1
is in the final stages of approval. Datang has successfully started up the plant and completed an initial demonstration run. The successful attainment of this key project milestone is due to the excellent teamwork and cooperation between Davy and Johnson Matthey as technology licensor and catalyst supplier, Datang as the owner and operator and SEDIN Engineering Company Ltd, the Chinese Design Institute. The plant is one of six SNG plants that Davy and Johnson Matthey have licensed into China, and the first to start-up and produce gas. Another Davy/Johnson Matthey SNG plant is expected to start-up in 2012 with two further plants coming on stream in 2013. The plant is now being held ready for commercial operation in the winter to meet the high demand for energy supply to the major Chinese cities and especially to Beijing. Original Source: Johnson Matthey, website: http://www.matthey.com (9 Mar 2013) © Johnson Matthey plc 2013 NEW TECHNOLOGY New Fischer-Tropsch catalyst invented in Amsterdam Inspired by patents from the 1960s audio cassette recording industry, UvA chemists have now developed a new Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. It can be used for the making of synthetic fuels from natural gas and biomass. This week the research on the new nanocobalt-ironoxide catalyst was published as a VIP article in Angewandte Chemie. The catalyst was patented by the Total SA oil and gas company. Original Source: Nanotechnology Now, 6 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.nanotech-now.com/) © 7thWave Inc 2013 UOP launches new membrane element to improve contaminant removal from natural gas UOP LLC has announced the launch of a new membrane element that more efficiently removes contaminants from natural gas and reduces the amount of valuable methane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) lost during the contaminant removal process. UOP’s Separex Select membrane element is the next- generation technology to remove contaminants such as acid gas and water from natural gas. Original Source: Honeywell, 2013. Found on PR Newswire, 12 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.prnewswire.com) Biocatalysts: harvesting fungi, isolating enzymes and substituting cobalt Austrian company Cytec Austria in Graz and Werndorf and the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) have developed enzymes to replace the heavy metal cobalt in coatings. Alkyd resins often contain cobalt in order to accelerate the curing process. However cobalt is now classed as potentially carcinogenic. A new EU regulation will limit the content of cobalt in coatings to 10 ppm after 2013. At present a suitable curing is only achieved with 200 ppm cobalt. The enzyme in question is called Laccase and is able to bind fatty acid molecules in the alkyd resin coating with the aid of oxygen from the air, leading to a curing of the coating. The partnership resulted in the development of an environment- friendly coating as well as a new measuring method to monitor the curing process. Cytec provided the alkyd resin for the partnership and the research institute supplied the enzymes and scientific know-how, particularly in the biotechnology segment. The project has a budget of around 1 M and Cytec already applied for a patent. The market launch of the bio-coating is planned for 2014. Original Source: Farbe und Lack (Online Version), 12 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.farbeundlack.de/) (in German) © Vincentz Network 2013 Direvo develops consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (Direvo) has announced that it is developing a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose. Direvo has built up a processing chain from pretreatment through fermentation to downstream processing for a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid. On the basis of pretreated Miscanthus grass, Direvo fermented lactic acid on pilot scale in a single-step-synthesis. Direvo was able to show that the important step of downstream processing of free lactic acid in the fermentation matrix can be realised by standardised procedures. The downstream processing was executed in collaboration with the department of bioengineering of the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam- Bornim. Direvo’s specific, self-isolated proprietary microorganism Caldicellulosiruptor sp produces the needed enzymes to ferment the pretreated biomass and converts the emerging sugar to end products. In these processes, no cost-intensive technical enzymes have to be added. Original Source: Direvo, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Coatings and Inks Formulation, 12 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.specialchem4coatings.com) SPLASH (Sustainable Polymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons) begins research Rhodia, Avantium Chemicals, Organic Waste Systems, Lifeglimmer, and Pursuit Dynamics are among the companies involved in the four-year research project SPLASH (Sustainable Polymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons). The EU-funded project is using the algae Botryococcus braunii and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as components in the sustainable production and recovery of hydro- carbons and (exo) polysaccharides and converting them into renewable polymers. Applications would include fibres for yarns and ropes. Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London), Mar 2013, 77 (3), 14 (Website: http://www.soci.org/) © Society of Chemical Industry 2013 PATENTS Conversion of methane to liquid fuels Methane is first brominated to bromomethane and this is debrominated over a partially de- aluminated ZSM-5 zeolite. US 8,415,517, GRT Inc, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 9 Apr 2013 MAY 2013 7 FOCUS ON CATALYSTS

SPLASH (Sustainable Polymers from Algae Sugars and Hydrocarbons) begins research

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

is in the final stages of approval.Datang has successfully started upthe plant and completed an initialdemonstration run. The successfulattainment of this key projectmilestone is due to the excellentteamwork and cooperation betweenDavy and Johnson Matthey astechnology licensor and catalystsupplier, Datang as the owner andoperator and SEDIN EngineeringCompany Ltd, the Chinese DesignInstitute. The plant is one of six SNGplants that Davy and Johnson Mattheyhave licensed into China, and the firstto start-up and produce gas. AnotherDavy/Johnson Matthey SNG plant isexpected to start-up in 2012 with twofurther plants coming on stream in2013. The plant is now being heldready for commercial operation in thewinter to meet the high demand forenergy supply to the major Chinesecities and especially to Beijing.

