- Email: [email protected]
New technology at Borouge allows ethane cracker to make propylene
F O C U S products with high earning potential. In line with the strategy, the company is scheduled to complete in Sep 2010 a plant for producing ship-bottom paints. An existing building is also being upgrade with a view to expanding the company’s custom manufacturing capability for investigational new drugs. Japan Chemical Web, 12 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
ZeaChem validates its core biorefining technology ZeaChem Inc has produced commercial grade ethyl acetate, thereby proving its core technology platform. Ethyl acetate is a widelyused chemical intermediate that can be sold directly to chemical manufacturers or converted into ethanol. The achievement marks the final milestone in proving the core components of the company’s biorefining platform to stakeholders in the fuel and chemicals industries. In Feb 2010, ZeaChem announced it’s 10,000 times scale increase in fermentation to acetic acid, and the concentration of that broth into glacial acetic acid, a saleable product. Through an esterification reaction process validated externally by process expert Sulzer Chemtech, the company has converted the glacial acetic acid into ethyl acetate. Both the concentration and esterification processes are commercially available from multiple vendors. Press release from: A&R Edelman, 201 Baldwin Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA. Tel: +1 650 762 2800. Fax: +1 650 762 2801. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.edelman.com (21 Apr 2010) & Ethanol Producer Magazine, Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com)
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energy using Westinghouse Plasma Corp’s plasma gasification process. Nitrogen + Syngas, Mar/Apr 2010, (304), 10
Nippon Kasei to establish no 6 plant for nitrogen oxide-removal agent Nippon Kasei Chemical intends to immediately execute its plan to construct its sixth production plant for its AdBlue high-grade aqueous solution for nitrogen oxides removal from diesel engine exhausts, with Japan’s southern Kanto region as a candidate location. With an expected increase in demand due to stricter environmental regulations, Nippon Kasei aims to advance its AdBlue business and secure the lead spot in the domestic market. AdBlue is used as the reducing solution in ureaselective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to lessen nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel engines. The company installed two AdBlue production bases in Tsukuba and Nagoya to its bases in Amagasaki, Kurosaki and Onahama, to meet demand growth with the implementation in Oct 2009 of the new version of Japan’s New Longterm Exhaust Emission regulation that lays out tighter nitrogen oxides and particulate-matter standards. The 15,000 klitre/y Nagoya plant started trial production in Apr 2010 and will shortly enter commercial operation and begin product delivery. Nippon Kasei’s 17,000 klitre/y Tsukuba plant is slated to come online, with product shipment at end-May 2010. The company’s five-prong network will bring the company’s total capacity to 94,000 klitre/y from 62,000 klitre/y across the bases. Japan Chemical Web, 14 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
NEW PLANTS Biomass gasification power plant A 25 megawatt biomass power plant, dubbed Project Apollo, to be constructed in Milwaukee, WI, should come online in late 2013, said project developer Alliance Federated Energy (AFE). The $225 M plant’s electricity output will be sufficient to power 20,000 houses in Milwaukee. AFE plans to transform municipal and industrial wastes into syngas for
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technology enhances biodiesel production, and process is carried out under atmospheric pressure and low temperature. The reaction will end in less than 10 seconds. Smart Catalyst manufactures glycerol at 98% plus. This specifies the current low value waste stream as a co-product stream with full value. Processing glycerol to derivatives such as glycerol formal, glycerol carbonate or glycidol may give extra value. This technology helps in cost reduction especially for small and medium enterprises. Biofuels International, Jan 2010, 3 (10), 24
New sources of biodiesel A new process will enable alternative fuels to be produced using different types of fat, such as low-cost animal fats and used frying oils. The process uses technology developed by Bayer Technology Services and a catalyst developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions. Any suitable fatty acid can be converted to biodiesel. Bayer Report Magazine, 7 May 2010, (1), 11 (Bayer AG, Corporate Communications, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 214 30 57681. Fax: +49 (0) 214 30 71985. Website: http://www.bayer.com)
