A Short Introduction to Oil Prices and Oil Inventories Oct 2, 2009
Higher compression ratios will however make gasoline engines subject to engine knocking, also known as detonation and this can reduce an engine's efficiency or even physically damage it"------------- Compression ratio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_ratio Fischer-Tropsch process will be the basis for an ethanol production plant in Soperton GA, that should be starting production later this year or early 2010. It has certifications for a final... (Energy Pulse, CO)
Glucose could power gadgets, cars Oct 1, 2009
"What we needed was a catalyst that would extract the electrons from glucose and transfer them to an electrode." ... Conversely, hydrogen-based fuel cells like those developed by General Motors require costly platinum as a catalyst. (India Times)
Living toxin-free Sep 30, 2009
The realization Chinen calls it her catalyst not only prompted Chinen to use more organic products in her own life, but also inspired her to create Become Clean, an online business specializing in personal-care products that are free of toxic ingredients. For Chinen, who dreams of a greener, more sustainable life, it was an eyebrow-raising experience. (Honolulu Advertiser)
New Nanostructure Technology Provides Advances In Eyeglass, Solar Energy Performance Sep 30, 2009
Part catalyst and part conductor, the novel material could serve clean power applications. . (Science Daily)
Catalytic Catamarans: Common Industrial Catalyst Sports Rafts Made Of Platinum Sep 26, 2009
25, 2009) Catalysts convert useless or unwanted chemicals into useful or more desirable ones. Research in this week's Science reveals new, important details about a common catalyst: how rafts of chemically reactive platinum form in the catalyst ... The new work yields insights into how to improve the industrial catalyst for oil refining, chemicals processing and environmental uses. (Science Daily)
Peruvian Glacial Retreats Linked To European Events Of Little Ice Age Sep 26, 2009
"That was the catalyst for turning our ideas into an actual project." Licciardi returned in 2006 to the slopes of Nevado Salcantay, a 20,000-foot-plus peak that is the highest in the Cordillera Vilcabamba range. Over the next two years, he and his graduate student Jean Taggart, also a coauthor, collected more rock samples from the moraines. (Science Daily)
Smaller Isn't Always Better: Catalyst Simulations Could Lower Fuel Cell Cost Sep 22, 2009
Essentially, they investigate how particle size relates to the overall stability of a material, and their model has shown that increasing the particle size of a fuel cell catalyst decreases degradation and therefore increases the useful lifetime of a fuel cell ... One of these hurdles is the catalyst added to aid the reaction between protons, electrons and oxygen at the cathode ... Current fuel cells use platinum and platinum alloys as a catalyst. (Science Daily)
A recipe for controlling carbon nanotubes Sep 21, 2009
Case Western Reserve University researchers find mixing different metals in a catalyst can help determine structure, function ... A pair of Case Western Reserve University researchers mixed metals commonly used to grow nanotubes and found that the composition of the catalyst can control the chirality ... "We have established a link between the structure of a catalyst and the chirality of carbon nanotubes," Sankaran said. (EurekAlert!)
