The research group of professor Akihiko Kondo at Kobe University (Kobe City, www2.kobe-u.ac.jp/~akondo/index_English.htm) has developed a one-step, pretreatment process for making bioethanol from cellulose and lignocellulose. The process uses an ionic liquid — which converts cellulose into a gel —…
A process for making polyols from soybean oil and glycerin has been licensed by its developer, Battelle (Columbus, Ohio; www.battelle.org), to Emery Oleochemicals Americas (Cincinnati, Ohio; www.emeryoleo.com), who intends to produce the renewably sourced polyols at prices similar to those…
Last month, Corning SAS (Avon, France), a subsidiary of Corning Inc. (Corning, N.Y.; www.corning.com), introduced the Advanced-Flow G4 Ceramic Reactor — the latest addition to the company’s line of glass flow reactors. The G4 is made of sintered-ceramic fluidic modules…
Waste-to-biofuels Valero Energy Corp. (San Antonio, Tex.; www.valero.com) is one of five companies that have invested a total of $60 million in new financing in Enerkem Inc. (Montreal, Que.; www.enerkem.com), which has developed a process to produce liquid fuels…
Stamicarbon B.V. (Sittard, the Netherlands; www.stamicarbon.com), the licensing and IP Center of Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. (www.mairetecnimont.it), has recently signed a license agreement with Tierra del Fuego Energia Y Quimica S.A., an Argentina based company controlled by shareholders from China. The…
Metso (Helsinki, Finland; www.metso.com) is supplying a 140-MWth biogasification plant to Vaskiluodon Voima Oy in Vaasa, Finland. When it starts up in December 2012, the €40-million gasification plant, which will be located next to the existing 565-MW coal-fired power plant,…
A compact, inexpensive and energy-saving continuous process to make bioethanol is being developed by professor Yoshio Katakura at Kansai University (Osaka; microbial.life-bio.kansai-u.ac.jp), in collaboration with the Kinki Bio-industry Development Organization (Osaka), Kansai Chemical Engineering Co. (Amagasaki), and Akita National College…
A novel nickel-manganese-gallium alloy, introduced by Goodfellow Corp. (Oakdale, Pa.; www.goodfellowusa.com), elongates in a magnetic field, allowing the conversion of magnetic field energy into kinetic energy. The material offers an alternative to conventional actuators, and could find other uses in…
A team led by Rice University (Houston; www.rice.edu) researcher Michael Deem has assembled a database of 2.6 million possible unique zeolites — porous silicate minerals often used as catalysts or molecular sieves. The database of potential structures could inform efforts…
Underground pipes A hand-held device for locating buried pipe will be commercialized by Sensit Technologies (Valparaiso, Ind.; www.gasleaksensors.com) under license from Gas Technology Institute (GTI, Des Plaines, Ill.; gastechnology.org.). GTI says the technology is expected to save industry millions…