Cold-start hydrocarbon emissions in cars

N5

A Cheaper Way to Recycle Batteries

Indications of a New Process for Butanediol Production.

Sulzer Chemtech Ltd. (Wintenhur, SwitA report in Chemtech indicates that BP

zerland) have announced

a new method,

and Lurgi OL-Gas Chemie are working on

called the Debatox process, for recycling

a new conversion process called Geminox

consumer

for butanediol

These include the zinc-carbon

produce

production

tetrahydrofuran

dride. Conventional

which can coor maleic anhy-

technology

to buta-

batteries that contain mercury.

manganese

and alkali-

batteries, and the new pro-

cess reduces costs by about 25% using a

butane into maleic

new rotary kiln system. Sulzer has pro-

anhydride and then reduces it back to the

cessed about 600 kg of batteries in a 40-

nediol either converts

dial or adds formaldehyde

to acetylene

and reduces and intermediate

butynediol

[Chem. Mark, Rep. 1995, 248 (4) 3, 141.

kg/h pilot unit and plans to start up a 5000m.t./yr commercial

plant by the end of

1997. In the new process,

batteries

are

shredded, then incinerated. Carbon, plas-

Source: Chemtech April 1996

tics and paper are burned and the 650°C Cold-start Hydrocarbon

offgas is cleaned in acyclone, then passed

Emissions in

through an afterburner to destroy dioxins

Cars

and other noxious substances. Mercury is volatilized

Corning

Inc. (Corning,

N.Y.) have re-

leased details of their zeolite based absorber for the control

in a down-

to below 1 ppm in the solids, The solids

during

contain 20-40% Zn, 16-30% Mn, and lo-

vehicle warm-up. Their system reduces hy-

30% Fe, which can be recycled by stand-

drocarbon

emissions

of emissions

and condensed

stream wet scrubber, reducing residual Hg

in vehicles

by as

ard smelters. The total processing cost is

much as 88% below the current Federal

expected

standard

teries.

during

underbody

startup.

Their ‘passive

main adsorber’ (PUMA) com-

prises a zeolite series between way catalytic hydrocarbons are trapped

adsorber

positioned

two conventional

convertors.

in

Source: Chemical

of bat-

Engineering

/ April

1996

three-

During startup,

in the cold exhaust gases in the adsorber.

to be $500-$600/m.t.

They are

Business News from Focus on Catalysts

desorbed when the gases approach 275°C and are oxidized by the second convener.

Petrochemical

In tests the system

(RC-200) The estimated US merchant total sales

methane

hydrocarbon

has achieved emissions

non-

of 0.03

and Chemical Catalysts

gimi, below the California ultra-low vehicle

in 1995, of petrochemical

standard

about $1.5 bn, with a forecast market to

of 0.04 g/mi slated to go into

effect in 1997 and emissions changed

were un-

after running for 100,000 miles.

The company expects PUMA to be available commercially in 2000. Source:

Chemical

Engineering

/ April

1996 applied catalysis B: environmental

catalysts was

exceed $1.8 bn by 2000, resulting in an average

annual growth

rate (AAGR) of

3.9%. The chemical catalyst market is made up of segments of the chemical business and catalyst markets including drogenation,

hy-

in which base metals pre-

Volume 9 No. l-4 -

2 September

1996