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Shell and Toyota test clean fuel
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ENVIRONMENT Kemira develops catalyst to meet diesel NOx regulations Kemira has developed an ammonium formate-based catalyst for heavy-duty diesel engines that will help meet new European regulations for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and also stricter standards due to come into force in 2008. The product, Denoxium, has been demonstrated to all leading automakers in Europe, and has received an enthusiastic reception. Some companies have already started testing the product. The company is to launch production immediately at Oulu, Finland plant. The product offers advantages over competing urea-based products as it has a much lower freezing point, enabling it to function better in the cold climates of N Europe. Chemical Week, 14 Jul 2004, 166 (23) & Press release from: Kemira, Porkkalankatu 3, PO Box 330, FIN00101 Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358 (0)10 8611. Fax: +358 (0)10 862 1797. Website: http://www.kemira.com (22 Jun 2004)
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available and can also act as a building block for the development of other fuels. Chemisch2Weekblad, 7 Jul 2004 (Website: http://www.c2w.nl/welcome.html) (in Dutch)
Diesel fuel from plastic waste Plastic Energy-Hanford LLC has reported plans to transform postconsumer plastic into low-sulfur diesel fuel. The company will rent space from the Kings Waste & Recycling Authority in Hanford, CA, and hopes to start production of lowsulfur diesel fuel in about a year. The method is currently utilised in Korea and Poland and the company would be the first to use it in the USA. A catalyst is being employed in the process to break down waste plastic into distilled liquid petroleum and then distill it further into an ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and octane. Plastic Energy intends to start operating other facilities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles
SEPTEMBER 2004
The support is a functionalised porous polystyrene, made by incorporating crystals of sodium chloride in the polymer and then leaching them out. The polystyrene is functionalised by acetylation. US 6,774,194, 10 Aug 2004, Basell Technology Company BV, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Optimised vanadyl pyrophosphate catalyst Vanadyl pyrophosphate is the preferred catalyst for the selective oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride. The most active crystal plane in this catalyst is the (100) plane. A process is described wherein the development of this crystal plane can be maximised. US 6,774,081, 10 Aug 2004, CSIR, New Delhi, India
Improved phthalic anhydride process
High Performance Plastics, Jul 2004, 8
Shell and Toyota test clean fuel On 6 Jul 2004 Shell began 3 months of testing with a Gas-To-Liquids fuel in 10 Toyota cars. The combination of Shell’s GTL fuel with Toyota’s advanced diesel engine should bring about cleaner emissions without affecting engine performance. The tests are aimed at discovering the extent to which the fuel can be used in these cars without need for further modification or other costs. The GTL fuel, which Shell developed from liquid natural gas, contains lower levels of sulfur and toxic hydrocarbons than diesel and also has better burn characteristics. The use of GTL in conventional diesel engines resulted in a reduction of more than 50% in carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. GTL mixed with diesel was introduced onto the Dutch market on 18 Mar 2004 under the brand name V-Power. The Toyota diesel engines are equipped with D-CAT technology which further reduces harmful emissions. Shell’s managing director says that GTL fuel can bridge the gap prior to fully renewable energy sources becoming
Organic supports for olefin polymerization catalysts
PATENTS Synthesis of small crystal SAPO 34 SAPO 34 is a silico-aluminophosphate zeotype useful for catalysing the methanol-to-olefin process (MTO). It can be synthesised in the form of particles <400 nm in diameter if mixed templates are used, especially tetraethyl silicate plus dipropylamine. US 6,773,688, 10 Aug 2004, ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc, Houston, TX, USA
Eliminating traces of aldehydes from PET Addition of nanoparticulate magnesia to the polymerising system prevents the formation of traces of acetaldehyde which can taint the water (when the PET is used to make a container for mineral water) and discolour the plastic. US 6,774,204, 10 Aug 2004, Du Pont, Wilmington, DE, USA
Phthalic anhydride is made by the partial oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene over a vanadyl titanate catalyst. One problem with this process is the development of hot spots in the reactor. This patent addresses the problem by using two reactors instead of one, the catalysts in the reactors having different activities, and the second reactor operating at a lower temperature than the first. The catalysts’ activities are regulated by making small changes in the proportions of their components. US 6,774,246, 10 Aug 2004, BASF AG, Ludswighafen, Germany
Conversion of mixed waste plastics to hydrocarbons A complete process for converting mixed plastics, including PVC, into a useful hydrocarbon oil. The stages are: thermal cracking, catalytic cracking, hot HCl removal (the catalyst being an “alkaline metallic substance”), and cold cracking (isomerisation plus removal of S, N, and P compounds). US 6,774,271, 10 Aug 2004, T Jiang, Beijing, China