The Deaf And Dump Preachers Around Us Sep 20, 2009
Feature Article of Sunday, 20 September 2009. Feature Article of Sunday, 20 September 2009. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Conflict Between Plant And Animal Hormones In The Insect Gut? Sep 18, 2009
Elevated CO2 is considered to be a serious catalyst of global change. . (Science Daily)
Trafigura knew of waste dangers Sep 17, 2009
Trafigura chartered the Probo Koala and while the ship was off the coast of Gibraltar poured tons of caustic soda and a catalyst into the dirty oil to clean it - a rough and ready process known as "caustic washing". The method is cheap, but it generates such dangerous waste that it is effectively banned in most places around the world. (BBC News -- Africa)
BASF, Sumitomo to Pay $89.4 Million for Remaining Shares of NE Chemcat Sep 14, 2009
4 million as the two partners seek to improve the Japanese catalyst makers competitiveness. BASF and Sumitomo will offer 1,830 yen ($20) a share for the remaining 15. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Bio-enabled, Surface-mediated Approach Produces Nanoparticle Composites Sep 3, 2009
2, 2009) Using thin films of silk as templates, researchers have incorporated inorganic nanoparticles that join with the silk to form strong and flexible composite structures that have unusual optical and mechanical properties. This bio-enabled, surface-mediated formation approach mimics the growth and assembly processes of natural materials, taking advantage of the ability of biomolecules to chemically reduce metal ions to produce nanoparticles without harsh processing conditions. (Science Daily)
Catalyst Venture Partners Advises EVRS Ltd on GBP600,000 Equity Fundraising Sep 3, 2009
- Catalyst has Successfully Advised Accelerator Member EVRS Ltd on the Completion of GBP600,000 "Series A" Financing Provided by a Group of Private Investors ... The EVRS approach combines a well understood hydrolysis process with proprietary additives and catalysts to rapidly convert all organic matter into pure cellulose ... Richard Turner of Catalyst Venture Partners who advised on the deal said: "EVRS Ltd is one of the most exciting environmental technology companies we have seen. This... (PR Newswire)
Platinum nanocatalyst could aid drugmakers Sep 1, 2009
31, 2009) -- Nanoparticles combining platinum and gold act as superefficient catalysts, but chemists have struggled to create them in an industrially useful form. Rice University chemists have answered the call this week with a polymer-coated version of gold-platinum nanorods, the first catalysts of their kind that can be used in the organic solvents favored by chemical and drug manufacturers ... Catalysts are compounds that speed up or slow down chemical reactions without being consumed by... (EurekAlert!)
Indian Outsourcing Companies Eye $1 Billion Exxon Deal Aug 29, 2009
Research firm Gartner says the economic turbulence is a major catalyst for outsourcing of ERP systems and services. For instance, BP expects to save $500 million over five years by reducing the number of its suppliers to five from around 40 and sending more projects to be delivered from cheaper offshore locations such as India. (BusinessWeek)
'Metabolic Engineering' Could Herald The End Of Fossil Fuels In Industrial Chemical Production Aug 28, 2009
Currently the production of putrescine on an industrial scale relies on chemical synthesis, which requires non-renewable petrochemicals and expensive catalyst systems. This process is highly toxic and flammable with potentially severe repercussions for both the environment and human health. (Science Daily)
The ultimate green power Aug 20, 2009
Barber's colleagues at Imperial, led by chemist James Durrant, have developed a catalyst from rust that carried out part of the water-splitting reaction. Nocera is also working on a catalyst made from cobalt and phosphorus that splits water at room temperature ... Both Durrant's and Nocera's catalysts are many years from becoming commercial products. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
New Chemical Synthesis Could Streamline Drug Design Aug 17, 2009
In their new technique, Buchwald and his colleagues used a palladium catalyst to attach a fluorine atom to aromatic compounds ... During the new process, the palladium catalyst removes a group of atoms called a triflate attached to the aromatic compound, then replaces it with a fluorine atom taken from a simple salt, such as cesium fluoride. (Science Daily)
Chemists Discover Twisted Molecules That Pick Their Targets Aug 16, 2009
In this case, the new molecules are catalysts substances that speed up the rate of chemical transformations ... The researchers' hypothesis was that the arrangement of the surrounding twist would help determine how contacts could be made between the catalyst and surrounding molecules ... "The difference in resulting chemicals between two mirror-image molecules could be enormous, so it is crucial that a catalyst correctly make a distinction between similar structures. Once we learn the rules to... (Science Daily)
MIT researchers make carbon nanotubes without metal catalyst Aug 11, 2009
But now, researchers at MIT have for the first time shown that nanotubes can grow without a metal catalyst ... "People report new metals [as catalysts] every so often," he says ... "But now we have a whole new class of catalyst and new mechanism to understand and debate.". (EurekAlert!)
