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Novel carbonaceous nanostructures
FOCUS BASF inaugurates new plant for high performance Ultramid in China BASF has inaugurated its new Ultramid (polyamide 6 and 6/6.6) polymerization plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Shanghai, China. The new plant, with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes/y, will further strengthen BASF's local production and supply network and better serve the growing market in Asia Pacific. The BASF wholly-owned plant was built at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing which is also home to a world-scale facility for integrated isocyanates, operated by BASF and partners. At this location, BASF also has production plants for polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF) and polyisocyanate (Basonat) for the coatings and furniture finishing industry, precious metal solutions for automotive catalysts, and an automotive coatings plant operated by BASF's joint-venture company, BASF Shanghai Coatings Co Ltd. BASF, 6 May 2015 (Website: http://www.basf. com/) © BASF 2015
NEW TECHNOLOGY Researchers create first metal-free catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and the University of North Texas have made what they believe is the first metal-free bifunctional electrocatalyst that performs as well or better than most metal and metal oxide electrodes in zinc-air batteries. The mesoporous nanocarbon catalyst doped with nitrogen and phosphorus enhances both oxygen evolution and reduction reactions. Phytic acid is used to polymerize aniline monomers into a hydrogel, which is then freeze-dried into an aerogel and subjected to zerooxygen pyrolysis (at 1000 -C) to form the graphitic carbon catalyst. The metal-free catalyst delivers current (70 mA/sq cm) and peak power densities (55 mW/sq cm) comparable
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with a platinum-carbon catalyst (60 mA/sq cm; 50 mW/sq cm), as well as improved rechargeability (180 charge cycles/30 h) versus metalbased catalysts. The new catalyst could be a replacement for high-cost platinum and other metal-based catalysts in various applications such as solar cells, metal-air batteries, fuel cells, and water-splitting systems. The team is now optimizing their process for the production of different 3D graphitic carbon materials co-doped with various heteroatoms for environmental and energy applications. Nanotechnology Now, 6 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www.nanotech-now.com/) © 7thWave Inc 2015. Original Source: Nanotechweb, 14 Apr 2015 (Website: http://nanotechweb.org) © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing 2015. Original Source: Chemical Engineering Progress, May 2015, 5-6 (Website: http:// www.aiche.org/cep) © American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2015
Novel carbonaceous nanostructures A simple and efficient hydrothermal process of making carbonaceous silver nanocables and carbonaceous nanotubes has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The process is performed under mild conditions (below 180 -C) and utilizes cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as an etchant. The process could have potential applications in biomedicines, sensors, and electrocatalysts. ChemistryViews, 6 Apr 2015 (Website: http:// www.chemistryviews.org) © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA 2015
Albemarle researchers and university partners discover new opportunities for improving FCC catalyst effectiveness A unique collaboration between catalyst researchers from Albemarle Corporation, Utrecht University, and Stanford University has led to an innovative new method for observing fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst behaviour at the nanoscale. Using X-ray nano-tomography as a powerful chemical imaging method, Albemarle and its partners have discovered that
the impurities in the feedstock can create a largely impenetrable crust on the surface of an FCC catalyst particle, preventing the feedstock from reaching the still active core. This breakthrough observation indicates that inner components of FCC catalysts are not being fully utilized, creating opportunities for catalyst optimization. Albemarle, 16 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www. albemarle.com/) © Albemarle Corporation 2015
WSU researchers develop plant oil-based polyurethane used in hoses, sealants, and more Researchers from Washington State University (WSU) have developed a new way to use plant oils to create polyurethane, a plastic material used in everything from foam insulation panels to tyres, hoses, and sealants. The new method uses vegetable oils to create materials with a wide variety of flexibility, stiffness, and shapes. In the study, the researchers made polyurethane using olive, canola, grape seed, linseed, and castor oils. The WSU researchers, working with colleagues from Iowa State and from Cairo universities, didn't use solvents or a catalyst in their production. To make polyurethane, manufacturers combine two types of chemical compounds in a reaction. One of the chemicals is a polyol, a compound with multiple hydroxyl functional groups that are available for reaction. Some oils, like linseed oil, have five or six reactive sites, making the material stiffer. Others, such as olive oil, have fewer reactive sites, making the material more flexible. WSU, 2015. Found on SpecialChem Adhesives and Sealants Formulation, 20 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www.specialchem4adhesives. com)
