Catalyst for converting acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone

solutions, which produce the high-quality feedstocks needed forlubricant production. NRL operatesthree refineries and a petrochemicalsplant in Pakistan, including the onlylube production plant in the region,and processes almost 2.5 M tonne/yof crude.

Press release from: Honeywell International Inc, 101Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ, USA, tel: +1 9734552000, fax: +1 973 455 4807,website:http://www.honeywell.com (26 Jan 2012)

UPM to build the world’s firstbiorefinery producing wood-basedbiodiesel

UPM-Kymmene Corp, Finland, is toconstruct the first ever secondgeneration hydrotreatment biorefineryat Lappeenranta, Finland, for theproduction of biodiesel from crude talloil. The plant will turn out around100,000 tonne/y product, which will beused for transportation purposes. Itwill cost about €150 M and should becompleted in 2014. The plant willemploy nearly 50 workers and willcreate another 150 jobs indirectly. A7% annual growth in biofuels demandis forecast for the EU, which is aimingto increase the contribution of biofuelsto overall transport fuels consumptionto 10% by 2020. Finland is targeting afigure of 20% and expects to obtainaround 25% of its biofuels from theUPM plant. Crude tall oil is a residuefrom the production of sulfatecellulose from softwood and a largepart of this raw material will comefrom UPM’s Finnish pulp mills. Thecompany is already planning a wood-based biorefinery, which will be built atRauma, Finland, or Strasbourg,France.

Original Source: Dagens Industri, 1 Feb 2012(Website: http://di.se) (in Swedish) © di.se 2012

NEWTECHNOLOGY

Bangalore firm and Novozymes tomake biofuel from seaweed

Global biotech major Novozymes hastied up with the Bangalore, India-based biotech start-up Sea6 Energyto conduct research and jointdevelopment of a process to produce

biofuels from seaweed. The alliancewill develop and utilise enzymes toconvert seaweed carbohydrates toproduce ethanol for fuel, finechemicals, and fertilizers. Novozymeswill provide R&D and will manufactureenzymes for the conversion processwhile the Bangalore firm will provideits offshore seaweed cultivationtechnology. The cost of the project willbe borne on a 50:50 basis.

Original Source: Business Line (India), 1 Feb 2012, 19(32), 25 (Website:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com) © The HinduBusiness Line 2012. Press release from: NovozymesA/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark, tel:+45 4446 0000, fax: +45 4446 9999, e-mail:info@novozymes.com, website:http://www.novozymes.com (31 Jan 2012)

New biodiesel catalyst results in non-alkaline glycerol by-product

A non-alkaline catalyst comprised of aspecially treated calcium oxidederived from inexpensive limestonehas been jointly developed by SebecCo, Doshisha University, and MaedaRoad Construction for application inbiodiesel fuel production with non-alkaline glycerol by-product that couldbe used as fuel. The new catalystdoes not dissolve in methanol and islargely contained in the glycerol by-product. The material was tested byMaeda, which produced a bituminousmixture using the glycerol byproductas a substitute to heavy fuel oil A, ona trial basis, at its facilities in MiyagiPrefecture and other sites. Thecompany validated that the fuelalternative could be commerciallyviable, as no problems wereencountered at a plant that had beenadjusted for the glycerol. The catalystis being applied at Sebec’s Eosysbiodiesel refining plants.

Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 19 Jan 2012(Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © TheChemical Daily Co Ltd 2012

Graphene-based catalyst showspromise for fuel cells

MIT scientists, doing part of their workon beamline X11 at the NationalSynchrotron Light Source, have madea promising graphene-based catalystto improve fuel cells.

Original Source: Nanotechnology Now, 3 Jan 2012(Website: http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story+AF8-id+AD0-44195) © 7thWave Inc 2012

PATENTSMicrochannel reactors for ODH

Microchannel reactors containingmixed metal oxide catalysts madefrom Mo, V, and Mg oxides are usedfor the oxidative dehydrogenation ofhydrocarbons to yield light olefins andfor making styrene from ethylbenzene.

US 8,106,249, Velocys, Plain City, OH, USA. 31 Jan2012

Production of cyclohexyl benzene frombenzene, and of phenol andcyclohexanone from it

The catalyst is a complex compositeof a zeolite, an inorganic oxide, and ahydrogenation metal.

US 8,106,243, Exxon Mobil Chemical Patents Inc,Houston, TX, USA, 31 Jan 2012

Production of core-shell nanoparticleson carbon supports

The core nanoparticles are dispersedin ethanol and mixed with salts of thecatalyst metals (such as Ru, Rh, Pd,Os, Ir, Pt), and reduced by heatingwith hydroquinone. The products areuseful in making fuel cells forvehicles.

US 8,110,521, Hyundai Motor Co and SNU R&DFBFoundation, Seoul, South Korea, 7 Feb 2012

Catalyst for converting acetone tomethyl isobutyl ketone

The catalyst is a composite of aplatinum metal on nano zinc oxide onactivated charcoal. The process is aone-step gas-phase condensation.

US 8,110,708, KACST, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 7 Feb 2012

Synthesis of PtCo nanoparticles

PtCo alloys are useful for reducing thequantities of Pt in catalysts for fuelcells for vehicles. Thesenanoparticulate alloys are made incontrolled particle sizes in a complexmulti-stage process.

US 8,110,021, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Tokyo, and theState University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA, 7Feb 2012

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