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ENVIRONMENT Kemira develops catalyst to meet diesel NOx regulations Kemira has developed an ammonium formate-based catalyst for heavy-duty diesel engines that will help meet new European regulations for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and also stricter standards due to come into force in 2008. The product, Denoxium, has been demonstrated to all leading automakers in Europe, and has received an enthusiastic reception. Some companies have already started testing the product. The company is to launch production immediately at Oulu, Finland plant. The product offers advantages over competing urea-based products as it has a much lower freezing point, enabling it to function better in the cold climates of N Europe. Chemical Week, 14 Jul 2004, 166 (23) & Press release from: Kemira, Porkkalankatu 3, PO Box 330, FIN00101 Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358 (0)10 8611. Fax: +358 (0)10 862 1797. Website: http://www.kemira.com (22 Jun 2004)
ON
C ATA LY S T S
available and can also act as a building block for the development of other fuels. Chemisch2Weekblad, 7 Jul 2004 (Website: http://www.c2w.nl/welcome.html) (in Dutch)
Diesel fuel from plastic waste Plastic Energy-Hanford LLC has reported plans to transform postconsumer plastic into low-sulfur diesel fuel. The company will rent space from the Kings Waste & Recycling Authority in Hanford, CA, and hopes to start production of lowsulfur diesel fuel in about a year. The method is currently utilised in Korea and Poland and the company would be the first to use it in the USA. A catalyst is being employed in the process to break down waste plastic into distilled liquid petroleum and then distill it further into an ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and octane. Plastic Energy intends to start operating other facilities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles
SEPTEMBER 2004
The support is a functionalised porous polystyrene, made by incorporating crystals of sodium chloride in the polymer and then leaching them out. The polystyrene is functionalised by acetylation. US 6,774,194, 10 Aug 2004, Basell Technology Company BV, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Optimised vanadyl pyrophosphate catalyst Vanadyl pyrophosphate is the preferred catalyst for the selective oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride. The most active crystal plane in this catalyst is the (100) plane. A process is described wherein the development of this crystal plane can be maximised. US 6,774,081, 10 Aug 2004, CSIR, New Delhi, India
Improved phthalic anhydride process
High Performance Plastics, Jul 2004, 8
Shell and Toyota test clean fuel On 6 Jul 2004 Shell began 3 months of testing with a Gas-To-Liquids fuel in 10 Toyota cars. The combination of Shell’s GTL fuel with Toyota’s advanced diesel engine should bring about cleaner emissions without affecting engine performance. The tests are aimed at discovering the extent to which the fuel can be used in these cars without need for further modification or other costs. The GTL fuel, which Shell developed from liquid natural gas, contains lower levels of sulfur and toxic hydrocarbons than diesel and also has better burn characteristics. The use of GTL in conventional diesel engines resulted in a reduction of more than 50% in carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. GTL mixed with diesel was introduced onto the Dutch market on 18 Mar 2004 under the brand name V-Power. The Toyota diesel engines are equipped with D-CAT technology which further reduces harmful emissions. Shell’s managing director says that GTL fuel can bridge the gap prior to fully renewable energy sources becoming
Organic supports for olefin polymerization catalysts
PATENTS Synthesis of small crystal SAPO 34 SAPO 34 is a silico-aluminophosphate zeotype useful for catalysing the methanol-to-olefin process (MTO). It can be synthesised in the form of particles <400 nm in diameter if mixed templates are used, especially tetraethyl silicate plus dipropylamine. US 6,773,688, 10 Aug 2004, ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc, Houston, TX, USA
Eliminating traces of aldehydes from PET Addition of nanoparticulate magnesia to the polymerising system prevents the formation of traces of acetaldehyde which can taint the water (when the PET is used to make a container for mineral water) and discolour the plastic. US 6,774,204, 10 Aug 2004, Du Pont, Wilmington, DE, USA
Phthalic anhydride is made by the partial oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene over a vanadyl titanate catalyst. One problem with this process is the development of hot spots in the reactor. This patent addresses the problem by using two reactors instead of one, the catalysts in the reactors having different activities, and the second reactor operating at a lower temperature than the first. The catalysts’ activities are regulated by making small changes in the proportions of their components. US 6,774,246, 10 Aug 2004, BASF AG, Ludswighafen, Germany
Conversion of mixed waste plastics to hydrocarbons A complete process for converting mixed plastics, including PVC, into a useful hydrocarbon oil. The stages are: thermal cracking, catalytic cracking, hot HCl removal (the catalyst being an “alkaline metallic substance”), and cold cracking (isomerisation plus removal of S, N, and P compounds). US 6,774,271, 10 Aug 2004, T Jiang, Beijing, China
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