- Email: [email protected]
Methanol and ethanol to gasoline
"CO-H2 Catalysis" and "Experimental Techniques". The Pittsburg Cleveland Catalysis Society Meeting will be held from 16th-18th May in the Cleveland Marriot-East Hotel. The Ninth North American Meeting of the Catalysis Society will be held from 17th-20th March 1985 at the AdamsMark Hotel in Houston, Texas. For further details of all these meetings, see the calendar of Forthcoming Events.
rhodium catalyst and, as in other 0x0 processes, it reacts olefins with synthesis gas to form aldehydes with one more carbon atom than the olefin. It is reported (Chemical Week, Oct. 12 (1983) ~44) that Ruhrctiemie will convert part of its 0x0 operations at Oberhausen, West Germany, to make use of the new process.
Patenting New Coal Liquefaction
Process
The University of Southern California's Hydrocarbon Research Institute (Los Aigeles) and the Department of Chemistrv of the same institution have developed a process for coal liquefaction which operates at low temperatures (loo-1700C). A patent has been issued for the process which was also described at the 1983 International Conference on Coal Science (Pittsburgh, Aug. 15-19). The catalyst for the process is a superacid system consisting of hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride plus a hydrogen donor solvent. The catalyst is claimed to be stable and fully recyclable. At present, yields of 35% have been achieved but it is hoped that larger vields will result from the further development work which is now in progress. (See Chemical Engineering, Aug. 8 (1983) p9).
Diatomaceous
Earth Barriers
for
lmmobil ised tnzymes The Filtration and Minerals Division of the US Company Manville, based in Denver, Colorado, has started to market diatomaceous earths with pore sizes of less then 1000 # which are more suitable than oreviouslv-available products (pore'sizes l-10 pm) for enzymes and cells. The materials are claimed to be inert and inexpensive. The company‘is looking at a range of oossible industrial aoolications. including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, fermentation processes and petrochemicals.
New Low-Pressure
0x0 Process
A new low-pressure 0x0 process has been developed jointly bv Ruhrchemie and RhBne-Poulenc. This is based on a mm
-Volume
9 No. 2 - February 1984
Manual
Claimed to deal with the intricacies of the United States patent system so that any non-citizen, non-resident of the United States can get a patent, the second edition of this book by A.M. Hale has just been published by SPI Inc. of Buffalo (N.Y.). The publicity material concerning this book claims that the book should be of assistance to all those who are in any way involved with the development and exploitation of new products and of technology, enabling them to deal more easily with patent agents and lawyers. The book contains examples of current patent practice and a plain-language glossary of patenting terms. API Abstracts oncatalysts
& Catalysis
A new bulletin of abstracts covering the manufacture and use of catalysts for petrochemical processes, petroleum and other fossil-fual processes and processes for the control of air polution is now being published weekly by the American Petroleum Institute. Information for the abstracts, covering technical developments, economic information and general news, will be drawn from about 200 magazines published worldwide and from papers presented at conferences. Additional information may be obtained from: ’ Joseph Licata, American Petroleum Institute, Central Abstracting & Indexing Service, 156 William St., New York, NY 10038. Methanol
and Ethanol
to Gasoline
Much has been heard of the Mobil process for the conversion of methanol to gasoline; the fixed-bed process is already available and will be used by New Zealand Synthetic Fuels Corporation Ltd., jointly owned by Mobil and the New Zealand Government (Oil and Gas J 15 August 1983, p.31). A pilot pi&it, currentlv being onerated at Wesseling, West Germany,'under the
282
sponsorship of the U.S. and West ysts. It is unlikely that the catalyst can be used'in the control of NO, in German governments and three private stack gases as these contain an excess companies, is surpassing its design of air, the oxygen of which would gasify capacity, converting 135 barrels per the support carbon. Patents to cover the day of methanol compared to a desiqn discovery have been applied for. capacity of 100 barrels per day; the plant is a fluidised-bed version of Foreign Secretary for American Catalysis the camnercially-availableprocess Society and will be operated (by Mobil Rand D, Uhde GmbH and Union Rheinishce BraunIt has been announced that Gary Haller kohlen Kraftstoff AG) for two years has been elected to serve as Foreign to collect data for the design of Secretarv for the American Catalysis commercial-scalefluidised-bed units. community. As such, he will be contact Another methanol-to-gasolineplant is man for international seminars and symplanned by