ON CATALYSTS
Transcript of Bacteria enlisted to help recover stranded gas
produce pre-accelerated resins. TheNetherlands-based NPSPComposieten used Nouryact CF12 tomanufacture the composite PastoeLow LC03 chair. NPSP found thatNouryact is a straightforwardsubstitute for cobalt and that processflexibility and the mechanicalproperties of the end product arepreserved.
Original Source: Reinforced Plastics (London),Jan/Feb 2013, 57 (1), 29-32 (Website:http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/) © Elsevier Ltd2013
Bacteria enlisted to help recoverstranded gas
The US Department of Energy (DoE)has awarded $4 M in funding for aresearch project involving the use ofbacteria to convert ‘stranded’ naturalgas into diesel fuel on an industrialscale. A team of chemical engineersat the University of Washington isundertaking the government-backedproject, targeting gas extracted fromremote oil fields. The Washingtonteam will work closely with the DoE’sNational Renewable Lab in Coloradoand two industrial partners,LanzaTech of New Zealand and theUK’s Johnson Matthey. The chemicalengineers will develop a hardy strainof bacteria discovered in an alkalinesalty lake in Mongolia that is capableof efficiently converting energy-richfat-like molecules. Biofuel specialistLanzaTech will develop a way forgrowing the bacteria on a large scale.The National Renewable Energy Labwill develop an efficient way to get theenergy-rich molecules from themicrobe’s cells, and Johnson Mattheywill convert those molecules intodiesel using chemical catalysts. Theaim is to have a product withcomparable fuel characteristics todiesel.
Original Source: TCE (formerly The ChemicalEngineer), Feb 2013, (860), 20 (Website:http://www.tcetoday.com) © Institution of ChemicalEngineers 2013
Umicore tests a new catalyst based oncerium oxide with only a minimum ofplatinum
Umicore (Germany), innovativematerial supplier, started to test a newcatalyst based on cerium oxide withonly a minimum of platinum in 2013.
The use of cerium oxide instead ofplatinum in the catalyst is a result ofeight-year research of scientists fromthe Faculty of Mathematics andPhysics of the Charles University inPrague, the Czech Republic. Thecatalyst based on cerium oxide isroughly 100-times cheaper than thecatalyst using only platinum. Theplatinum catalytic converter in a fuelcell for a car hydrogen drive costsabout CEK 500,000 and the ceriumoxide catalytic converter roughly CEK5000. The Czech scientists inventionis patented in the USA and Japan.Czech scientists received a grant ofCEK 100 M from EU for the research,in which universities from Germany,Italy, and France are involved. Thegrant will be used to develop the newcatalyst to a state usable for theproduction. ThunderNil (Italy), alsoparticipating in this project, is testingthe possibilities of cerium use in newnanotechnologies, for example formicro-chips. The newnanotechnologies could also be usedfor the production of micro-cells onsilicon chips. In addition thecalibration supplies and microscopeaccessory manufacturer LETOptomechanika (Czech Republic) isinvolved in the project.
Original Source: Hospodarske Noviny, 20 Feb 2013,57 (36), 1,4 (Website: http://hn.ihned.cz) (in Czech) © Economia AS 2013
Carbon dating: European researchersare developing carbon-based catalysts
FreeCats, a €4 M pan-Europeanresearch project, was launched todevelop carbon-based catalysts thatcould be less expensive and lesspolluting than those based on raremetals. The project is aimed atmaking Europe more competitive andcutting the region’s reliance onimports of rare precious metals.FreeCats is backed by the universitiesof Warwick in the UK, Porto inPortugal, CSIC in Spain, CNRS inFrance, and CNR in Italy. Sicat ofFrance, Prototech of Norway andAdvantech of Portugal are industrialpartners to the project. Researcherswill work on catalysts for threedifferent areas: fuel cells, olefinproduction and water treatment. Oncompletion of the project in 2015,Freecats partners are expected tohave developed catalysts that work
better than existing platinum-basedversions and to have demonstratedthem at pilot-plant level. To date,researchers have already synthesizedsome of the catalysts and have set upfacilities to test them.
Original Source: Speciality Chemicals, Feb 2013, 33(2), (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2013
PATENTSGlycerol-to-propylene glycol
A one-step process in which glycerol,methanol, and hydrogen are heatedtogether at 150-290° and 20-80 atmwith a supported copper catalyst.
US 8,394,999, GTC Technology US LLC, Houston, TX,USA, 12 Mar 2013
Diesel from sygas
The problem which this patent claimsto solve is to maximise the productionof diesel whilst minimising theproduction of waxes. The catalyst isthe traditional Co, Fe, or Ni, on aninorganic support, promoted by aprecious metal. The catalyst particleshave a particular, lobed geometry andother specified physicalcharacteristics.
US 8,394,862, Pacific Renewable Fuels, Inc,McClellan, CA, USA, 12 Mar 2013
Manufacture of maleic anhydride fromrenewable materials
A variety of plant-based renewablematerials can be used. They areconverted to butanol by fermentationwith a microorganism, and the butanolis catalytically oxidised to maleicanhydride by known methods.
US 8,394,973, Arkema France, Colombes, France, 12 Mar 2013
Carbonylation of dimethyl ether
The object of this process is to makemethyl acetate for the manufacture ofacetic acid or acetic anhydride.Exemplified catalysts are mordenite,ferrierite, and offretite loaded withcopper or silver.
US 8,394,983, BP Chemicals Ltd, Middx, UK, 12 Mar2013
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F O C U S O N C A T A LY S T S
