- Email: [email protected]
Catalytic aqueous phase reforming of biomass to produce bio-gasoline
F O C U S gas into mass market chemicals such as acrylic acid, butanediol and others commonly used in paints, coatings, textiles and diapers. The initiative is supported by a $5 M Department of Energy (DoE) grant as part of the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI), and a partnership with an industrial gas supplier. The resulting chemicals produced are existing chemical compounds, giving Novomer and its partners the ability to reach pilot scale (2000 tonne/y) in 2015, and full commercial scale in 2017. This, in turn, could result in the first US acrylic acid plant built in over 10 years. Notably, the process being developed by Novomer and the low cost of the feedstocks (waste - and large volume shale gas) could allow US providers to become global low-cost leaders in chemical intermediates and vastly reduce dependencies on crude oil markets. The cost savings could be as large as 20-40% compared with today’s technologies, but will depend on the ultimate performance of key techno-economic variables that will be determined as part of the DOE project. Original Source: Novomer, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Coatings and Inks Formulation, 7 Oct 2013, (Website: http://www.specialchem4coatings.com)
Eastman develops new MEG technology Eastman Chemical Co, in conjunction with Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd (JM Davy), has developed advanced proprietary technology for making ethylene glycol from syngas-based feed stocks. Ethylene glycol, commonly referred to as mono ethylene glycol (MEG), is a key industrial chemical and is also a building block in the production of polyesters for fibre and packaging applications. This new technology enables the production of MEG from a variety of raw materials, including coal, natural gas, or biomass and is based on new, proprietary catalysts and process design developed by Eastman and JM Davy. Unlike other recent syngas based processes, this new technology does not go through oxalate intermediates. Original Source: Eastman Chemical Co, PO Box 431, Kingsport, TN 37662, US, tel: +1 423 229 2000, fax: +1 423 229 2145, website: http://www.eastman.com (22 Oct 2013) © Eastman Chemical Company 2013
DECEMBER 2013
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Energy: brewing up a fuel Using yeast grown on waste wheat straw, researchers from the University of Bath have developed an oil that can be catalytically converted into a hydrocarbon fuel. At the IChemE meeting on Catalysis and Chemical Engineering in London in Jun 2013, the researchers reported that they used Metschnikowia pulcherrima, an extremophile yeast that allows conversion of depolymerized lignocelluloses material into lipids without requiring sterile environments. The generated yeast oil is a complex mixture of triacyl glycerols and up to 50 wt% sterols along with trace contaminants, which limit its application. The researchers dealt with the sterols by employing a catalytic cracking reaction that produces a hydrocarbon fuel similar to diesel in one step. The fuel can be mixed with diesel for automotive use or unblended in marine applications. Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London), Jul 2013, 77 (7), 7 (Website: http://www.soci.org/) © Society of Chemical Industry 2013
Bio-PX paves the way to green PET US-based Virent has developed the BioForming process, a catalystassisted process to convert sustainable and renewable bio-based feedstocks into paraxylene (PX). PX is commonly used for the production of PET packaging and polyester fibres and fabrics. The new method was derived from the company’s aqueous phase reforming technology and reformed conventional catalytic processing and reactor systems. Together with Coca-Cola and other companies, Virent developed PX under the product name BioFormPX. The deal with Coca-Cola, which has been in effect for two years, intends to provide opportunities for drink companies to utilize pure bio-based PET for its packaging standards by 2020. The technology can also perform hydrodeoxygenation to remove oxygen from carbohydrate molecule with the aid of external hydrogen. This would improve the yield of feedstocks and reduce carbon loss to CO2 from more than 30% to around 1-2%. The process is also time-efficient since it only takes 90 minutes to complete, a lower figure than the one or two days of
conventional batch fermentation. The US Department of Energy is partly providing financial assistance for Virent’s research work on feedstocks. Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 21-27 Oct 2013, 284 (12), (Website: http://www.icis.com) © Reed Business Information Limited 2013
PATENTS Because this is a Special Issue concentrating on lignocellulose, the patents have been selected in this area.
