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Cellulose to sorbitol
FOCUS hydrogenation catalysts that will be used for its six commercial late-stage drugs. Active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates may be manufactured cost-effectively through the use of asymmetric chemocatalysis technologies. Chemical Week, 25 Oct 2006 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
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Cellulose to sorbitol The catalysis research centre of Hokkaido University has developed a catalyst that converts cellulose to sugar alcohols, principally sorbitol, in water under ambient conditions. The catalyst is Pt or Ru on alumina and a zeolite.
catalyst in Apr 2006 at one of its plants with plans to employ it at other facilities depending on commercial results. Symyx will obtain milestone payments upon initial commercialization, as well as royalties from vinyl acetate production with application in a second plant. Chemical Business (India), Aug 2006, 20 (8), 75
Japan Chemical Week, 5 Oct 2006, 47 (2386), 2
Statoil makes diesel from natural gas Statoil has successfully demonstrated a new patented technology which can convert natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons, mainly diesel and naphtha. This is a breakthrough for the Norwegian company and the GTL (gas-to-liquids) technology of its partners Petro SA, S Africa, and Lurgi, Germany. Dagens Naeringsliv, 11 Oct 2006 (Website: http://www.dn.no) (in Norwegian)
New biodiesel factory to produce intermediates for polyester resins Maleic anhydride intermediates for producing polyester resins and watersoluble polymers and lubricants are to be manufactured at a new modern biodiesel plant in Belgium. Starting in the autumn of 2006, Neochim SA will produce biodiesel in a new plant at BASF’s Feluy site in Belgium, using steam from the waste heat generated by the production of maleic anhydride. Biomass Initiative, 10 Oct 2006 (US Dept of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Website: http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Double metal cyanides for biofuels Double metal cyanides, which have open structures like zeolites, have hitherto been used to catalyse the production of polyether polyols and epoxides. It has now been found, by workers at the National Chemical Laboratory, India, that they can also be used to catalyse esterification and transesterification as in the manufacture of biodiesel and biolubricants. Applied Catalysis A: General, 9 Nov 2006, 314 (2), 148-159
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Large-pore zeotype Large-pore zeotypes tend to be hydrothermally unstable. Workers at the Instituto de Technologia Quimica in Valencia have now made a very stable silico-germanate zeotype, called ITQ-33, which they hope will make a useful industrial catalyst. It has wide (12 A) channels, interconnected by narrower channels. But they warn that “cost reductions and other improvements are needed to make the catalyst practical”. Chemical and Engineering News, 23 Oct 2006, 84 (43), 13 & Nature, 19 Oct 2006, 443 (7113), 842
A swell idea to brighten your wardrobe: Genencor International Researchers at the Southern Illinois University have developed a gelbased material that releases enzymes as needed in the wash cycle. The formulation, which stabilizes enzymes, may extend the useful life of laundry detergents. Genencor International has collaborated with university researchers to develop the technology, focusing on finding ways to release the encapsulated enzymes into the wash cycle. Study showed that a mere 1% of the enzyme seeped out of the beads in storage. Chemical Engineering Progress, Sep 2006, 102 (9), 10
Cracking oil from the bottom of the barrel: Mobilestream Oil Inc US company Mobilestream Oil Inc disclosed that it has gasified residual oil to a record rate of 95-99%. The oil by-products produced by the company through its new gas spectrograph plant will undergo further testing to verify the results. Mobilestream intends to secure a licensing contract to commercialize the technology. Two US petrochemical firms are expected to conduct further study on the process. Mobilestream’s new technology can be used to process oil residuals, which currently stand at 1 M bbl/day. Residuals are oil that cannot be economically converted into useable fuels. Crude consumption in the USA currently totals 21 M bbl/day. Chemical Engineering Progress, Sep 2006, 102 (9), 10
Celanese begins commercial use of Symyx – discovered catalyst for making vinyl acetate Symyx Technologies Inc has discovered a new catalyst under a joint research project with Celanese. The new catalyst can lower the production costs of vinyl acetate. Celanese will initially utilize the
KTN Award for Innovation in applied catalysis and colloid science: efficient hydronaphthalenes Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a process that simplifies the access to hydronaphthalenes, one of the pharmaceutical intermediates that can be tedious to produce. The new approach utilizes rhodium catalysts and a chiral phosphine ligand developed by Solvias. The chiral phosphine ligand permits the asymmetric ring opening of a heterobicyclic compound containing elevated enantiomeric surplus of ringopened material. It also offers atom efficiency, reduced or absence of solvent utilization, and low catalyst loadings. Solvias acquired the license to the new approach in 2004, and plans to commercialize a kit containing 10-20 substituted hydronaphthalenes by the end of 2006. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Oct 2006, (784), 58
New catalyst shrinks size of hydrogen generators Air Water Inc has come up with ultracompact generators using a new
DECEMBER 2006
ON
C ATA LY S T S
Cellulose to sorbitol The catalysis research centre of Hokkaido University has developed a catalyst that converts cellulose to sugar alcohols, principally sorbitol, in water under ambient conditions. The catalyst is Pt or Ru on alumina and a zeolite.
