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Multiple co-products needed to establish cellulosic ethanol industry
FOCUS located in Industrial Park of Comprehensive Utilization of Energy and Recycling Economy in Tangshan, Hebei, China. The first SNG project executed by Davy/JM Catalysts, for Datang International Keshiketeng Coal Gas Co is due to start up in 2012. Original Source: Johnson Matthey Catalysts, website: http://www.jmcatalysts.com (10 Aug 2012) © Johnson Matthey plc 2012
NEW TECHNOLOGY Auterra Inc announces third round funding to advance Flex DS desulfurisation and oil upgrading process Auterra Inc has received a third round investment and signed a multi-year joint development agreement with a major Canadian oil sands company. Auterra specialises in catalyst and process technology development for the upgrading of heavy and sour crude oil and oil distillates. The strategic investment will advance the development of Auterra’s proprietary Flex DS desulfurisation and upgrading process. No technical breakthroughs have yet been successfully commercialised in the field of oxidative desulfurisation for heavy oils. Marketwire, 23 Aug 2012, (Website: http://www.marketwire.com)
Cambridge researchers find costeffective catalyst to make fuel-grade hydrogen Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a costeffective catalyst containing cobalt for producing fuel-grade hydrogen from water. The research was jointly funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK, the Christian Doppler Research Association and the OMV Group. The researchers claim that this solution aims at producing hydrogen using pH neutral water at room temperature and in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Original Source: CTBR Clean Technology Business Review, 24 Aug 2012 (Website: http://www.cleantechnology-business-review.com/) © CTBR 2012
OCTOBER 2012
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Researchers in US, Spain & Italy develop new catalyst for efficient combustion of methane Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Italy, and Spain have collaboratively developed a new catalyst for burning methane using a new method that relies on selfassembly of nanoparticles. The University of Trieste and Consortium INSTM, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation have funded this research. The research team found that the coreshell nanostructure performed 30 times better than any of the best methane combustion catalysts. Original Source: CTBR Clean Technology Business Review, 14 Aug 2012 (Website: http://www.cleantechnology-business-review.com/) © CTBR 2012
Multiple co-products needed to establish cellulosic ethanol industry Higher-value co-products like green coal and feed yeast are needed to make cellulosic ethanol a sustainable alternative. Research on coproducing complex plastics, polymers, and chemicals to make up for the high costs of fractionating and hydrolyzing lignocellulosic materials is ongoing. Australia’s Microbiogen Pty Ltd utilizes a population genetics method to selectively breed strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the ability to metabolize lignocellulosebased compounds into ethanol and yeast biomass. The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory assessed Microbiogen’s Feed and Fuel Biorefinery concept. Corn stover was processed at NREL’s Integrated Biorefinert plant in Golden, CO. The processed material was then sent to Microbiogen’s laboratories in Sydney, Australia, for pilot-scale trials. At the Sydney site, the six-carbon sugars were fermented into ethanol, and yeast biomass was aerobically generated from the xylose-abundant sillage. Essentially, the assessment found that the success of Microbiogen’s Feed and Fuel Biorefinery concept relies on the ability to sell the feed yeast as a valuable co-product. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2012 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2012
PATENTS Nitric acid manufacture A modification of the established process which increases the yield and extends the catalyst life. A small concentration (5 to 500 ppm) of dimethyl disulfide is added continuously to the ammonia being oxidised. It appears not to poison the platinum catalyst, as one might have expected. US 8,263,036, Arkema France, Colombes, France, 11 Sep 2012
Compact catalytic reactor A microchannel reactor having two zones containing two different catalysts. There are many possible uses. In one example, one zone conducts the steam reforming of methane and the resulting gases undergo the Fischer-Tropsch process in the other zone. Thus methane is converted to hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight. US 8,262,754, CompactGTL plc, Abingdon, UK, 11 Sep 2012
Composite Fischer-Tropsch catalyst Cobalt is deposited on a zeolite support by turbulent mixing from a cobalt oxy-hydroxycarbonate solution. US 8,263,523, Chevron USA Inc, San Ramon, CA, USA, 11 Sep 2012
Manufacture of a zeotype membrane The zeotype is a small-pore silica templated by 1-adamanthanamine, known as DDR. It is deposited on to a porous support from the pregnant solution with DDR seeds. This membrane is not intended as a catalyst but such a system could probably produce a catalytic membrane. US 8,263,516, NGK Insulators Ltd, Nagoya, Japan, 11 Sep 2012