Ionic liquids swell biomass before treatment If biomass is treated with an ionic liquid initially, it swells and the structure is weakened so as to facilitate subsequent enzyme treatment. US 8,546,109, Suganit Systems Inc and University of Toledo, USA, 1 Oct 2013
Formic acid pre-treatment of biomass Treatment of biomass with aqueous formic acid at 95-110°C separates the constituents of lignocellulose so that they may be more easily hydrolysed and fermented. US 8,551,747, Compagnie Industrielle de la Matière Végétale CIMV, Levallois-Peret, France., 8 Oct 2013
Catalytic aqueous phase reforming of biomass to produce bio-gasoline The biomass is first hydrolysed by heating with aqueous maleic acid and then hydrogenated over a nickel catalyst supported on an aluminosilicate. US 8/562,697. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Guangzhou, China, 22 Oct 2013
Hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oils Bio-oils must be deoxygenated before they can be used as feeds for conventional oil refining to make liquid fuels. Hydrogenation over supported sulfide catalysts made from groups VIB to VIIIB metals (eg nickel/molybdenum phosphate on an alumina or other inorganic support) is effective. US 8,552,235, Merk Patents GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany, 8 Oct 2013
7
Eastman develops new MEG technology Eastman Chemical Co, in conjunction with Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd (JM Davy), has developed advanced proprietary technology for making ethylene glycol from syngas-based feed stocks. Ethylene glycol, commonly referred to as mono ethylene glycol (MEG), is a key industrial chemical and is also a building block in the production of polyesters for fibre and packaging applications. This new technology enables the production of MEG from a variety of raw materials, including coal, natural gas, or biomass and is based on new, proprietary catalysts and process design developed by Eastman and JM Davy. Unlike other recent syngas based processes, this new technology does not go through oxalate intermediates. Original Source: Eastman Chemical Co, PO Box 431, Kingsport, TN 37662, US, tel: +1 423 229 2000, fax: +1 423 229 2145, website: http://www.eastman.com (22 Oct 2013) © Eastman Chemical Company 2013
DECEMBER 2013
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Energy: brewing up a fuel Using yeast grown on waste wheat straw, researchers from the University of Bath have developed an oil that can be catalytically converted into a hydrocarbon fuel. At the IChemE meeting on Catalysis and Chemical Engineering in London in Jun 2013, the researchers reported that they used Metschnikowia pulcherrima, an extremophile yeast that allows conversion of depolymerized lignocelluloses material into lipids without requiring sterile environments. The generated yeast oil is a complex mixture of triacyl glycerols and up to 50 wt% sterols along with trace contaminants, which limit its application. The researchers dealt with the sterols by employing a catalytic cracking reaction that produces a hydrocarbon fuel similar to diesel in one step. The fuel can be mixed with diesel for automotive use or unblended in marine applications. Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London), Jul 2013, 77 (7), 7 (Website: http://www.soci.org/) © Society of Chemical Industry 2013
Bio-PX paves the way to green PET US-based Virent has developed the BioForming process, a catalystassisted process to convert sustainable and renewable bio-based feedstocks into paraxylene (PX). PX is commonly used for the production of PET packaging and polyester fibres and fabrics. The new method was derived from the company’s aqueous phase reforming technology and reformed conventional catalytic processing and reactor systems. Together with Coca-Cola and other companies, Virent developed PX under the product name BioFormPX. The deal with Coca-Cola, which has been in effect for two years, intends to provide opportunities for drink companies to utilize pure bio-based PET for its packaging standards by 2020. The technology can also perform hydrodeoxygenation to remove oxygen from carbohydrate molecule with the aid of external hydrogen. This would improve the yield of feedstocks and reduce carbon loss to CO2 from more than 30% to around 1-2%. The process is also time-efficient since it only takes 90 minutes to complete, a lower figure than the one or two days of
conventional batch fermentation. The US Department of Energy is partly providing financial assistance for Virent’s research work on feedstocks. Original Source: ICIS Chemical Business, 21-27 Oct 2013, 284 (12), (Website: http://www.icis.com) © Reed Business Information Limited 2013
PATENTS Because this is a Special Issue concentrating on lignocellulose, the patents have been selected in this area.
Ionic liquids swell biomass before treatment If biomass is treated with an ionic liquid initially, it swells and the structure is weakened so as to facilitate subsequent enzyme treatment. US 8,546,109, Suganit Systems Inc and University of Toledo, USA, 1 Oct 2013
Formic acid pre-treatment of biomass Treatment of biomass with aqueous formic acid at 95-110°C separates the constituents of lignocellulose so that they may be more easily hydrolysed and fermented. US 8,551,747, Compagnie Industrielle de la Matière Végétale CIMV, Levallois-Peret, France., 8 Oct 2013
Catalytic aqueous phase reforming of biomass to produce bio-gasoline The biomass is first hydrolysed by heating with aqueous maleic acid and then hydrogenated over a nickel catalyst supported on an aluminosilicate. US 8/562,697. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Guangzhou, China, 22 Oct 2013
Hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oils Bio-oils must be deoxygenated before they can be used as feeds for conventional oil refining to make liquid fuels. Hydrogenation over supported sulfide catalysts made from groups VIB to VIIIB metals (eg nickel/molybdenum phosphate on an alumina or other inorganic support) is effective. US 8,552,235, Merk Patents GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany, 8 Oct 2013
7