catalyst in Apr 2006 at one of its plants with plans to employ it at other facilities depending on commercial results. Symyx will obtain milestone payments upon initial commercialization, as well as royalties from vinyl acetate production with application in a second plant. Chemical Business (India), Aug 2006, 20 (8), 75
Japan Chemical Week, 5 Oct 2006, 47 (2386), 2
Statoil makes diesel from natural gas Statoil has successfully demonstrated a new patented technology which can convert natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons, mainly diesel and naphtha. This is a breakthrough for the Norwegian company and the GTL (gas-to-liquids) technology of its partners Petro SA, S Africa, and Lurgi, Germany. Dagens Naeringsliv, 11 Oct 2006 (Website: http://www.dn.no) (in Norwegian)
New biodiesel factory to produce intermediates for polyester resins Maleic anhydride intermediates for producing polyester resins and watersoluble polymers and lubricants are to be manufactured at a new modern biodiesel plant in Belgium. Starting in the autumn of 2006, Neochim SA will produce biodiesel in a new plant at BASF’s Feluy site in Belgium, using steam from the waste heat generated by the production of maleic anhydride. Biomass Initiative, 10 Oct 2006 (US Dept of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Website: http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Double metal cyanides for biofuels Double metal cyanides, which have open structures like zeolites, have hitherto been used to catalyse the production of polyether polyols and epoxides. It has now been found, by workers at the National Chemical Laboratory, India, that they can also be used to catalyse esterification and transesterification as in the manufacture of biodiesel and biolubricants. Applied Catalysis A: General, 9 Nov 2006, 314 (2), 148-159
6
Large-pore zeotype Large-pore zeotypes tend to be hydrothermally unstable. Workers at the Instituto de Technologia Quimica in Valencia have now made a very stable silico-germanate zeotype, called ITQ-33, which they hope will make a useful industrial catalyst. It has wide (12 A) channels, interconnected by narrower channels. But they warn that “cost reductions and other improvements are needed to make the catalyst practical”. Chemical and Engineering News, 23 Oct 2006, 84 (43), 13 & Nature, 19 Oct 2006, 443 (7113), 842
A swell idea to brighten your wardrobe: Genencor International Researchers at the Southern Illinois University have developed a gelbased material that releases enzymes as needed in the wash cycle. The formulation, which stabilizes enzymes, may extend the useful life of laundry detergents. Genencor International has collaborated with university researchers to develop the technology, focusing on finding ways to release the encapsulated enzymes into the wash cycle. Study showed that a mere 1% of the enzyme seeped out of the beads in storage. Chemical Engineering Progress, Sep 2006, 102 (9), 10
Cracking oil from the bottom of the barrel: Mobilestream Oil Inc US company Mobilestream Oil Inc disclosed that it has gasified residual oil to a record rate of 95-99%. The oil by-products produced by the company through its new gas spectrograph plant will undergo further testing to verify the results. Mobilestream intends to secure a licensing contract to commercialize the technology. Two US petrochemical firms are expected to conduct further study on the process. Mobilestream’s new technology can be used to process oil residuals, which currently stand at 1 M bbl/day. Residuals are oil that cannot be economically converted into useable fuels. Crude consumption in the USA currently totals 21 M bbl/day. Chemical Engineering Progress, Sep 2006, 102 (9), 10
Celanese begins commercial use of Symyx – discovered catalyst for making vinyl acetate Symyx Technologies Inc has discovered a new catalyst under a joint research project with Celanese. The new catalyst can lower the production costs of vinyl acetate. Celanese will initially utilize the
KTN Award for Innovation in applied catalysis and colloid science: efficient hydronaphthalenes Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a process that simplifies the access to hydronaphthalenes, one of the pharmaceutical intermediates that can be tedious to produce. The new approach utilizes rhodium catalysts and a chiral phosphine ligand developed by Solvias. The chiral phosphine ligand permits the asymmetric ring opening of a heterobicyclic compound containing elevated enantiomeric surplus of ringopened material. It also offers atom efficiency, reduced or absence of solvent utilization, and low catalyst loadings. Solvias acquired the license to the new approach in 2004, and plans to commercialize a kit containing 10-20 substituted hydronaphthalenes by the end of 2006. TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Oct 2006, (784), 58
New catalyst shrinks size of hydrogen generators Air Water Inc has come up with ultracompact generators using a new
DECEMBER 2006