Dow says new product improves PP manufacturing New from Midland-based Dow Chemical Co is Consista D7000 Donor, a catalyst system product developed to make high-melt impact copolymer PP resins. Consista D7000, which is the initial product in a new line of Consista advanced catalysts, enhances the performance characteristics of the finished resin and cuts peroxide use, thereby reducing production cost. The new catalyst is compatible with Dow’s family of SHAC catalyst and donor systems. Plastics News, 5 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Ceimici unveils biodiesel catalyst Ceimici Novel, a biodiesel technology company in Ireland, has introduced a new catalyst for biodiesel production. It is a heterogeneous Smart Catalyst system and can be easily recovered by filtration. Smart Catalyst
New technology at Borouge allows ethane cracker to make propylene Abu Dhabi Polymers (Borouge), a jv in Ruwais, UAE, between Borealis AG and Abu Dhabi National Co (Adnoc), is adopting a unique olefins conversion technology that permits an ethane cracker to produce propylene. The jv is currently in the second-stage of its investment, a large-scale petro-
JUNE 2010
F O C U S chemical complex in Ruwais. The project includes an ethane cracker with ethylene capacity of 1.5 M tonne/y; a polyethylene (PE) plant with output of 540,000 tonne/y; a plant that will be based on the new olefins conversion process; and two units to produce a combined 800,000 tonne/y of polypropylene using the propylene from the olefins conversion unit. The PE plant, which is slated to be brought online in mid-2010, will process 540,000 tonne/y of the ethylene production. The olefins conversion unit will process the remaining 960,000 tonne/y of ethylene production. The new olefins conversion technology involves two steps: the conversion of ethylene into butanes called the dimerization step and the conversion of the butanes and ethylene into propylene called the metathesis step. The process has only been demonstrated on a 100,000 tonne/y pilot plant. Japan Chemical Web, 27 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
New technology for production of biodegradable plastic Topsoe has developed a process in cooperation with Technical University of Denmark, making it possible to convert carbohydrates from biomass to lactic acid using a catalyst. Lactic acid is used for the production of biodegradable plastic. A catalyst converting biomass: this is the first time the process takes place over a catalyst – previously, biomass has been converted to lactic acid using fermentation. As the process may now take place using an inorganic catalyst, it will be possible to produce lactic acid using new and more costefficient processes. The research results have been published in an article in Science on 30 Apr 2010. Copying natural processes: The process developed by researchers at Topsoe and DTU Chemistry, mirrors the process seen in biological systems. “You may say that the catalyst acts in the same way as bacteria do in the natural fermentation process,” says Esben Taarning, who is one of the researchers behind the discovery. Esben Taarning explains: “By modifying the acidity in catalysts used for oil refining, we may change their catalytic properties, enabling
JUNE 2010
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carbohydrates to be converted into lactic acid products. Until now, this form of conversion has been limited to biological systems.” Press release from: Haldor Topsoe A/S, Nymollevej 55, PO Box 213, DK 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Tel: +45 4527 2000. Fax: +45 4527 2999. Website: http://www.haldortopsoe.com ( 5 May 2010)
ENVIRONMENT GE announces breakthrough result in Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst technology GE announced a key milestone in the development of a proprietary silverbased Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst (HC-LNC) after treatment solution designed to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines. Through a joint development with GE, Tenneco Inc, and Umicore, researchers have demonstrated NOx conversions on an engine between 85-95% across a temperature window of 325-425°C, using E85 as the reductant. The HCLNC system reduces NOx emissions as effectively as urea-based SCR systems and provides an option to those market segments seeking an alternative to urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology Press release from: Technology Ventures (GE), c/o General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT 06828, USA. Tel: +1 203 373 2211. Website: http://www.ge.com (13 Apr 2010)
Novel oxidative desulfurization process A novel petroleum desulfurization process is being developed jointly by the Saudi Arabian Oil Co and the University of Oxford. The petroleum is treated with hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and a sodium tungstate catalyst. This oxidises the sulfur compounds to sulfones which can be removed by solvent extraction. This laboratory process has the potential to reduce the sulfur content of diesel to below 50 ppm.