Haldor-Topsle, under sponposia and any other proposed interaction sorship of the European Connnunity,and between the Catalysis Society of North will be located in Houston, Texas. America and a similar foreign body. It has recently been suggested by Dr. Hailer's address is: Department of N.Y. Chen (Chem.Techn..Auq. 1983. Engineering and Applied Science, Yale p.488) that the Mobil process can-be University, New Haven, Connecticut. used to produce gasoline from ethanol. Chen, manager of exploratory process research at Mobil'sPrinceton LaboraAward for Excellence in Science tories, suggests that ethanol-water mixtures obtained from biomass fermenThe Catalysis Society of Metropolitan tation can be converted to hydroNew York is currently seeking nominations carbon-water mixtures. These are twofor its third annual "Award for Excelphase systems and are thereforeeasilv lence in Catalysis". The 1984 award, the separated whereas distillation of alnominations for which closed on December cohol from dilute solutions is enerqv 1st 1983. is soonsored bv Exxon Research intensive. Ethanol also has the advantage, and Engineering Company and consists of in the Mobil process, of oroducinq more a plaque and a honorarium of $ 500.'The hydrocarbon per unit weight than does award will be granted to an individual methanol. or a research team from North America to recognise outstanding contributions Cheap Exhaust Catalyst in either applied or basic research in either homogeneous or heterogeneous It has been reported in Chemische catalysis. Nominations previously subWeekblad, the weekly newspaper of the mitted as well as new ones will remain Royal Dutch Chemical Society, that Freek active for three years. Further details Kaptein and Jacob Moulijn, of the Chemiof the award may be obtained from the cal Technology group of the University of Chairman Elect of the Catalysis Society Amsterdam,have found a new catalyst to of Metropolitan New York, Irving L.Mador, convert NO to N and CO . The catalyst c/o Allied Corporation, P.O. Box 1021-R, consists of an a?kaline 6r alkaline Morristown, N.J. 07960. Further details earth metal support on active carbon. It of the Joint Spring Symposium of the would appear that the NO, is split by New York and New Enqland Catalvsis the alkali metal and that the oxygen Societies, to be heid on Wednesday Zlst is then adsorbed by the active carbon. March in the Davies Auditorium, Yale Kantein and Moulijn made these observations University, New Haven, CT, are also by accident as nart of their work on available from Dr. Mador. coal gasification. Adsorption and Catalysis on Oxide, Theyused alkaline or alkaline earth niSurfaces trates as catalysts and expected to find NO among the product gases but this Dr. A.J. (Tony) Tenth, who died in wag never the case. They therefore did March 1983 at the earlv aoe of 48. was further work in which NGx was added to internationallyknown %or-his research the process gas and agaln found little on the surface chemistry of oxides. His or no NO in the product gases. If SUCfriends and colleagues plan to honour cessful finderautomobile exhaust condihis memory by holding a symposium with tions, the new catalysts will be very the above title on 28th and 29th June much cheaper than existing exhaust catal- Volume 9 No. 2 - February 1994
rhodium catalyst and, as in other 0x0 processes, it reacts olefins with synthesis gas to form aldehydes with one more carbon atom than the olefin. It is reported (Chemical Week, Oct. 12 (1983) ~44) that Ruhrctiemie will convert part of its 0x0 operations at Oberhausen, West Germany, to make use of the new process.
Patenting New Coal Liquefaction
Process
The University of Southern California's Hydrocarbon Research Institute (Los Aigeles) and the Department of Chemistrv of the same institution have developed a process for coal liquefaction which operates at low temperatures (loo-1700C). A patent has been issued for the process which was also described at the 1983 International Conference on Coal Science (Pittsburgh, Aug. 15-19). The catalyst for the process is a superacid system consisting of hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride plus a hydrogen donor solvent. The catalyst is claimed to be stable and fully recyclable. At present, yields of 35% have been achieved but it is hoped that larger vields will result from the further development work which is now in progress. (See Chemical Engineering, Aug. 8 (1983) p9).
Diatomaceous
Earth Barriers
for
lmmobil ised tnzymes The Filtration and Minerals Division of the US Company Manville, based in Denver, Colorado, has started to market diatomaceous earths with pore sizes of less then 1000 # which are more suitable than oreviouslv-available products (pore'sizes l-10 pm) for enzymes and cells. The materials are claimed to be inert and inexpensive. The company‘is looking at a range of oossible industrial aoolications. including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, fermentation processes and petrochemicals.