HyperSolar announces breakthrough in low cost fabrication of water splitting hydrogen particles On 28 Apr 2015, HyperSolar Inc, the developer of a breakthrough technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, announced that is has identified a low-cost aqueous process to produce artificial June 2015
NEW TECHNOLOGY Researchers create first metal-free catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and the University of North Texas have made what they believe is the first metal-free bifunctional electrocatalyst that performs as well or better than most metal and metal oxide electrodes in zinc-air batteries. The mesoporous nanocarbon catalyst doped with nitrogen and phosphorus enhances both oxygen evolution and reduction reactions. Phytic acid is used to polymerize aniline monomers into a hydrogel, which is then freeze-dried into an aerogel and subjected to zerooxygen pyrolysis (at 1000 -C) to form the graphitic carbon catalyst. The metal-free catalyst delivers current (70 mA/sq cm) and peak power densities (55 mW/sq cm) comparable
6
ON
C ATA LY S T S
with a platinum-carbon catalyst (60 mA/sq cm; 50 mW/sq cm), as well as improved rechargeability (180 charge cycles/30 h) versus metalbased catalysts. The new catalyst could be a replacement for high-cost platinum and other metal-based catalysts in various applications such as solar cells, metal-air batteries, fuel cells, and water-splitting systems. The team is now optimizing their process for the production of different 3D graphitic carbon materials co-doped with various heteroatoms for environmental and energy applications. Nanotechnology Now, 6 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www.nanotech-now.com/) © 7thWave Inc 2015. Original Source: Nanotechweb, 14 Apr 2015 (Website: http://nanotechweb.org) © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing 2015. Original Source: Chemical Engineering Progress, May 2015, 5-6 (Website: http:// www.aiche.org/cep) © American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2015
Novel carbonaceous nanostructures A simple and efficient hydrothermal process of making carbonaceous silver nanocables and carbonaceous nanotubes has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The process is performed under mild conditions (below 180 -C) and utilizes cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as an etchant. The process could have potential applications in biomedicines, sensors, and electrocatalysts. ChemistryViews, 6 Apr 2015 (Website: http:// www.chemistryviews.org) © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA 2015
Albemarle researchers and university partners discover new opportunities for improving FCC catalyst effectiveness A unique collaboration between catalyst researchers from Albemarle Corporation, Utrecht University, and Stanford University has led to an innovative new method for observing fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst behaviour at the nanoscale. Using X-ray nano-tomography as a powerful chemical imaging method, Albemarle and its partners have discovered that
the impurities in the feedstock can create a largely impenetrable crust on the surface of an FCC catalyst particle, preventing the feedstock from reaching the still active core. This breakthrough observation indicates that inner components of FCC catalysts are not being fully utilized, creating opportunities for catalyst optimization. Albemarle, 16 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www. albemarle.com/) © Albemarle Corporation 2015
WSU researchers develop plant oil-based polyurethane used in hoses, sealants, and more Researchers from Washington State University (WSU) have developed a new way to use plant oils to create polyurethane, a plastic material used in everything from foam insulation panels to tyres, hoses, and sealants. The new method uses vegetable oils to create materials with a wide variety of flexibility, stiffness, and shapes. In the study, the researchers made polyurethane using olive, canola, grape seed, linseed, and castor oils. The WSU researchers, working with colleagues from Iowa State and from Cairo universities, didn't use solvents or a catalyst in their production. To make polyurethane, manufacturers combine two types of chemical compounds in a reaction. One of the chemicals is a polyol, a compound with multiple hydroxyl functional groups that are available for reaction. Some oils, like linseed oil, have five or six reactive sites, making the material stiffer. Others, such as olive oil, have fewer reactive sites, making the material more flexible. WSU, 2015. Found on SpecialChem Adhesives and Sealants Formulation, 20 Apr 2015 (Website: http://www.specialchem4adhesives. com)
HyperSolar announces breakthrough in low cost fabrication of water splitting hydrogen particles On 28 Apr 2015, HyperSolar Inc, the developer of a breakthrough technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, announced that is has identified a low-cost aqueous process to produce artificial June 2015