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UPM to build the world's first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel
FOCUS solutions, which produce the highquality feedstocks needed for lubricant production. NRL operates three refineries and a petrochemicals plant in Pakistan, including the only lube production plant in the region, and processes almost 2.5 M tonne/y of crude. Press release from: Honeywell International Inc, 101 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ, USA, tel: +1 973 4552000, fax: +1 973 455 4807, website:http://www.honeywell.com (26 Jan 2012)
UPM to build the world’s first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel UPM-Kymmene Corp, Finland, is to construct the first ever second generation hydrotreatment biorefinery at Lappeenranta, Finland, for the production of biodiesel from crude tall oil. The plant will turn out around 100,000 tonne/y product, which will be used for transportation purposes. It will cost about €150 M and should be completed in 2014. The plant will employ nearly 50 workers and will create another 150 jobs indirectly. A 7% annual growth in biofuels demand is forecast for the EU, which is aiming to increase the contribution of biofuels to overall transport fuels consumption to 10% by 2020. Finland is targeting a figure of 20% and expects to obtain around 25% of its biofuels from the UPM plant. Crude tall oil is a residue from the production of sulfate cellulose from softwood and a large part of this raw material will come from UPM’s Finnish pulp mills. The company is already planning a woodbased biorefinery, which will be built at Rauma, Finland, or Strasbourg, France. Original Source: Dagens Industri, 1 Feb 2012 (Website: http://di.se) (in Swedish) © di.se 2012
NEW TECHNOLOGY Bangalore firm and Novozymes to make biofuel from seaweed Global biotech major Novozymes has tied up with the Bangalore, Indiabased biotech start-up Sea6 Energy to conduct research and joint development of a process to produce
MARCH 2012
ON
C ATA LY S T S
biofuels from seaweed. The alliance will develop and utilise enzymes to convert seaweed carbohydrates to produce ethanol for fuel, fine chemicals, and fertilizers. Novozymes will provide R&D and will manufacture enzymes for the conversion process while the Bangalore firm will provide its offshore seaweed cultivation technology. The cost of the project will be borne on a 50:50 basis. Original Source: Business Line (India), 1 Feb 2012, 19 (32), 25 (Website: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com) © The Hindu Business Line 2012. Press release from: Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark, tel: +45 4446 0000, fax: +45 4446 9999, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://www.novozymes.com (31 Jan 2012)
New biodiesel catalyst results in nonalkaline glycerol by-product A non-alkaline catalyst comprised of a specially treated calcium oxide derived from inexpensive limestone has been jointly developed by Sebec Co, Doshisha University, and Maeda Road Construction for application in biodiesel fuel production with nonalkaline glycerol by-product that could be used as fuel. The new catalyst does not dissolve in methanol and is largely contained in the glycerol byproduct. The material was tested by Maeda, which produced a bituminous mixture using the glycerol byproduct as a substitute to heavy fuel oil A, on a trial basis, at its facilities in Miyagi Prefecture and other sites. The company validated that the fuel alternative could be commercially viable, as no problems were encountered at a plant that had been adjusted for the glycerol. The catalyst is being applied at Sebec’s Eosys biodiesel refining plants. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 19 Jan 2012 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2012
PATENTS Microchannel reactors for ODH Microchannel reactors containing mixed metal oxide catalysts made from Mo, V, and Mg oxides are used for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons to yield light olefins and for making styrene from ethylbenzene. US 8,106,249, Velocys, Plain City, OH, USA. 31 Jan 2012
Production of cyclohexyl benzene from benzene, and of phenol and cyclohexanone from it The catalyst is a complex composite of a zeolite, an inorganic oxide, and a hydrogenation metal. US 8,106,243, Exxon Mobil Chemical Patents Inc, Houston, TX, USA, 31 Jan 2012
Production of core-shell nanoparticles on carbon supports The core nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol and mixed with salts of the catalyst metals (such as Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt), and reduced by heating with hydroquinone. The products are useful in making fuel cells for vehicles. US 8,110,521, Hyundai Motor Co and SNU R&DFB Foundation, Seoul, South Korea, 7 Feb 2012
Catalyst for converting acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone The catalyst is a composite of a platinum metal on nano zinc oxide on activated charcoal. The process is a one-step gas-phase condensation. US 8,110,708, KACST, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 7 Feb 2012
Graphene-based catalyst shows promise for fuel cells
Synthesis of PtCo nanoparticles
MIT scientists, doing part of their work on beamline X11 at the National Synchrotron Light Source, have made a promising graphene-based catalyst to improve fuel cells.
PtCo alloys are useful for reducing the quantities of Pt in catalysts for fuel cells for vehicles. These nanoparticulate alloys are made in controlled particle sizes in a complex multi-stage process.