Original Source: Johnson Matthey, website:http://www.matthey.com (9 Mar 2013) © JohnsonMatthey plc 2013

NEWTECHNOLOGY

New Fischer-Tropsch catalyst inventedin Amsterdam

Inspired by patents from the 1960saudio cassette recording industry,UvA chemists have now developed anew Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. It canbe used for the making of syntheticfuels from natural gas and biomass.This week the research on the newnanocobalt-ironoxide catalyst waspublished as a VIP article inAngewandte Chemie. The catalystwas patented by the Total SA oil andgas company.

Original Source: Nanotechnology Now, 6 Mar 2013,(Website: http://www.nanotech-now.com/) © 7thWaveInc 2013

UOP launches new membrane elementto improve contaminant removal fromnatural gas

UOP LLC has announced the launchof a new membrane element thatmore efficiently removescontaminants from natural gas andreduces the amount of valuable

methane and natural gas liquids(NGLs) lost during the contaminantremoval process. UOP’s SeparexSelect membrane element is the next-generation technology to removecontaminants such as acid gas andwater from natural gas.

Original Source: Honeywell, 2013. Found on PRNewswire, 12 Mar 2013, (Website:http://www.prnewswire.com)

Biocatalysts: harvesting fungi, isolatingenzymes and substituting cobalt

Austrian company Cytec Austria inGraz and Werndorf and the AustrianCentre of Industrial Biotechnology(ACIB) have developed enzymes toreplace the heavy metal cobalt incoatings. Alkyd resins often containcobalt in order to accelerate thecuring process. However cobalt is nowclassed as potentially carcinogenic. Anew EU regulation will limit thecontent of cobalt in coatings to 10ppm after 2013. At present a suitablecuring is only achieved with 200 ppmcobalt. The enzyme in question iscalled Laccase and is able to bindfatty acid molecules in the alkyd resincoating with the aid of oxygen fromthe air, leading to a curing of thecoating. The partnership resulted inthe development of an environment-friendly coating as well as a newmeasuring method to monitor thecuring process. Cytec provided thealkyd resin for the partnership and theresearch institute supplied theenzymes and scientific know-how,particularly in the biotechnologysegment. The project has a budget ofaround €1 M and Cytec alreadyapplied for a patent. The marketlaunch of the bio-coating is plannedfor 2014.

Original Source: Farbe und Lack (Online Version), 12Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.farbeundlack.de/) (inGerman) © Vincentz Network 2013

Direvo develops consolidatedbioprocess for lactic acid productionfrom lignocellulose

Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH(Direvo) has announced that it isdeveloping a consolidated bioprocessfor lactic acid production fromlignocellulose. Direvo has built up aprocessing chain from pretreatmentthrough fermentation to downstream

processing for a consolidatedbioprocess for lactic acid. On thebasis of pretreated Miscanthus grass,Direvo fermented lactic acid on pilotscale in a single-step-synthesis.Direvo was able to show that theimportant step of downstreamprocessing of free lactic acid in thefermentation matrix can be realised bystandardised procedures. Thedownstream processing was executedin collaboration with the department ofbioengineering of the Leibniz Institutefor Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim. Direvo’s specific, self-isolatedproprietary microorganismCaldicellulosiruptor sp produces theneeded enzymes to ferment thepretreated biomass and converts theemerging sugar to end products. Inthese processes, no cost-intensivetechnical enzymes have to be added.

Original Source: Direvo, 2013. Found on SpecialChemCoatings and Inks Formulation, 12 Mar 2013,(Website: http://www.specialchem4coatings.com)

SPLASH (Sustainable Polymers fromAlgae Sugars and Hydrocarbons)begins research

Rhodia, Avantium Chemicals, OrganicWaste Systems, Lifeglimmer, andPursuit Dynamics are among thecompanies involved in the four-yearresearch project SPLASH (SustainablePolymers from Algae Sugars andHydrocarbons). The EU-funded projectis using the algae Botryococcus brauniiand Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ascomponents in the sustainableproduction and recovery of hydro-carbons and (exo) polysaccharides andconverting them into renewablepolymers. Applications would includefibres for yarns and ropes.

Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London),Mar 2013, 77 (3), 14 (Website: http://www.soci.org/)© Society of Chemical Industry 2013

PATENTSConversion of methane to liquid fuels

Methane is first brominated tobromomethane and this isdebrominated over a partially de-aluminated ZSM-5 zeolite.

US 8,415,517, GRT Inc, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 9Apr 2013

MAY 2013 7

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