PET and plant-derived plastics. The new process will involve the introduction of organocatalysts to the synthetic polymer formula to form well-defined, biodegradable molecules. Materials World, Apr 2010, 18 (4), 16
PATENTS Acrolein from glycerol A process for making acrolein by the vapour-phase dehydrogenation of glycerol over a zeotype catalyst. The exemplified catalyst has the H-MFI structure, an alumina/silica ratio in a specified range, and is optionally partially exchanged with lithium. The binder content must be below 15%. US 7,718,829, Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd, Osaka, Japan, 18 May 2010
Catalytic filter for diesel exhaust An exhaust filter comprising a honeycomb structure (eg of cordierite), a catalytic layer (eg platinum on alumina/ceria), and a heat-resistant fibrous layer (eg alumina fibres containing platinum). US 7,718,143, Toyota Jidosha KK, Aichi-ken, Japan, 18 May 2010
Ethanol from syngas Three catalysts are used in series. The first hydrogenates the CO to alcohols, primarily methanol, using a copper/zinc catalyst. The second converts the alcohol mixture to ethanol, and the third hydrogenates the by-product acids and aldehydes to ethanol. US 7,718,832, Pacific Renewable Fuels Inc, McClellan, CA, USA, 18 May 2010
Synthesis of esters from acids and olefins
Oil & Gas Journal, 17 May 2010, 108 (18), 41-47
IBM and Stanford University develops new recycling process A new recycling process developed by IBM and Stanford University can improve the reusability of common
It is known to synthesise esters from carboxylic acids and olefins using an acid catalyst. In this invention the catalyst is a heteropoly acid used in the presence of a specified quantity of water. US, RE41,341, Ineos Europe Ltd, UK, 18 May 2010
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ZeaChem validates its core biorefining technology ZeaChem Inc has produced commercial grade ethyl acetate, thereby proving its core technology platform. Ethyl acetate is a widelyused chemical intermediate that can be sold directly to chemical manufacturers or converted into ethanol. The achievement marks the final milestone in proving the core components of the company’s biorefining platform to stakeholders in the fuel and chemicals industries. In Feb 2010, ZeaChem announced it’s 10,000 times scale increase in fermentation to acetic acid, and the concentration of that broth into glacial acetic acid, a saleable product. Through an esterification reaction process validated externally by process expert Sulzer Chemtech, the company has converted the glacial acetic acid into ethyl acetate. Both the concentration and esterification processes are commercially available from multiple vendors. Press release from: A&R Edelman, 201 Baldwin Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA. Tel: +1 650 762 2800. Fax: +1 650 762 2801. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.edelman.com (21 Apr 2010) & Ethanol Producer Magazine, Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.ethanolproducer.com)
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energy using Westinghouse Plasma Corp’s plasma gasification process. Nitrogen + Syngas, Mar/Apr 2010, (304), 10
Nippon Kasei to establish no 6 plant for nitrogen oxide-removal agent Nippon Kasei Chemical intends to immediately execute its plan to construct its sixth production plant for its AdBlue high-grade aqueous solution for nitrogen oxides removal from diesel engine exhausts, with Japan’s southern Kanto region as a candidate location. With an expected increase in demand due to stricter environmental regulations, Nippon Kasei aims to advance its AdBlue business and secure the lead spot in the domestic market. AdBlue is used as the reducing solution in ureaselective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to lessen nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel engines. The company installed two AdBlue production bases in Tsukuba and Nagoya to its bases in Amagasaki, Kurosaki and Onahama, to meet demand growth with the implementation in Oct 2009 of the new version of Japan’s New Longterm Exhaust Emission regulation that lays out tighter nitrogen oxides and particulate-matter standards. The 15,000 klitre/y Nagoya plant started trial production in Apr 2010 and will shortly enter commercial operation and begin product delivery. Nippon Kasei’s 17,000 klitre/y Tsukuba plant is slated to come online, with product shipment at end-May 2010. The company’s five-prong network will bring the company’s total capacity to 94,000 klitre/y from 62,000 klitre/y across the bases. Japan Chemical Web, 14 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
