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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