New Low-Pressure
0x0 Process
A new low-pressure 0x0 process has been developed jointly bv Ruhrchemie and RhBne-Poulenc. This is based on a mm
-Volume
9 No. 2 - February 1984
Manual
Claimed to deal with the intricacies of the United States patent system so that any non-citizen, non-resident of the United States can get a patent, the second edition of this book by A.M. Hale has just been published by SPI Inc. of Buffalo (N.Y.). The publicity material concerning this book claims that the book should be of assistance to all those who are in any way involved with the development and exploitation of new products and of technology, enabling them to deal more easily with patent agents and lawyers. The book contains examples of current patent practice and a plain-language glossary of patenting terms. API Abstracts oncatalysts
& Catalysis
A new bulletin of abstracts covering the manufacture and use of catalysts for petrochemical processes, petroleum and other fossil-fual processes and processes for the control of air polution is now being published weekly by the American Petroleum Institute. Information for the abstracts, covering technical developments, economic information and general news, will be drawn from about 200 magazines published worldwide and from papers presented at conferences. Additional information may be obtained from: ’ Joseph Licata, American Petroleum Institute, Central Abstracting & Indexing Service, 156 William St., New York, NY 10038. Methanol
and Ethanol
to Gasoline
Much has been heard of the Mobil process for the conversion of methanol to gasoline; the fixed-bed process is already available and will be used by New Zealand Synthetic Fuels Corporation Ltd., jointly owned by Mobil and the New Zealand Government (Oil and Gas J 15 August 1983, p.31). A pilot pi&it, currentlv being onerated at Wesseling, West Germany,'under the
282
sponsorship of the U.S. and West ysts. It is unlikely that the catalyst can be used'in the control of NO, in German governments and three private stack gases as these contain an excess companies, is surpassing its design of air, the oxygen of which would gasify capacity, converting 135 barrels per the support carbon. Patents to cover the day of methanol compared to a desiqn discovery have been applied for. capacity of 100 barrels per day; the plant is a fluidised-bed version of Foreign Secretary for American Catalysis the camnercially-availableprocess Society and will be operated (by Mobil Rand D, Uhde GmbH and Union Rheinishce BraunIt has been announced that Gary Haller kohlen Kraftstoff AG) for two years has been elected to serve as Foreign to collect data for the design of Secretarv for the American Catalysis commercial-scalefluidised-bed units. community. As such, he will be contact Another methanol-to-gasolineplant is man for international seminars and symplanned by Haldor-Topsle, under sponposia and any other proposed interaction sorship of the European Connnunity,and between the Catalysis Society of North will be located in Houston, Texas. America and a similar foreign body. It has recently been suggested by Dr. Hailer's address is: Department of N.Y. Chen (Chem.Techn..Auq. 1983. Engineering and Applied Science, Yale p.488) that the Mobil process can-be University, New Haven, Connecticut. used to produce gasoline from ethanol. Chen, manager of exploratory process research at Mobil'sPrinceton LaboraAward for Excellence in Science tories, suggests that ethanol-water mixtures obtained from biomass fermenThe Catalysis Society of Metropolitan tation can be converted to hydroNew York is currently seeking nominations carbon-water mixtures. These are twofor its third annual "Award for Excelphase systems and are thereforeeasilv lence in Catalysis". The 1984 award, the separated whereas distillation of alnominations for which closed on December cohol from dilute solutions is enerqv 1st 1983. is soonsored bv Exxon Research intensive. Ethanol also has the advantage, and Engineering Company and consists of in the Mobil process, of oroducinq more a plaque and a honorarium of $ 500.'The hydrocarbon per unit weight than does award will be granted to an individual methanol. or a research team from North America to recognise outstanding contributions Cheap Exhaust Catalyst in either applied or basic research in either homogeneous or heterogeneous It has been reported in Chemische catalysis. Nominations previously subWeekblad, the weekly newspaper of the mitted as well as new ones will remain Royal Dutch Chemical Society, that Freek active for three years. Further details Kaptein and Jacob Moulijn, of the Chemiof the award may be obtained from the cal Technology group of the University of Chairman Elect of the Catalysis Society Amsterdam,have found a new catalyst to of Metropolitan New York, Irving L.Mador, convert NO to N and CO . The catalyst c/o Allied Corporation, P.O. Box 1021-R, consists of an a?kaline 6r alkaline Morristown, N.J. 07960. Further details earth metal support on active carbon. It of the Joint Spring Symposium of the would appear that the NO, is split by New York and New Enqland Catalvsis the alkali metal and that the oxygen Societies, to be heid on Wednesday Zlst is then adsorbed by the active carbon. March in the Davies Auditorium, Yale Kantein and Moulijn made these observations University, New Haven, CT, are also by accident as nart of their work on available from Dr. Mador. coal gasification. Adsorption and Catalysis on Oxide, Theyused alkaline or alkaline earth niSurfaces trates as catalysts and expected to find NO among the product gases but this Dr. A.J. (Tony) Tenth, who died in wag never the case. They therefore did March 1983 at the earlv aoe of 48. was further work in which NGx was added to internationallyknown %or-his research the process gas and agaln found little on the surface chemistry of oxides. His or no NO in the product gases. If SUCfriends and colleagues plan to honour cessful finderautomobile exhaust condihis memory by holding a symposium with tions, the new catalysts will be very the above title on 28th and 29th June much cheaper than existing exhaust catal- Volume 9 No. 2 - February 1994