New Clues About A Hydrogen Fuel Catalyst Aug 11, 2009
A gas flows easily out of a tank, but getting hydrogen out of a molecule requires a catalyst. Now, researchers reveal new details about one such catalyst ... The results are a step toward designing catalysts for use in hydrogen energy applications such as fuel cells. (Science Daily)
* Europe posts fourth weekly gain, HSBC leads banks higher Aug 9, 2009
Markets are now searching for the next positive catalyst to move things along. . (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Fields of dreamers Aug 8, 2009
Meyer was the major catalyst behind the construction of this field. George got it built, Rule said. (Lompoc Record, CA)
Clean Harbors Completes Acquisition of Eveready Aug 4, 2009
Industrial Services provide industrial and specialty services, such as high-pressure and chemical cleaning, catalyst handling, decoking, material processing and industrial lodging services to refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, and other industrial facilities. Exploration Services provide exploration and directional boring services to the energy sector serving oil and gas exploration, production, and power generation. (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
'Shrimp Shell Cocktail' To Fuel Cars And Trucks Jul 31, 2009
Scientists in China are reporting development of a catalyst made from shrimp shells that could transform production of biodiesel fuel into a faster, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly process ... Today's biodiesel production processes, however, require catalysts to speed up the chemical reactions that transform soybean, canola, and other plant oils into diesel fuel ... Traditional catalysts cannot be reused and must be neutralized with large amounts of water another increasingly... (Science Daily)
Nanotubes May Reach A Meter Long Jul 30, 2009
As the bundle of tubes grows higher, the catalyst becomes like a kite, flying in the hydrogen and acetylene breeze that flows through the production chamber. Hauge and his team hope to follow up their work on flying carpets and nanokites with the holy grail of nanotube growth: a catalyst that will not die, enabling furnaces that churn out continuous threads of material. (Science Daily)
Nanotubes Spin As They Grow Jul 30, 2009
A few atoms of metal catalyst were placed on the tip of the FEM's needle-like probe, and carbon nanotubes grew atop the metal catalyst. An electric current was passed lengthwise through the probe and nanotube, and it projected a bright, top-down image of the nanotube onto a phosphor screen. (Science Daily)
Fuel-cell legacy Jul 17, 2009
Inside the fuel cell, a catalyst strips hydrogen into positively charged hydrogen ions and electrons. The positive ions pass across a special membrane and react with oxygen (from the air) to form water. (BBC News -- Science)
The greening of gasoline Jul 13, 2009
In the reactor, the biomass mixes with a catalyst made of silica and alumina. The reactor heats the biomass to between 400 and 600 degrees Celsius, causing it to decompose. (Boston Globe)
Method To Efficiently Produce Less Toxic Drugs Using Organic Molecules Jul 10, 2009
ScienceDaily (July 9, 2009) Nanyang Technological University (NTU) s Associate Professor Zhong Guofu has made a significant contribution to the field of organic chemistry, in particular the study of using small organic molecules as catalysts, in the synthesis process called organocatalysis ... In his study, Professor Zhong, who is from NTU s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, has successfully created the first example where an organocatalyst is able to be recycled (i ... e. multiple... (Science Daily)
A further insight into the biosorption mechanism of Pt() by infrared spectrometry Jul 6, 2009
Platinum nanomaterial is one of the significant noble metal catalysts, and the interaction of platinum with microbe is one of the key factors in influencing the size and the distribution of the platinum nanoparticles on the microbial biomass ... That knowledge could serve as a guide in the researches for improving the preparation of highly dispersive supported platinum catalyst and for fabricating new advanced platinum nanostructured devices by biotechnological methods. (BioMed Central)
Shape Matters In The Case Of Cobalt Nanoparticles Jul 5, 2009
24, 2007) Scientists have developed a new class of electrocatalyst that could help to improve the capacity of fuel cells. The active phase of the catalyst consists of nanoparticles with a platinum-rich shell. (Science Daily)
Montana biodiesel plant producing fuel from locally grown seed (9) Jul 5, 2009
Different crops require different catalyst and alcohol ratios, different times and temperatures, he said. They can also meet the different needs of their customers. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Comment on this article Jun 30, 2009
Carbon Monoxide Catalyst Could Solve Energy and Global Warming Problems ... A catalyst that converts carbon monoxide into carbon and oxygen could solve the world's need for energy, particularly energy that doesn't emit greenhouse gases ... If a catalyst could be developed that would convert carbon monoxide back into carbon and oxygen, the carbon could be used over and over again rather than being used once and producing emissions of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2). (Energy Pulse, CO)
Savings or scam? Some say contraption lowers gas use Jun 22, 2009
And while money may have been the catalyst to give hydrogen a shot, Bouton and his daughter believe they are reducing their carbon footprint by reducing emissions. Hydrogen is the wave of the future, he said. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
'Smart' process may boost economics of biofuel production Jun 6, 2009
These recyclable catalyst components work more effectively in tandem to break down cellulose into glucose -- and then convert the glucose into HMF, or 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, in a one-step process. This single-step process avoids the hurdles of current multi-step approaches, and provides for the possibility of a cost effective HMF synthesis from cellulose. (EurekAlert!)
