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IYC – International Year of Catalysis!
FOCUS ON C A T A L Y S T S A MONTHLY REPORT FROM ALAN E COMYNS APRIL 2011
IYC – INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CATALYSIS!
In this issue
MARKETS AND BUSINESS
1-2
Biofuels use enzyme technology
COMPANY NEWS
2-6
Abengoa leads in lignocellulosic ethanol Clariant acquires Süd-Chemie JM interim results good Myriant and Davy to collaborate on C4s
NEW PLANTS
6
Large DME plant for Korea
NEW TECHNOLOGY
6-7
Soild acid catalyst for biodiesel
ENVIRONMENT
7
Biofuels from trash
PATENTS
AN INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER MONITORING TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND USE OF CATALYSTS ISSN 1351–4180
7-8
BOOKSHELF
8
EVENTS
8
Most of the readers of this Newsletter are chemists, or are interested in the chemical industry, so most of them will be aware that 2011 has been declared, by IUPAC and UNESCO, as the International Year of Chemistry. In the UK the proceedings were opened in the Palace of Westminster on 24th January 2011 and may still be viewed on the website of the Royal Society of Chemistry1, together with some striking lecture demonstrations which followed this event2. Because of the key importance of catalysis in chemistry, this year could also have been called the International Year of Catalysis. Society desperately needs catalysis to rescue it from the thrall of petroleum, to reduce global warming, and to continue to receive the technological advances to which it has become accustomed. Society does not need so desperately to identify and understand the fundamental particles from which everything is supposedly made, nor to engineer on earth the thermonuclear processes which are believed to occur in the sun; and yet the international and national grant-giving agencies continue to act as if it did. The illogical imbalance between the funding of ‘fundamental’ science (which is inordinately expensive) and applied science (which is relatively cheap) continues to bedevil discussions of international and national science budgets. When future archaeologists discover that gigantic toroidal hole in the ground between France and Switzerland, built to attempt to answer an essentially philosophical question (what are we
made of?), they will be reminded of Silbury Hill, in the South of England, probably built for a religious purpose, and of the pyramids of Egypt, built to provide immortality for its kings. IYC should provide a stimulus for politicians and grant-giving agencies to reconsider their priorities. Alan E. Comyns 1 Website: http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/ Parliament/Events/iyc-launch/asp 2 Website: http://www.rsc.org/Chemsoc/Activities/iyc/index/asp
MARKETS AND BUSINESS Biofuel speeds ahead with enzyme technology New advances in the use of enzymes in biofuels, particularly in cellulosic ethanol production, have enabled the biofuel industry to keep its innovative edge. Cellulosic ethanol shows enormous potential, in terms of both output volumes and environmental savings – allowing for up to 90% of carbon dioxide emissions reduction compared with petroleum-based fuels. In the USA, federal regulations compelling 16 bn gallons of cellulosic ethanol use by 2022 reflect such wellrecognized potential of this advanced biofuel. A broad variety of low-cost, readily available feedstocks, such as sugarcane bagasse and municipal
CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS
IYC – INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CATALYSIS!
In this issue
MARKETS AND BUSINESS
1-2
Biofuels use enzyme technology
COMPANY NEWS
2-6
Abengoa leads in lignocellulosic ethanol Clariant acquires Süd-Chemie JM interim results good Myriant and Davy to collaborate on C4s
NEW PLANTS
6
Large DME plant for Korea
NEW TECHNOLOGY
6-7
Soild acid catalyst for biodiesel
ENVIRONMENT
7
Biofuels from trash
PATENTS
AN INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER MONITORING TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND USE OF CATALYSTS ISSN 1351–4180
7-8
BOOKSHELF
8
EVENTS
8
Most of the readers of this Newsletter are chemists, or are interested in the chemical industry, so most of them will be aware that 2011 has been declared, by IUPAC and UNESCO, as the International Year of Chemistry. In the UK the proceedings were opened in the Palace of Westminster on 24th January 2011 and may still be viewed on the website of the Royal Society of Chemistry1, together with some striking lecture demonstrations which followed this event2. Because of the key importance of catalysis in chemistry, this year could also have been called the International Year of Catalysis. Society desperately needs catalysis to rescue it from the thrall of petroleum, to reduce global warming, and to continue to receive the technological advances to which it has become accustomed. Society does not need so desperately to identify and understand the fundamental particles from which everything is supposedly made, nor to engineer on earth the thermonuclear processes which are believed to occur in the sun; and yet the international and national grant-giving agencies continue to act as if it did. The illogical imbalance between the funding of ‘fundamental’ science (which is inordinately expensive) and applied science (which is relatively cheap) continues to bedevil discussions of international and national science budgets. When future archaeologists discover that gigantic toroidal hole in the ground between France and Switzerland, built to attempt to answer an essentially philosophical question (what are we
made of?), they will be reminded of Silbury Hill, in the South of England, probably built for a religious purpose, and of the pyramids of Egypt, built to provide immortality for its kings. IYC should provide a stimulus for politicians and grant-giving agencies to reconsider their priorities. Alan E. Comyns 1 Website: http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/ Parliament/Events/iyc-launch/asp 2 Website: http://www.rsc.org/Chemsoc/Activities/iyc/index/asp
MARKETS AND BUSINESS Biofuel speeds ahead with enzyme technology New advances in the use of enzymes in biofuels, particularly in cellulosic ethanol production, have enabled the biofuel industry to keep its innovative edge. Cellulosic ethanol shows enormous potential, in terms of both output volumes and environmental savings – allowing for up to 90% of carbon dioxide emissions reduction compared with petroleum-based fuels. In the USA, federal regulations compelling 16 bn gallons of cellulosic ethanol use by 2022 reflect such wellrecognized potential of this advanced biofuel. A broad variety of low-cost, readily available feedstocks, such as sugarcane bagasse and municipal
CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS