together with Masudeb Basu at NorthBengal University in India, has comeup with new catalyst materials fororganic syntheses which are simple,cheap, and have a longer lifetime. AsAlmQuest’s catalysts are relativelygeneral rather than specific, they donot need to be changed as frequently,and they can be used in both smalland large scale processes. AlmQuestand SeQuant are now in a partnershipaimed at commercializing the catalysttechnology.

Kemivarlden Biotech med Kemisk Tidskrift, Nov 2007,(11), 10 (in Swedish)

Biofuel briefs: sugar cane conversion

Syngenta and its technology transferand commercialization unit,qutbluebox, will collaborate with theQueensland University ofTechnology and agrobiotech firmFarmacule BioIndustries of Brisbane,Australia to develop an inexpensiveconversion process from sugarcanebagasse to biofuels. Thecollaboration will involve the deliveryof plant-expressed enzymes. It willlead to the creation of the SyngentaCentre for Sugarcane BiofuelDevelopment as well as a relatedbiocommunities pilot facility at QUTscampus in Brisbane. TheQueensland government will provideA$5.1 M ($4.6 M) funding.

Chemistry and Industry (London), 12 Nov 2007, (21),9

ENVIRONMENTBP begins AdBlue commercialisation

On 1 Jul 2007, BP Espana begancommercialising AdBlue, a syntheticproduct developed to reduceemissions from heavy goods vehicles(HGVs). The product is injected intothe selective catalytic reduction (SCR)system, setting off a chemical reactionthat converts nitrogen oxides intonitrogen and steam. All HGVs withdiesel engines manufactured sinceOct 2006 must meet Euro 4 emissionstandards, which include maximumemission limits of 3.5 g/kWh ofnitrogen oxides and 0.02 g/kWh ofparticulates.

Oilgas, Sep 2007, 40 (462), 17 (in Spanish)

Chinese to make biodiesel from waste

Qinhuangdao Leading Science andTechnology Development Co Ltd(LSTDC) is building a 100,000 tonne/ybiodiesel unit at Qinhuangdao inHebei province, China. The unit willuse an enzyme-based process for thebiological conversion of waste animalfat and vegetable oil.

China Chemical Reporter, 26 Sep 2007, 18 (27), 13

Biofuels briefs: Furanic drives on

The first engine tests for mixture ofFuranic second generation biodieseland conventional fuel has beenconcluded by Avantium at Intertek,Geleen, The Netherlands. The testsgenerated positive results, includingthe substantial reduction of fineparticulates in the exhaust gases. Thecompany hopes to develop chemicalcatalytic routes needed in Furanicsproduction. As carbohydrate-basedproducts, Furanics are useful inbioplastic production.

Chemistry and Industry (London), 12 Nov 2007, (21),9

PATENTSNano-structured grapite catalysts

Graphite has long been used as acatayst suport but not as a catalystper se. But graphite in the form ofsheets or fibres composed of nanoparticles, made using metalliccatalysts as growth centres, doeshave interesting catalytic properties.Exemplified reactions includehydrogenation, oxidation, oxidativedehydrogenation, anddehydrogenation.

US 7,307,195, Catalytic Materials LLC, Pittsboro, NC,USA, 11 Dec 2007

Additive for reducing NOx content ofoff-gases from fluid catalytic crackers

The regeneration step in fluid catalyticcracking generates NOx originating innitrogen compounds present in thefeed. This NOx is eliminated byadding a complex particulate materialto the circulating FCC catalyst. Thematerial contains an acidic metaloxide (typically an alumina/silica), ametal oxide (typically magnesia), an

oxygen storage material (typicallyceria), and a platinum group metal oralloy.

US 7,307,038, WR Grace & Co, Columbia, MD, USA,11 Dec 2007

Guard beds for protectingtransalkylation catalysts

Transalkylation processes are usedfor increasing the yields of xylenesand decreasing the yield of benzenein aromatic mixtures. Lifetimes oftransalkylation catalysts are reducedby contaminants in the feedcontaining O, Cl, S, and N species.Such species are removed by a guardbed containing a high surface-areagamma alumina.

US 7,307,034, UOP LLC, Des Plaines, IL, USA, 11 Dec2007

Staged alkylation in microchannels

There are several advantages inconducting alkylations inmicrochannels. This is the firstdescription of the staged addition ofan olefin to an alkane in amicrochannel. The catalyst can bemixed with the reactants, or depositedon the channel walls. Although thereare two schematic illustrations, thereare no examples.

US 7,304,198, Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland,WA, USA, 4 Dec 2007

Aromatic alkylation catalyst

An effective catalyst for alkylatingaromatic hydrocarbons is made byphosphating a ZSM-5 zeolite withphosphoric acid and then treating ithydrothermally under definedconditions.

US 7.304,194, Saudi Basic Industries Corp, Riyadh,Saudi Arabia, 4 Dec 2007

Fumed silica is a better binder forsolid acid catalysts

For a wide range of established solidacid catalysts for the isomerisation ofalkanes, use of fumed silica as thebinder provides better strength andcatalytic performance than other typesof silica.

US 7,304,199, ABB Lummus Global Inc, Bloomfield,NJ, USA, 4 Dec 2007

JANUARY 2008 7

F O C U S O N C A T A L Y S T S