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New chemical catalysts are less expensive, more sustainable
FOCUS New chemical catalysts are less expensive, more sustainable Researchers from Yale University have produced a new line of palladium-based chemical catalysts that could increase the sustainability of chemical production while being cost-effective. Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 16 Jun 2015, 192 (Website: http://www. chemicalweekly.com) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2015.
Intrexon, Dominion enter agreement for natgas to isobutanol conversion Intrexon Energy Partners and Dominion Energy have entered into an exclusive agreement to explore the potential for commercial-scale biological conversion of natural gas to isobutanol in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins in Eastern North America. Under the terms of the agreement, Intrexon will provide its proprietary methanotroph bioconversion platform, while Dominion will build, own, operate and maintain production facilities in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins, via potential long-term services agreements with Intrexon. In addition, Intrexon will be required to meet specific development milestones prior to initiation of certain commercialization activities, which are subject to board approval by both companies. Intrexon's bioconversion platform "has the potential to transform the gas-to-liquids (GTL) industry through use of optimized microbial cell lines to convert natural gas into higher carbon compounds, such as isobutanol and farnesene''. Original Source: PetroChemical News, 24-31 Aug 2015, 53 (33), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) © William F. Bland Co., 2015.
Hydrogen as fuel from biodiesel and diesel Researchers at the German Aerospace Centre, in collaboration with partners from science and industry, analyzed the hydrogen production process to establish the ideal operating conditions to manufacture 99.999% pure hydrogen from biodiesel and diesel using a highly stable technique. The efficiency of the process as a whole amounted to around 70%. Meanwhile, according to a technoeconomic evaluation, maximum production costs for hydrogen was estimated at €5.80/kg. The process, which made use of existing storage and October 2015
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transportation facilities for diesel and biodiesel, had an additional compact facility for manufacturing hydrogen. These results can be useful for production of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles as well as for processes related to the glass and steel industry. The prototype developed by HyGear produced 4.4 kg of hydrogen from 20 L of biodiesel in one hour. Original Source: ChemistryViews, 3 Sep 2015, (Website: http://www.chemistryviews.org) © WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 2015.
PATENTS Structurally enhanced cracking catalysts A cracking catalyst contains a substantially inert core and an active shell, the active shell containing a zeolite catalyst and a matrix. Methods of making and using the cracking catalyst are also described.
BOOKSHELF Sustainable Catalytic Processes Incorporates examples of the development of the new catalysts/ processes that use renewable (biomass) feedstocks that address environmental concerns B. Saha, M. Fang, and J. Wang (eds), 2015, Elsevier B.V. , Amsterdam, ISBN-13: 978-0444595676, 281 pp
Ecocatalysis: A New Integrated Approach to Scientific Ecology A concise treatise with only two chapters: A New Approach to Multi-site and Multi-scale Remediation by Phytoextraction and From Phytoextraction to Green Chemistry and Vice Versa via Ecocatalysis C. Grison, V. Escande, and J. Biton, 2015, ISTE Press Ltd. Paris, ISBN-13: 978-1785480300, 100 pp
US 9,108,181 BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ, USA, 18 Aug 2015
Catalysts for petrochemical catalysis Metal oxide catalysts comprising various dopants are described. The catalysts are useful as heterogeneous catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed. US 8,921,256 and US 9,040,762, Siluria Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA 30 Dec 2014 and 26 May 2015
Modified zeolite catalyst A modified zeolite catalyst for light paraffin - olefin alkylation and oligomerization is derived from a onedimensional zeolite structure with channels made from rings containing between 8 and 12 silicon/aluminium atoms. The catalyst shows improved resistance to deactivation and greater selectivity to higher hydrocarbons when used to e.g. oligomerize light alkenes e. g. propene or the butenes. US 9,120,090, BP Oil International, Ltd. Sunbury on Thames, GB, 1 Sep 2015
Catalysis for Sustainability: Goals, Challenges, and Impacts (Sustainability: Contributions through Science and Technology) This text covers topics including traditional metal-mediated catalysis, organocatalysis, biocatalysis, biomimicry, and heterogeneous catalysis. It also includes a chapter that describes the application of life cycle analysis (LCA) to catalytic processes targeted to sustainable processes. T.P. Umile (ed), 2015, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, ISBN-13: 978-1466586857, 214 pp
Heterogeneous Catalysis for Today’s Challenges: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (RSC Green Chemistry Series No. 33) An overview of recent research directed to catalytic materials synthesis, precise kinetic measurements, measurement of transport limitations, and physicochemical characterization of catalysts. B. Trewyn, J. H. Clark, G. A. Kraus, D. Radu, K. Wu, K. Balkus, J. Cejka, S. Dai, A. Fukuoka, and K. Kuroda, 2015, RSC Green Chemistry, London, ISBN-13: 978-1849736275, 152 pp
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Intrexon, Dominion enter agreement for natgas to isobutanol conversion Intrexon Energy Partners and Dominion Energy have entered into an exclusive agreement to explore the potential for commercial-scale biological conversion of natural gas to isobutanol in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins in Eastern North America. Under the terms of the agreement, Intrexon will provide its proprietary methanotroph bioconversion platform, while Dominion will build, own, operate and maintain production facilities in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins, via potential long-term services agreements with Intrexon. In addition, Intrexon will be required to meet specific development milestones prior to initiation of certain commercialization activities, which are subject to board approval by both companies. Intrexon's bioconversion platform "has the potential to transform the gas-to-liquids (GTL) industry through use of optimized microbial cell lines to convert natural gas into higher carbon compounds, such as isobutanol and farnesene''. Original Source: PetroChemical News, 24-31 Aug 2015, 53 (33), 3 (Website: http://www. petrochemical-news.com) © William F. Bland Co., 2015.
