starting material could come from abiological or petrochemical source,which makes it applicable to existingcellulosic ethanol facilities.

Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 24 Feb 2014, 92 (8), 39 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) © American Chemical Society 2014

Siluria Technologies unveils innovativetechnology to convert natural gas toliquid fuels

Siluria Technologies unveiled a first-of-its-kind development unit forproducing liquid fuels from natural gasbased on Siluria’s proprietaryoxidative coupling of methane (OCM)and ethylene-to-liquid (ETL)technologies. The announcement wasmade during a ceremony at Siluria’snew facility in Hayward, CA, US whichbegan operations in Nov 2013.Siluria’s OCM and ETL technologiesform a unique and efficient processfor transforming methane intogasoline, diesel, jet fuel and otherliquid fuels. Siluria’s process employscatalytic processes to create longer-chain, higher-value materials, therebydramatically reducing operating costsand capital. At commercial scale,Siluria’s process will enable refinersand fuel manufacturers to producetransportation fuels that costconsiderably less than existingpetroleum-based fuels, while reducingoverall emissions, NOx, sulfur andparticulate matter. Fuels made withSiluria’s processes are alsocompatible with existing vehicles,pipelines and other infrastructure andcan be integrated into global supplychains.

Earlier in 2014, Siluria announcedthat it will build an OCMdemonstration plant at Braskem’s sitein La Porte, TX, US. Siluria andBraskem have also entered into arelationship to explorecommercialization of this technology.The OCM demonstration plant willbegin operations later in 2014.Siluria’s Hayward ETL facility and theLa Porte OCM demonstration plantare the last scale-up steps prior to fullcommercialization of Siluria’stechnology platform. Siluria plans todeploy its technology in a range ofcommercial settings, includingexisting ethylene producing plants, atethylene consuming sites, upstream

gas monetization, natural gasmidstream plants, as well as world-scale deployments.

Original Source: Siluria Technologies 2014. Found on Marketwired, 21 Mar 2014 (Website:http://www.marketwired.com)

Total, IFPEN and Axens launchcompetitive bioethanoldehydrogenation technology

Atol is a new dehydration technologyfor first and second generationbioethylene production developed byTotal, IFP Energies nouvelles(IFPEN), and its subsidiary Axens.IFPEN and Axens are joint owners ofthe technology and Axens isresponsible for its marketing. As partof this cooperation (which began in2011), Total developed a highperformance catalyst at its researchcentre in Feluy, Belgium. IFPENimproved the performance of thiscatalyst in terms of energy recoverythrough an innovative process. Axensthen industrialized the catalyst’sformulation and refined thetechnology to ensure energyefficiency. According to the partners,this technology ensures the profitableproduction of polymer gradebioethylene thanks to the uniqueperformance of its catalyst which isboth selective and robust. Biosourcedethylene produced using this methodis comparable to fossil fuel-derivedethylene straight from crackers. Thepurity of the partners’ bioethanolmakes it perfectly suitable forintegration into existing polymerizationunits making various types ofpolymers (such as polyethylene,polystyrene, polyethyleneterephthalate, polyvinyl chloride andacrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Atpresent only Brazilian group Braskemis planning a large scale 100%biosourced polyethylene unit usingdehydrated bioethanol feedstock.Until now, biosourced propylene andpolypropylene have been tooexpensive for standard applications.Italian company Versalis (ENI group)is also working on biosourcedethylene and recently carried out afeasibility study into building a worldscale metathesis factory to makeethylene from renewable oils at its sitein Porto Marghera, Italy, in partnershipwith US group Elevance. After ethanol

dehydration, Total, IFPEN and Axensplan to move on to higher alcoholsdehydration in order to developproduction technology for variousolefin monomers. Their aim is to meetgrowing demand for plastic materialsmade from renewable raw materials.

Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 31 Mar 2014,(670), (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (inFrench) © ETAI Information 2014

PATENTSDiesel fuel from oxygenates

Oxygenates, eg vegetable oils or fattyacid derivatives, are mixed withhydrocarbons and hydrogenatedusing conventional hydrogenationcatalysts such as supported CoMo orNiMo.

US 8,686,203, ExxonMobil Research & EngineeringCo, Annandale, NJ, USA, 1 Apr 2014

Transesterification catalysts

The object is to make esters, for useas biodiesel, from triglycerides. Thecatalyst is partially calcined limestone.

US 8,685,881, Rohm & Haas Co, Philadelphia. PA,USA, 1 Apr 2014

Ethyl acetate from acetic acid

The reaction can be conducted in thegas or liquid phase at elevatedtemperatures and pressures.Twodifferent supported metal catalysts areused. The first is from the group Ni,Pd, Pt in amounts greater than 1%.The second is from the group Cu, Co,Sn, Zn in amounts between 1 and25%. Many types of support can beused, but the examples quote calciumsilicate, silica, titania, and tungstenoxide.

US 8,680,317, Celanese International Corp, Dallas, TX,USA, 25 Mar 2014

Production of ethylene glycoldimethacrylate

This is a transesterification processusing ethylene glycol and an ester ofmethacrylic acid. The catalyst is acombination of lithium amide andlithium chloride.

US 8,686,181, Evonik Roehm GmbH, Darmstadt,Germany, 1 Apr 2014

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