Improving The Catalytic Converters Of Motor Vehicles Jun 3, 2009
The challenge is indeed considerable: to obtain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of removal catalysts in order to improve converters and other catalysts used by the automotive industry ... Although these catalysts are widely employed, their chemical mechanisms have hitherto been poorly understood ... The observation of very fleeting types of catalysts in the context of these mechanisms is particularly challenging. (Science Daily)
Gallagher: Little rain goes against the grain Jun 2, 2009
The moisture would feed plants while acting as a catalyst for dry fertilizer applied the past several days. "Between here and Onawa we've got two old river beds," said Bruning. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Fire destroys Chehalis truss factory May 29, 2009
The glue contains the chemical phenol resourcinol and an accompanying catalyst, and Ecology representatives are still trying to determine the total environmental impact of the glue. Until then, the business has a vacuum truck on the scene to suck up as much of the glue off the water s surface as possible, said Department of Ecology spokesperson Jani Gilbert. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Long-awaited Atomic Structure Of Well-known Enzyme Solved: Discovery Heralds New Approaches To Protein-engineered Biofuels May 22, 2009
AADase is the catalyst that that converts acetoacetate to acetone, a key component in the metabolism of carbohydrates in bacteria and a historically important enzyme whose industrial development the conversion of acetoacetate to acetone -- for cordite, the colorless, flammable substance used during World War 1 to make explosives for naval guns and as a coating for military airplane wings. Back then Chaim Weiszmann, a Russian chemist living in England isolated a bacterium that transforms... (Science Daily)
A credit card as irresistible as you are May 21, 2009
It was a long time coming -- and it might still be a long way away without the catalyst of the worst recession in 70 years combined with the manifest incompetence of the Bush administration -- but it's here, now. The hedge fund managers can tut tut all they want at the Obama administration's interventions in the affairs of Chrysler and G.M. But as a group, they only have themselves to blame for their predicament. (Salon)
Gold slips as stocks rise May 19, 2009
An anticipated bankruptcy filing by General Motors Corp. by the end of May, however, should not drastically dent platinum auto catalyst demand unless the car industry slashes production further from its current dismal level, analysts say. Platinum's auto industry demand posted a decline for the first time since 1999. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Biomass As A Source Of Raw Materials May 19, 2009
As catalyst, they used palladium metal on a carbon support, with phosphoric acid as the proton source for the reaction ... The secret is in the catalyst, which works on all of these different reactions. (Science Daily)
Synthetic catalyst mimics nature's 'hydrogen economy' May 19, 2009
Synthetic catalyst mimics nature's 'hydrogen economy ... Synthetic catalyst mimics nature's 'hydrogen economy ... By creating a model of the active site found in a naturally occurring enzyme, chemists at the University of Illinois have described a catalyst that acts like nature's most pervasive hydrogen processor. (EurekAlert!)
