Chemical Engineering July 2012 - 12

CHEMENTATOR
Algae-harvesting technique applied to produced water
T
echnology originally developed for dewatering
algae has shown success in separating
hydrocarbons from produced water
that results from oil and gas drilling. The
method could be used in treating produced
water for onsite re-use as hydraulic fracturing
fluid.
To harvest oil from algae, OriginOil Inc.
(Los Angeles, Calif.; www.originoil.com) developed
an electroflocculation process in
which precisely tuned electromagnetic waves
are used to bring algae cells out of aqueous
solution and rupture cell walls (see Chem.
Eng., June 2009, p. 12). The same technology
has now been used to break oil-water emulsions
in samples of produced water from oil
wells in West Texas. Third-party testing has
shown that the technology removed 98% of
hydrocarbons in the produced water sample
in a single pass.
Produced water from oil and natural gas
wells comes out of the ground with significant
levels of suspended hydrocarbons
in it, explains OriginOil CEO Riggs Eckelberry.
" We believe our proprietary process
is the most efficient method available
Oil and gas drilling
Stage 1
Flocculation
Algae production
Stage 2
Flotation
Concentrate
Clear effluent
Postprocessing
Water
purification
Extracted
hydrocarbons
Algae
concentrate
today for separating oil from produced
water, " he adds.
OriginOil recently filed two patents for
its methods of solute extraction from aqueous
media using a modular device. Eckelberry
says the company intends to pursue
licensing agreements for its technology in
the oil and natural gas industries, while
still working toward using the technology
to harvest bio-oil from algae.
REPLACING PLATINUM IN
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
(Continued from p. 11)
dalite (Na4Al3(SiO4)3), in combination with
K2CO3 could be used for reducing soot emissions.
But this K2CO3/sodalite system lost
its catalytic activity after long-term driving
tests due to the separation of potassium
carbonate from sodalite. Ogura analytically
clarified that the separation of potassium
carbonate was caused by the metallization
of potassium and the vaporization of potassium
through oxidation.
Now, Ogura has discovered that K2CO3
MAKING ARTIFICIAL WATER CHANNELS
(Continued from p. 10)
ide-incorporated side chains to the central
pillar[5]arene scaffold. The hydrazide units
in the side chains were expected to form
cylinders through intermolecular hydrogen
bonding to induce the molecules to produce
tubular structures, he says. Inserting the
molecules into the lipid membranes of vesicles
leads to the transport of water through
the channels produced by single molecules.
supported on Na-type nepheline (K2CO3/
Na-nepheline) has enhanced tolerance
against water washing after heat treatment
at 800°C. This system maintains its catalytic
function on the purification of soot in
diesel exhaust emissions after water washing
of the catalyst system.
Today, platinum-based catalysts are
widely used in catalytic converters for diesel
engines for reducing soot, hydrocarbons, oxides
of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide.
Although the K2CO3-based catalyst only reduce
soot emissions, Ogura believes it could
replace up to one half of the Pt requirements
in catalytic converters.
The channels exhibited transport activity
at a very low channel-to-lipid ratio (0.027
mol%), and achieved a water permeability of
8.610-10 cm/s.
Also, as with natural water-channel proteins,
the artificial systems also blocked
the transport of protons. The researchers
controlled the transport by controlling the
NaCl concentration inside the vesicles.
The osmotic pressure difference prevents
water inside the vesicles from coming
back out.
12 ChEMICAL EnGInEErInG www.ChE.CoM JULy 2012
Organic waste
solids
Stabilizing wine
The E.U. recently opened the
door to additional applications
for Velcorin in the wine industry.
As a result, this Lanxess AG
(Leverkusen, Germany; www.
lanxess.com) technology can
now be deployed at all stages
of wine production and for all
wines. Velcorin (dimethyldicarbonate,
DMDC) can be used
to optimize existing processes,
such as iltration or the addition
of sulites, and also as a
replacement for hot illing and
preservation with sorbates.
Matthias Bracke, senior
product manager of the Beverage
Technology business line
in Lanxess' Material Protection
Products business unit, says
" stabilizing wine with Velcorin
has no negative inluence
whatsoever on the taste, odor
or color. ... It does not alter the
character of the wine in the
slightest, it simply helps to stabilize
it. "
In wine production, Velcorin
protects the wine from microbiological
attack through undesired
microorganisms, and thus
protects it from spoilage. Especially
with high-quality wines,
which are stored in barrique
barrels for many months and
even years, there is a large risk
of attack by Brettanomyces, a
genus of yeast that gets into
the wine and frequently only
becomes noticeable in the taste
after several months. Velcorin
is said to be highly effective
against such yeasts.
Industrial
water treatment
http://www.originoil.com http://www.lanxess.com http://www.ChE.CoM
Chemical Engineering July 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering July 2012
