- Email: [email protected]
Photocatalytic coating material is antifouling in dim lighting
F O C U S amounts to around 400,000 tonne/y of which it is estimated one third can be used to manufacture around 100,000 klitre/y of FAMEs which are a major component of biodiesel.
O N
C ATA LY S T S
expects the enzyme to be broadly available in the market in 3Q 2009. Net Posten, 9 Jan 2009 (Website: http://www.netposten.dk/)(in Danish)
building materials. The titanium dioxide particles are coated with a material which protects the paint resin from photodecomposition. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Dec 08-Jan 09, 810, 12
Japan Chemical Week, 1 Jan 2009, 50 (2496), 1,11
Platinum-free electrode unveiled for dye-sensitized solar cells On the road to green gasoline A number of new technologies have emerged for converting plant sugars (carbohydrates) into conventional liquid transportation fuels (hydrocarbons). US firm Virent Energy Systems has developed an integrated sugar-to-liquid fuels process for the production of gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, and other chemicals. BioForming involves pre-treatment of the soluble carbohydrate by hydrogenation over a ruthenium catalyst supported on carbon (Run/C) to form intermediate sugar alcohols (polyalcohols), followed by an aqueous-phase reforming step over a platinumrhenium catalyst supported on carbon (Pt-Re/C) to form H2, CO2, C1-C4 alkanes (methane to butane), as well as a collection of alcohols, ketones and other cyclic compounds. Virent’s pilot operations currently use processed cane sugar such as sucrose and glucose. The process will eventually be able to produce fuel from raw biomass. Meanwhile, Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT), developed by Colorado, USAbased firm Gevo, is a 2-methylpropanol production process that uses a genetically engineered microbe. At present, the company is operating a 10,000 gallon/y pilot plant for 2methypropanol, more popularly known as isobutanol, using the technology. Chemical and Engineering News, 17 Nov 2008, 86 (46), 57-61
New washing product enzyme from Novozymes Novozymes has developed a new washing product enzyme which is intended as a replacement for surface-active petrochemical substances and is investing in a widespread launch later in 2009. Novozymes has major expectations of the new enzyme which will allow a substantial increase in the enzyme content of washing products. It
FEBRUARY 2009
Japan Carlit has come up with a lowcost, platinum-free positive electrode for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. The new electrode avoids the use of the expensive platinum catalyst, a material used in coating the substrate of conventional electrodes, while still showing nearly the same photovoltaic conversion efficiency as the conventional electrodes. A key feature of the electrode is Japan Carlit’s composite of an iron-based electroconductive material and a polyaniline catalyst. The composite is used to coat the metallic substrate. It also protects the substrate from corrosion by the iodine-containing electrolytes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Japan Chemical Week, 20 Nov 2008, 49 (2491), 3
ENVIRONMENT Photocatalytic coating material is antifouling in dim lighting Atomix Co is planning an aggressive market-development effort for its new material for photocatalytic coatings for use on apartment buildings and houses. The coatings feature good antifouling efficacy even when applied on walls that are not exposed to direct sunlight. Atomix combined a conventional photocatalyst and its hydrophilic, inorganic binder to make the novel coating material. It can be used to make single- or twocomponent, weak-solvent-based coatings for use on various surfaces, including organic and inorganic surfaces. Japan Chemical Week, 20 Nov 2008, 49 (2491), 2
Sigapore licenses improved selfcleaning coating The Singapore A*Agency for Science, Technology and Research has licensed its technology to Haruna, a Singaporean supplier of paints and
PATENTS Improved epoxidation catalysts Inclusion of zinc oxide in an epoxidation catalyst formulation (eg including a titanium or vanadium zeolite and a binder) reduces the amounts of by-product glycols and glycol ethers formed. US 7,476,770, Lyondell Chemical Technologies LP, Greeenville, DE, USA, 13 Jan 2009
Production of acetic acid from methanol In continuous carbonylation processes for making acetic acid from methanol and carbon monoxide, catalysed by rhodium compounds, the catalyst retains its activity better if water is continuously withdrawn from the system. US 7,476,761, Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd, Osaka, Japan, 13 Jan 2009
Deep catalytic cracking It is better for the cracking to be conducted in two stages, the first having a high space velocity and the second a low space velocity. This is achieved by dividing the reactor into two sections having different diameters. US 7,479,218, Stone and Webster Process Technology, Inc, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Jan 2009
Catalyst particles for aromatic alkylations Solid acid alkylation catalyst particles tend to deactivate by deposition of carbon and heavy organic molecules on their surfaces. This can be minimised by maintaining a liquid phase within the catalyst pores in order that the reacting vapours do not contact them. US 7,476,637, Catalytic Distillation Technologies, Pasadena, TX, USA, 13 Jan 2009