Hydrogen as fuel from biodiesel and diesel Researchers at the German Aerospace Centre, in collaboration with partners from science and industry, analyzed the hydrogen production process to establish the ideal operating conditions to manufacture 99.999% pure hydrogen from biodiesel and diesel using a highly stable technique. The efficiency of the process as a whole amounted to around 70%. Meanwhile, according to a technoeconomic evaluation, maximum production costs for hydrogen was estimated at €5.80/kg. The process, which made use of existing storage and October 2015
ON
C ATA LY S T S
transportation facilities for diesel and biodiesel, had an additional compact facility for manufacturing hydrogen. These results can be useful for production of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles as well as for processes related to the glass and steel industry. The prototype developed by HyGear produced 4.4 kg of hydrogen from 20 L of biodiesel in one hour. Original Source: ChemistryViews, 3 Sep 2015, (Website: http://www.chemistryviews.org) © WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 2015.
PATENTS Structurally enhanced cracking catalysts A cracking catalyst contains a substantially inert core and an active shell, the active shell containing a zeolite catalyst and a matrix. Methods of making and using the cracking catalyst are also described.
BOOKSHELF Sustainable Catalytic Processes Incorporates examples of the development of the new catalysts/ processes that use renewable (biomass) feedstocks that address environmental concerns B. Saha, M. Fang, and J. Wang (eds), 2015, Elsevier B.V. , Amsterdam, ISBN-13: 978-0444595676, 281 pp
Ecocatalysis: A New Integrated Approach to Scientific Ecology A concise treatise with only two chapters: A New Approach to Multi-site and Multi-scale Remediation by Phytoextraction and From Phytoextraction to Green Chemistry and Vice Versa via Ecocatalysis C. Grison, V. Escande, and J. Biton, 2015, ISTE Press Ltd. Paris, ISBN-13: 978-1785480300, 100 pp
US 9,108,181 BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ, USA, 18 Aug 2015
Catalysts for petrochemical catalysis Metal oxide catalysts comprising various dopants are described. The catalysts are useful as heterogeneous catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed. US 8,921,256 and US 9,040,762, Siluria Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA 30 Dec 2014 and 26 May 2015
Modified zeolite catalyst A modified zeolite catalyst for light paraffin - olefin alkylation and oligomerization is derived from a onedimensional zeolite structure with channels made from rings containing between 8 and 12 silicon/aluminium atoms. The catalyst shows improved resistance to deactivation and greater selectivity to higher hydrocarbons when used to e.g. oligomerize light alkenes e. g. propene or the butenes. US 9,120,090, BP Oil International, Ltd. Sunbury on Thames, GB, 1 Sep 2015
Catalysis for Sustainability: Goals, Challenges, and Impacts (Sustainability: Contributions through Science and Technology) This text covers topics including traditional metal-mediated catalysis, organocatalysis, biocatalysis, biomimicry, and heterogeneous catalysis. It also includes a chapter that describes the application of life cycle analysis (LCA) to catalytic processes targeted to sustainable processes. T.P. Umile (ed), 2015, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, ISBN-13: 978-1466586857, 214 pp
Heterogeneous Catalysis for Today’s Challenges: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (RSC Green Chemistry Series No. 33) An overview of recent research directed to catalytic materials synthesis, precise kinetic measurements, measurement of transport limitations, and physicochemical characterization of catalysts. B. Trewyn, J. H. Clark, G. A. Kraus, D. Radu, K. Wu, K. Balkus, J. Cejka, S. Dai, A. Fukuoka, and K. Kuroda, 2015, RSC Green Chemistry, London, ISBN-13: 978-1849736275, 152 pp
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