One sponge-like material, three different applications May 18, 2009
Designed by Northwestern University chemists, it can remove mercury from polluted water, easily separate hydrogen from other gases and, perhaps most impressive of all, is a more effective catalyst than the one currently used to pull sulfur out of crude oil ... The Northwestern researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at Western Washington University, report that their material is twice as active as the conventional catalyst used in HDS while at the same time being made of the same parts ...... (EurekAlert!)
New Fuel Cell Catalyst More Effective May 16, 2009
New Fuel Cell Catalyst Uses Two Metals: Up To Five Times More Effective ... New Fuel Cell Catalyst Uses Two Metals: Up To Five Times More Effective ... ScienceDaily (May 16, 2009) Material scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a technique for a bimetallic fuel cell catalyst that is efficient, robust and two to five times more effective than commercial catalysts. (Science Daily)
Study on fluorspar is promising - Necsa May 16, 2009
The basic building block for fluorine chemistry is hydrogen fluoride, which is also used to brighten stainless steel, as a catalyst in petrol production and as a raw material to manufacture refrigerant gases. The key raw material for hydrogen fluoride is fluorspar. (Business Report, South Africa)
Food Inc. Film Review May 15, 2009
The catalyst for the nation s conventional agriculture business evolution into a massive system of factory farms was the fast food industry. When these restaurant chains adopted an inexpensive factory system for food preparation, they reaped great economic gains. (Suite101.com)
On innovation May 14, 2009
For this to happen, I think the world is going to need some new inventions". One of Microsoft's more modest steps in this field is an application to manage a company's carbon footprint. "[It's] a dashboard for a company's carbon productive activities with which it can make informed decisions about what to do in buildings, for their people, having to manage the different types of activities such as travelling". Of course a recession may not be seen as the best time for research and development.... (BBC News -- Technology)
Poisoned Ivorians May 14, 2009
Caustic soda and a catalyst were added to the oil which reacted with the sulphur and settled to the bottom of the tank. Trafigura were then able to sell the oil, but left with a toxic sludge at the bottom of the tank. (BBC News -- Africa)
High-pressure Compound Could Be Key To Hydrogen-powered Vehicles May 13, 2009
One idea is that there might be some "alternative chemical paths, like adding some catalyst to try to stabilize the system," Lin said. If Lin and Mao succeed, ammonia borane could move one step closer to becoming an everyday storage material for hydrogen. (Science Daily)
Mazda Researchers to Receive JSAE Awards May 8, 2009
Awarded for: "Development of a high-performance particulate burning catalyst with oxygen ion conductive materials" Recipients: Kouichiro Harada, Mazda Motor CorporationHiroshi Yamada, Mazda Motor CorporationHiroki Fujita, Mazda Motor CorporationKenji Okamoto, Mazda Motor CorporationAkihide Takami, Mazda Motor Corporation. Mazda's high performance particulate combustion catalyst features an internal catalyst structure that enables the easy movement of oxygen stored within it. (JCN Network, Japan)
American Chemical Society's weekly PressPac -- April 29, 2009 May 4, 2009
The new study describes development of oil droplets equipped with chemical "engines" highly reactive catalysts that provide self-propelled motion in the presence of a chemical "fuel." This fuel consists of special substances that react in the presence of the catalyst. When the researchers placed droplets in water containing the fuel, the droplets moved in a controlled fashion toward areas with the highest concentration of fuel. (EurekAlert!)