7
O N
C ATA LY S T S
expects the enzyme to be broadly available in the market in 3Q 2009. Net Posten, 9 Jan 2009 (Website: http://www.netposten.dk/)(in Danish)
building materials. The titanium dioxide particles are coated with a material which protects the paint resin from photodecomposition. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Dec 08-Jan 09, 810, 12
Japan Chemical Week, 1 Jan 2009, 50 (2496), 1,11
Platinum-free electrode unveiled for dye-sensitized solar cells On the road to green gasoline A number of new technologies have emerged for converting plant sugars (carbohydrates) into conventional liquid transportation fuels (hydrocarbons). US firm Virent Energy Systems has developed an integrated sugar-to-liquid fuels process for the production of gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, and other chemicals. BioForming involves pre-treatment of the soluble carbohydrate by hydrogenation over a ruthenium catalyst supported on carbon (Run/C) to form intermediate sugar alcohols (polyalcohols), followed by an aqueous-phase reforming step over a platinumrhenium catalyst supported on carbon (Pt-Re/C) to form H2, CO2, C1-C4 alkanes (methane to butane), as well as a collection of alcohols, ketones and other cyclic compounds. Virent’s pilot operations currently use processed cane sugar such as sucrose and glucose. The process will eventually be able to produce fuel from raw biomass. Meanwhile, Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT), developed by Colorado, USAbased firm Gevo, is a 2-methylpropanol production process that uses a genetically engineered microbe. At present, the company is operating a 10,000 gallon/y pilot plant for 2methypropanol, more popularly known as isobutanol, using the technology. Chemical and Engineering News, 17 Nov 2008, 86 (46), 57-61
New washing product enzyme from Novozymes Novozymes has developed a new washing product enzyme which is intended as a replacement for surface-active petrochemical substances and is investing in a widespread launch later in 2009. Novozymes has major expectations of the new enzyme which will allow a substantial increase in the enzyme content of washing products. It
FEBRUARY 2009
Japan Carlit has come up with a lowcost, platinum-free positive electrode for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. The new electrode avoids the use of the expensive platinum catalyst, a material used in coating the substrate of conventional electrodes, while still showing nearly the same photovoltaic conversion efficiency as the conventional electrodes. A key feature of the electrode is Japan Carlit’s composite of an iron-based electroconductive material and a polyaniline catalyst. The composite is used to coat the metallic substrate. It also protects the substrate from corrosion by the iodine-containing electrolytes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Japan Chemical Week, 20 Nov 2008, 49 (2491), 3
ENVIRONMENT Photocatalytic coating material is antifouling in dim lighting Atomix Co is planning an aggressive market-development effort for its new material for photocatalytic coatings for use on apartment buildings and houses. The coatings feature good antifouling efficacy even when applied on walls that are not exposed to direct sunlight. Atomix combined a conventional photocatalyst and its hydrophilic, inorganic binder to make the novel coating material. It can be used to make single- or twocomponent, weak-solvent-based coatings for use on various surfaces, including organic and inorganic surfaces. Japan Chemical Week, 20 Nov 2008, 49 (2491), 2
Sigapore licenses improved selfcleaning coating The Singapore A*Agency for Science, Technology and Research has licensed its technology to Haruna, a Singaporean supplier of paints and
PATENTS Improved epoxidation catalysts Inclusion of zinc oxide in an epoxidation catalyst formulation (eg including a titanium or vanadium zeolite and a binder) reduces the amounts of by-product glycols and glycol ethers formed. US 7,476,770, Lyondell Chemical Technologies LP, Greeenville, DE, USA, 13 Jan 2009
Production of acetic acid from methanol In continuous carbonylation processes for making acetic acid from methanol and carbon monoxide, catalysed by rhodium compounds, the catalyst retains its activity better if water is continuously withdrawn from the system. US 7,476,761, Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd, Osaka, Japan, 13 Jan 2009
Deep catalytic cracking It is better for the cracking to be conducted in two stages, the first having a high space velocity and the second a low space velocity. This is achieved by dividing the reactor into two sections having different diameters. US 7,479,218, Stone and Webster Process Technology, Inc, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Jan 2009
Catalyst particles for aromatic alkylations Solid acid alkylation catalyst particles tend to deactivate by deposition of carbon and heavy organic molecules on their surfaces. This can be minimised by maintaining a liquid phase within the catalyst pores in order that the reacting vapours do not contact them. US 7,476,637, Catalytic Distillation Technologies, Pasadena, TX, USA, 13 Jan 2009
7