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solutions, which produce the high- quality feedstocks needed for lubricant production. NRL operates three refineries and a petrochemicals plant in Pakistan, including the only lube production plant in the region, and processes almost 2.5 M tonne/y of crude. Press release from: Honeywell International Inc, 101 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ, USA, tel: +1 973 4552000, fax: +1 973 455 4807, website:http://www.honeywell.com (26 Jan 2012) UPM to build the world’s first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel UPM-Kymmene Corp, Finland, is to construct the first ever second generation hydrotreatment biorefinery at Lappeenranta, Finland, for the production of biodiesel from crude tall oil. The plant will turn out around 100,000 tonne/y product, which will be used for transportation purposes. It will cost about 150 M and should be completed in 2014. The plant will employ nearly 50 workers and will create another 150 jobs indirectly. A 7% annual growth in biofuels demand is forecast for the EU, which is aiming to increase the contribution of biofuels to overall transport fuels consumption to 10% by 2020. Finland is targeting a figure of 20% and expects to obtain around 25% of its biofuels from the UPM plant. Crude tall oil is a residue from the production of sulfate cellulose from softwood and a large part of this raw material will come from UPM’s Finnish pulp mills. The company is already planning a wood- based biorefinery, which will be built at Rauma, Finland, or Strasbourg, France. Original Source: Dagens Industri, 1 Feb 2012 (Website: http://di.se) (in Swedish) © di.se 2012 NEW TECHNOLOGY Bangalore firm and Novozymes to make biofuel from seaweed Global biotech major Novozymes has tied up with the Bangalore, India- based biotech start-up Sea6 Energy to conduct research and joint development of a process to produce biofuels from seaweed. The alliance will develop and utilise enzymes to convert seaweed carbohydrates to produce ethanol for fuel, fine chemicals, and fertilizers. Novozymes will provide R&D and will manufacture enzymes for the conversion process while the Bangalore firm will provide its offshore seaweed cultivation technology. The cost of the project will be borne on a 50:50 basis. Original Source: Business Line (India), 1 Feb 2012, 19 (32), 25 (Website: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com) © The Hindu Business Line 2012. Press release from: Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark, tel: +45 4446 0000, fax: +45 4446 9999, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://www.novozymes.com (31 Jan 2012) New biodiesel catalyst results in non- alkaline glycerol by-product A non-alkaline catalyst comprised of a specially treated calcium oxide derived from inexpensive limestone has been jointly developed by Sebec Co, Doshisha University, and Maeda Road Construction for application in biodiesel fuel production with non- alkaline glycerol by-product that could be used as fuel. The new catalyst does not dissolve in methanol and is largely contained in the glycerol by- product. The material was tested by Maeda, which produced a bituminous mixture using the glycerol byproduct as a substitute to heavy fuel oil A, on a trial basis, at its facilities in Miyagi Prefecture and other sites. The company validated that the fuel alternative could be commercially viable, as no problems were encountered at a plant that had been adjusted for the glycerol. The catalyst is being applied at Sebec’s Eosys biodiesel refining plants. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 19 Jan 2012 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2012 Graphene-based catalyst shows promise for fuel cells MIT scientists, doing part of their work on beamline X11 at the National Synchrotron Light Source, have made a promising graphene-based catalyst to 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 PATENTS Microchannel reactors for ODH Microchannel reactors containing mixed metal oxide catalysts made from Mo, V, and Mg oxides are used for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons to yield light olefins and for making styrene from ethylbenzene. US 8,106,249, Velocys, Plain City, OH, USA. 31 Jan 2012 Production of cyclohexyl benzene from benzene, and of phenol and cyclohexanone from it The catalyst is a complex composite of a zeolite, an inorganic oxide, and a hydrogenation metal. US 8,106,243, Exxon Mobil Chemical Patents Inc, Houston, TX, USA, 31 Jan 2012 Production of core-shell nanoparticles on carbon supports The core nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol and mixed with salts of the catalyst metals (such as Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt), and reduced by heating with hydroquinone. The products are useful in making fuel cells for vehicles. US 8,110,521, Hyundai Motor Co and SNU R&DFB Foundation, Seoul, South Korea, 7 Feb 2012 Catalyst for converting acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone The catalyst is a composite of a platinum metal on nano zinc oxide on activated charcoal. The process is a one-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 the quantities of Pt in catalysts for fuel cells for vehicles. These nanoparticulate alloys are made in controlled particle sizes in a complex multi-stage process. US 8,110,021, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Tokyo, and the State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA, 7 Feb 2012 MARCH 2012 7 FOCUS ON CATALYSTS

Catalyst for converting acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone

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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:[email protected], 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

MARCH 2012 7

F O C U S O N C A T A LY S T S