NEW PLANTS Biomass gasification power plant A 25 megawatt biomass power plant, dubbed Project Apollo, to be constructed in Milwaukee, WI, should come online in late 2013, said project developer Alliance Federated Energy (AFE). The $225 M plant’s electricity output will be sufficient to power 20,000 houses in Milwaukee. AFE plans to transform municipal and industrial wastes into syngas for
6
technology enhances biodiesel production, and process is carried out under atmospheric pressure and low temperature. The reaction will end in less than 10 seconds. Smart Catalyst manufactures glycerol at 98% plus. This specifies the current low value waste stream as a co-product stream with full value. Processing glycerol to derivatives such as glycerol formal, glycerol carbonate or glycidol may give extra value. This technology helps in cost reduction especially for small and medium enterprises. Biofuels International, Jan 2010, 3 (10), 24
New sources of biodiesel A new process will enable alternative fuels to be produced using different types of fat, such as low-cost animal fats and used frying oils. The process uses technology developed by Bayer Technology Services and a catalyst developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions. Any suitable fatty acid can be converted to biodiesel. Bayer Report Magazine, 7 May 2010, (1), 11 (Bayer AG, Corporate Communications, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 214 30 57681. Fax: +49 (0) 214 30 71985. Website: http://www.bayer.com)
Dow says new product improves PP manufacturing New from Midland-based Dow Chemical Co is Consista D7000 Donor, a catalyst system product developed to make high-melt impact copolymer PP resins. Consista D7000, which is the initial product in a new line of Consista advanced catalysts, enhances the performance characteristics of the finished resin and cuts peroxide use, thereby reducing production cost. The new catalyst is compatible with Dow’s family of SHAC catalyst and donor systems. Plastics News, 5 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
NEW TECHNOLOGY Ceimici unveils biodiesel catalyst Ceimici Novel, a biodiesel technology company in Ireland, has introduced a new catalyst for biodiesel production. It is a heterogeneous Smart Catalyst system and can be easily recovered by filtration. Smart Catalyst
New technology at Borouge allows ethane cracker to make propylene Abu Dhabi Polymers (Borouge), a jv in Ruwais, UAE, between Borealis AG and Abu Dhabi National Co (Adnoc), is adopting a unique olefins conversion technology that permits an ethane cracker to produce propylene. The jv is currently in the second-stage of its investment, a large-scale petro-
JUNE 2010
F O C U S chemical complex in Ruwais. The project includes an ethane cracker with ethylene capacity of 1.5 M tonne/y; a polyethylene (PE) plant with output of 540,000 tonne/y; a plant that will be based on the new olefins conversion process; and two units to produce a combined 800,000 tonne/y of polypropylene using the propylene from the olefins conversion unit. The PE plant, which is slated to be brought online in mid-2010, will process 540,000 tonne/y of the ethylene production. The olefins conversion unit will process the remaining 960,000 tonne/y of ethylene production. The new olefins conversion technology involves two steps: the conversion of ethylene into butanes called the dimerization step and the conversion of the butanes and ethylene into propylene called the metathesis step. The process has only been demonstrated on a 100,000 tonne/y pilot plant. Japan Chemical Web, 27 Apr 2010 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp)