Carbon capture in fermentation A process for converting syngas, together with waste CO2 from fermentation, into fuels and useful chemicals. The gases are passed into a special column containing a suspension of proprietary microorganisms. Preferred micro-organisms are Clostridium species. A variety of
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NEW TECHNOLOGY Auterra Inc announces third round funding to advance Flex DS desulfurisation and oil upgrading process Auterra Inc has received a third round investment and signed a multi-year joint development agreement with a major Canadian oil sands company. Auterra specialises in catalyst and process technology development for the upgrading of heavy and sour crude oil and oil distillates. The strategic investment will advance the development of Auterra’s proprietary Flex DS desulfurisation and upgrading process. No technical breakthroughs have yet been successfully commercialised in the field of oxidative desulfurisation for heavy oils. Marketwire, 23 Aug 2012, (Website: http://www.marketwire.com)
Cambridge researchers find costeffective catalyst to make fuel-grade hydrogen Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a costeffective catalyst containing cobalt for producing fuel-grade hydrogen from water. The research was jointly funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK, the Christian Doppler Research Association and the OMV Group. The researchers claim that this solution aims at producing hydrogen using pH neutral water at room temperature and in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Original Source: CTBR Clean Technology Business Review, 24 Aug 2012 (Website: http://www.cleantechnology-business-review.com/) © CTBR 2012
OCTOBER 2012
ON
C ATA LY S T S
Researchers in US, Spain & Italy develop new catalyst for efficient combustion of methane Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Italy, and Spain have collaboratively developed a new catalyst for burning methane using a new method that relies on selfassembly of nanoparticles. The University of Trieste and Consortium INSTM, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation have funded this research. The research team found that the coreshell nanostructure performed 30 times better than any of the best methane combustion catalysts. Original Source: CTBR Clean Technology Business Review, 14 Aug 2012 (Website: http://www.cleantechnology-business-review.com/) © CTBR 2012
Multiple co-products needed to establish cellulosic ethanol industry Higher-value co-products like green coal and feed yeast are needed to make cellulosic ethanol a sustainable alternative. Research on coproducing complex plastics, polymers, and chemicals to make up for the high costs of fractionating and hydrolyzing lignocellulosic materials is ongoing. Australia’s Microbiogen Pty Ltd utilizes a population genetics method to selectively breed strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the ability to metabolize lignocellulosebased compounds into ethanol and yeast biomass. The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory assessed Microbiogen’s Feed and Fuel Biorefinery concept. Corn stover was processed at NREL’s Integrated Biorefinert plant in Golden, CO. The processed material was then sent to Microbiogen’s laboratories in Sydney, Australia, for pilot-scale trials. At the Sydney site, the six-carbon sugars were fermented into ethanol, and yeast biomass was aerobically generated from the xylose-abundant sillage. Essentially, the assessment found that the success of Microbiogen’s Feed and Fuel Biorefinery concept relies on the ability to sell the feed yeast as a valuable co-product. Original Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine, Jul 2012 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/) © BBI International 2012
PATENTS Nitric acid manufacture A modification of the established process which increases the yield and extends the catalyst life. A small concentration (5 to 500 ppm) of dimethyl disulfide is added continuously to the ammonia being oxidised. It appears not to poison the platinum catalyst, as one might have expected. US 8,263,036, Arkema France, Colombes, France, 11 Sep 2012
Compact catalytic reactor A microchannel reactor having two zones containing two different catalysts. There are many possible uses. In one example, one zone conducts the steam reforming of methane and the resulting gases undergo the Fischer-Tropsch process in the other zone. Thus methane is converted to hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight. US 8,262,754, CompactGTL plc, Abingdon, UK, 11 Sep 2012
Composite Fischer-Tropsch catalyst Cobalt is deposited on a zeolite support by turbulent mixing from a cobalt oxy-hydroxycarbonate solution. US 8,263,523, Chevron USA Inc, San Ramon, CA, USA, 11 Sep 2012
Manufacture of a zeotype membrane The zeotype is a small-pore silica templated by 1-adamanthanamine, known as DDR. It is deposited on to a porous support from the pregnant solution with DDR seeds. This membrane is not intended as a catalyst but such a system could probably produce a catalytic membrane. US 8,263,516, NGK Insulators Ltd, Nagoya, Japan, 11 Sep 2012
Carbon capture in fermentation A process for converting syngas, together with waste CO2 from fermentation, into fuels and useful chemicals. The gases are passed into a special column containing a suspension of proprietary microorganisms. Preferred micro-organisms are Clostridium species. A variety of
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