Original Source: Nanotechnology Now, 3 Jan 2012 (Website: http://www.nanotechnow.com/news.cgi?story+AF8-id+AD0-44195) © 7thWave Inc 2012
US 8,110,021, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Tokyo, and the State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA, 7 Feb 2012
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UPM to build the world’s first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel UPM-Kymmene Corp, Finland, is to construct the first ever second generation hydrotreatment biorefinery at Lappeenranta, Finland, for the production of biodiesel from crude tall oil. The plant will turn out around 100,000 tonne/y product, which will be used for transportation purposes. It will cost about €150 M and should be completed in 2014. The plant will employ nearly 50 workers and will create another 150 jobs indirectly. A 7% annual growth in biofuels demand is forecast for the EU, which is aiming to increase the contribution of biofuels to overall transport fuels consumption to 10% by 2020. Finland is targeting a figure of 20% and expects to obtain around 25% of its biofuels from the UPM plant. Crude tall oil is a residue from the production of sulfate cellulose from softwood and a large part of this raw material will come from UPM’s Finnish pulp mills. The company is already planning a woodbased biorefinery, which will be built at Rauma, Finland, or Strasbourg, France. Original Source: Dagens Industri, 1 Feb 2012 (Website: http://di.se) (in Swedish) © di.se 2012
NEW TECHNOLOGY Bangalore firm and Novozymes to make biofuel from seaweed Global biotech major Novozymes has tied up with the Bangalore, Indiabased biotech start-up Sea6 Energy to conduct research and joint development of a process to produce
MARCH 2012
ON
C ATA LY S T S
biofuels from seaweed. The alliance will develop and utilise enzymes to convert seaweed carbohydrates to produce ethanol for fuel, fine chemicals, and fertilizers. Novozymes will provide R&D and will manufacture enzymes for the conversion process while the Bangalore firm will provide its offshore seaweed cultivation technology. The cost of the project will be borne on a 50:50 basis. Original Source: Business Line (India), 1 Feb 2012, 19 (32), 25 (Website: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com) © The Hindu Business Line 2012. Press release from: Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark, tel: +45 4446 0000, fax: +45 4446 9999, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://www.novozymes.com (31 Jan 2012)
New biodiesel catalyst results in nonalkaline glycerol by-product A non-alkaline catalyst comprised of a specially treated calcium oxide derived from inexpensive limestone has been jointly developed by Sebec Co, Doshisha University, and Maeda Road Construction for application in biodiesel fuel production with nonalkaline glycerol by-product that could be used as fuel. The new catalyst does not dissolve in methanol and is largely contained in the glycerol byproduct. The material was tested by Maeda, which produced a bituminous mixture using the glycerol byproduct as a substitute to heavy fuel oil A, on a trial basis, at its facilities in Miyagi Prefecture and other sites. The company validated that the fuel alternative could be commercially viable, as no problems were encountered at a plant that had been adjusted for the glycerol. The catalyst is being applied at Sebec’s Eosys biodiesel refining plants. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 19 Jan 2012 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2012
PATENTS Microchannel reactors for ODH Microchannel reactors containing mixed metal oxide catalysts made from Mo, V, and Mg oxides are used for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons to yield light olefins and for making styrene from ethylbenzene. US 8,106,249, Velocys, Plain City, OH, USA. 31 Jan 2012
Production of cyclohexyl benzene from benzene, and of phenol and cyclohexanone from it The catalyst is a complex composite of a zeolite, an inorganic oxide, and a hydrogenation metal. US 8,106,243, Exxon Mobil Chemical Patents Inc, Houston, TX, USA, 31 Jan 2012
Production of core-shell nanoparticles on carbon supports The core nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol and mixed with salts of the catalyst metals (such as Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt), and reduced by heating with hydroquinone. The products are useful in making fuel cells for vehicles. US 8,110,521, Hyundai Motor Co and SNU R&DFB Foundation, Seoul, South Korea, 7 Feb 2012
Catalyst for converting acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone The catalyst is a composite of a platinum metal on nano zinc oxide on activated charcoal. The process is a one-step gas-phase condensation. US 8,110,708, KACST, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 7 Feb 2012
Graphene-based catalyst shows promise for fuel cells
Synthesis of PtCo nanoparticles
MIT scientists, doing part of their work on beamline X11 at the National Synchrotron Light Source, have made a promising graphene-based catalyst to improve fuel cells.
PtCo alloys are useful for reducing the quantities of Pt in catalysts for fuel cells for vehicles. These nanoparticulate alloys are made in controlled particle sizes in a complex multi-stage process.
Original Source: Nanotechnology Now, 3 Jan 2012 (Website: http://www.nanotechnow.com/news.cgi?story+AF8-id+AD0-44195) © 7thWave Inc 2012
US 8,110,021, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Tokyo, and the State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA, 7 Feb 2012
7