New technology for production of biodegradable plastic Topsoe has developed a process in cooperation with Technical University of Denmark, making it possible to convert carbohydrates from biomass to lactic acid using a catalyst. Lactic acid is used for the production of biodegradable plastic. A catalyst converting biomass: this is the first time the process takes place over a catalyst – previously, biomass has been converted to lactic acid using fermentation. As the process may now take place using an inorganic catalyst, it will be possible to produce lactic acid using new and more costefficient processes. The research results have been published in an article in Science on 30 Apr 2010. Copying natural processes: The process developed by researchers at Topsoe and DTU Chemistry, mirrors the process seen in biological systems. “You may say that the catalyst acts in the same way as bacteria do in the natural fermentation process,” says Esben Taarning, who is one of the researchers behind the discovery. Esben Taarning explains: “By modifying the acidity in catalysts used for oil refining, we may change their catalytic properties, enabling
JUNE 2010
O N
C ATA LY S T S
carbohydrates to be converted into lactic acid products. Until now, this form of conversion has been limited to biological systems.” Press release from: Haldor Topsoe A/S, Nymollevej 55, PO Box 213, DK 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Tel: +45 4527 2000. Fax: +45 4527 2999. Website: http://www.haldortopsoe.com ( 5 May 2010)
ENVIRONMENT GE announces breakthrough result in Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst technology GE announced a key milestone in the development of a proprietary silverbased Hydrocarbon Lean NOx Catalyst (HC-LNC) after treatment solution designed to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines. Through a joint development with GE, Tenneco Inc, and Umicore, researchers have demonstrated NOx conversions on an engine between 85-95% across a temperature window of 325-425°C, using E85 as the reductant. The HCLNC system reduces NOx emissions as effectively as urea-based SCR systems and provides an option to those market segments seeking an alternative to urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology Press release from: Technology Ventures (GE), c/o General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT 06828, USA. Tel: +1 203 373 2211. Website: http://www.ge.com (13 Apr 2010)
Novel oxidative desulfurization process A novel petroleum desulfurization process is being developed jointly by the Saudi Arabian Oil Co and the University of Oxford. The petroleum is treated with hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and a sodium tungstate catalyst. This oxidises the sulfur compounds to sulfones which can be removed by solvent extraction. This laboratory process has the potential to reduce the sulfur content of diesel to below 50 ppm.
PET and plant-derived plastics. The new process will involve the introduction of organocatalysts to the synthetic polymer formula to form well-defined, biodegradable molecules. Materials World, Apr 2010, 18 (4), 16
PATENTS Acrolein from glycerol A process for making acrolein by the vapour-phase dehydrogenation of glycerol over a zeotype catalyst. The exemplified catalyst has the H-MFI structure, an alumina/silica ratio in a specified range, and is optionally partially exchanged with lithium. The binder content must be below 15%. US 7,718,829, Nippon Shokubai Co Ltd, Osaka, Japan, 18 May 2010
Catalytic filter for diesel exhaust An exhaust filter comprising a honeycomb structure (eg of cordierite), a catalytic layer (eg platinum on alumina/ceria), and a heat-resistant fibrous layer (eg alumina fibres containing platinum). US 7,718,143, Toyota Jidosha KK, Aichi-ken, Japan, 18 May 2010
Ethanol from syngas Three catalysts are used in series. The first hydrogenates the CO to alcohols, primarily methanol, using a copper/zinc catalyst. The second converts the alcohol mixture to ethanol, and the third hydrogenates the by-product acids and aldehydes to ethanol. US 7,718,832, Pacific Renewable Fuels Inc, McClellan, CA, USA, 18 May 2010
Synthesis of esters from acids and olefins
Oil & Gas Journal, 17 May 2010, 108 (18), 41-47
IBM and Stanford University develops new recycling process A new recycling process developed by IBM and Stanford University can improve the reusability of common
It is known to synthesise esters from carboxylic acids and olefins using an acid catalyst. In this invention the catalyst is a heteropoly acid used in the presence of a specified quantity of water. US, RE41,341, Ineos Europe Ltd, UK, 18 May 2010
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