BASF Profit Beats Estimates as Factories Shuttered to Weather Demand Slump May 1, 2009
German chemical production is falling at the fastest pace since World War II and BASF idled a steam cracker in Germany and will sell a catalyst plant in China ... The companys plastics as well as the catalysts and coatings unit lost money in the quarter, with pesticides and gas trading the only divisions to boost earnings. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Discovery Of An Unexpected Boost For Solar Water-splitting Cells Apr 28, 2009
Thirty-five years ago Akira Fujishima startled the electrochemical world by demonstrating that it also functioned as a photocatalyst, producing hydrogen gas from water, electricity and sunlight ... Increasing the available surface area is one way to boost a catalyst s performance, so a team at Northeastern has been studying techniques to build tightly packed arrays of titania nanotubes, which have a very high surface to volume ratio ... 8, 2009) Dual catalysts may be the key to efficiently... (Science Daily)
Oil hovers below US$50 Friday in Asia(updated) Apr 17, 2009
One possible catalyst for a price move is a potential production cut by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. OPEC, which next meets on May 28, has announced output quota reductions of 4. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Iron-breathing Microbes Thrive Under Glacier Apr 17, 2009
Chemical analysis of effluent from the inaccessible subglacial pool suggests that its inhabitants have eked out a living by breathing iron leached from bedrock with the help of a sulfur catalyst. Lacking any light to support photosynthesis, the microbes have presumably survived by feeding on the organic matter trapped with them when the massive Taylor Glacier sealed off their habitat an estimated 1. (Science Daily)
Case Western Reserve University engineers hit pay dirt with clay mixture Apr 15, 2009
Combined with the right materials, it can even be an electrical conductor or a catalyst for chemical reactions. "The flexibility of the clay aerogel composites is amazing," says Schiraldi. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Canadian chemists discover new "green" catalysts Apr 14, 2009
OTTAWA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A University of Toronto research team has discovered useful "green" catalysts made from iron that might replace the much more expensive and toxic platinum metals typically used in industrial chemical processes to produce drugs, fragrances and flavors. The synthesis of drugs usually relies on the use of catalysts and the expense of the catalysts influences the ultimate cost of the drug ... If the catalyst is toxic, as it usually is when platinum-metals such as... (Xinhuanet, China)
Researchers Increase Efficiency Of Photocatalysts Used In Cancer Treatments Apr 14, 2009
14, 2009) Researchers at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Castell;n have found porous polymeric materials that increase the efficiency of traditional photocatalysts in the treatment of cancer. Photodynamic therapy consists of introducing photocatalysts into tumour cells in such a way that when radiation (in the form of light) is applied, the photocatalysts destroy these cells as a result of the production of a reactive agent known as singlet oxygen ... We have found porous polymeric materials... (Science Daily)
Red-Hot Research Could Lead To New Materials Apr 11, 2009
To make the mixed network of nanoparticles, the researchers devised a one-pot sol-gel method, in which they used the gelling colloidal solution ( sol ) of one component (copper oxide) as the catalyst for the gelation of the second component (RF). In the final product, copper oxide acted as the fuse to catalyze, or ignite, the RF fuel. (Science Daily)
New Way To Split Water Into Hydrogen, Oxygen Apr 7, 2009
Although there has been significant progress towards the understanding of photosynthesis, just how this system functions remains unclear; vast worldwide efforts have been devoted to the development of artificial photosynthetic systems based on metal complexes that serve as catalysts, with little success. (A catalyst is a substance that is able to increase the rate of a chemical reaction without getting used up ... Discovery of an efficient artificial catalyst for the sunlight-driven splitting of... (Science Daily)
'Molecular Ripcord' For Chemical Reactions Apr 7, 2009
Alessio Piermattei, Dr. Karthik Sivasubramanian and Dr. Rint Sijbesma) of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, both at TU/e, is the first to have demonstrated that a catalyst can be switched from a dormant to an active state by pulling on a polymer chain, a "molecular ripcord." The researchers were able to use this catalyst to initiate a variety of chemical reactions, including polymerizations (formation of polymer chains... (Science Daily)
'First Economical Process' For Making Biodiesel Fuel From Algae Apr 1, 2009
A key advantage of this new process, he says, is that it uses a proprietary solid catalyst developed at his company instead of liquid catalysts used by other scientists today. First, the solid catalyst can be used over and over ... Second, it allows the continuously flowing production of biodiesel, compared to the method using a liquid catalyst. (Science Daily)
