Chemical Engineering May 2021 - 8

ics (Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen,
Germany; www.phytonics.tech),
a spinoff from the Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology (KIT; www.kit.
edu). Introduced at last month's
(virtual) Hannover Messe (April
12-16; Hannover, Germany), the
film is the result of more than seven
years of research and development
work. With its combined microand
nanostructure, it replicates
the epidermis of rose petals over
a large area. It almost completely
suppresses reflection for all wavelengths
and angles of incidence of
the light. This makes it far superior
to conventional anti-reflective coatings,
the company says.
The Phytonics film is said to increase
the yield of solar modules by
up to 10%. Posters, display panels,
traffic signs, furniture, packaging, facades
and many other applications
can also benefit from this technology.
The film provides an anti-reflective
coating for all kinds of surfaces
and gives them a " noble velvety "
appearance. Because the Phytonics
film is mechanically flexible, it is
also suitable for curved surfaces. It
is dirt-repellent and highly resistant
to environmental influences, such
as ultraviolet (UV) light, moisture and
temperature fluctuations, the company
says. It is manufactured using
a cost-effective roll-to-roll printing
method and can be applied to all
types of materials using standard
lamination processes.
SUSTAINABLE METHANOL
Perstorp Holding AB (Malmö Perstorp,
Sweden; www.perstorp.
com) is planning large-scale production
of
sustainable
methanol
from
captured carbon dioxide and
other residue streams. This could
contribute substantially towards
a climate-neutral industry. Project
AIR, which Perstorp has created
with partners, has been approved
for the next level of evaluation from
the E.U. Innovation Fund.
Project AIR is a large-scale project
that by 2025 will decrease annual
carbon emissions into the atmosphere
by half a million tons. This
will be accomplished by building the
world's largest carbon capture and
utilization unit on Perstorp's site in
Stenungsund, Sweden. Using a new
electrolysis plant and taking biogas
as a source, it will produce 200,000
ton/yr of sustainable methanol.
A final decision on what projects
will be funded by the E.U. Innovation
Fund is expected later this year.
8

Project aims to establish supply of REEs from
waste streams
A
n effort is underway to establish
an environmentally
friendly supply of rare-earth
elements (REEs) from waste
streams in the U.S. The project, undertaken
by American Resources
Corp. (Fishers, Ind.; www.american
resourcescorp.com), is focused on repositioning
assets from the coal industry
to restore a U.S.-based supply chain for
REEs and other critical elements from
environmentally problematic, REE-containing
waste streams, such as acid-mine
drainage and flyash, and end-of-life products,
such as used Li-ion batteries and
permanent magnets.
So far, the company has made eight acquisitions
of legacy coal facilities in Kentucky
and West Virginia, and has licensed
16 patents and pieces of university-held
intellectual property to capture and purify
REEs from waste. Among the key technologies
is an electrolysis process developed
by Gerardine Botte at Ohio University
(now at Texas Tech University) for
concentrating REEs from aqueous solutions
like acid mine drainage and mining
waste. American Resources is currently
building a mobile electrolysis facility that
can be transported to coal sites to generate
a processed concentrate that contains
approximately 10% REEs.
Another key technology is a two-stage
ligand-assisted displacement (LAD) chromatography
process developed at Purdue
University that can separate and purify
the various types of REEs with the hexadentate
ligand EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic
acid). American Resources is in
the process of selecting sites to assemble
a facility to carry out the chromatography.
" Our vision from the outset was to find
a viable and efficient way to capitalize on
sources of elements that are going to be
critical in a future circular economy with renewable
energy and an electrified vehicle
fleet, " explains Mark LaVerghetta, head of
finance and communications at American
Resources. " Our process is unique in that
it allows us to recycle and reprocess coalbased
waste to help create a sustainable
supply chain for REEs, while also cleaning
up environmental problems from the thermal
coal industry. "
New catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of
propane to propylene
C
onventional propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) is an endothermic,
equilibrium-limited reaction
that requires high temperatures
to achieve commercially viable per-pass
yields of propylene. Oxidative propane
dehydrogenation has the potential to
form propylene at much lower temperatures
and more selectively by controlling
the reaction kinetically, rather than thermodynamically.
However, it has proven
difficult to prevent large amounts of propane
combustion and to generate sufficient
amounts of propylene.
A new tandem catalyst designed and
developed by researchers at Northwestern
University (Evanston, Ill.; www.northwestern.edu)
has generated good results
in oxidatively dehydrogenating propane
to propylene at selectivities of 75% and
single-pass propane conversion rates of
40% at temperatures of 450°C (compared
to ~600°C for conventional PDH).
The catalyst consists of a ~2-nm shell
of In 2 O 3 grown by atomic layer deposition
(ALD) on the surface of an existing
PDH catalyst (Pt nanoparticles on Al 2 O 3
spheres). The In 2 O 3 layering leaves the Pt
nanoparticles partially exposed and brings
In 2 O 3 , which selectively catalyzes hydrogen
combustion, into close proximity with
the Pt particles. " After the H atoms are removed
from propane on the Pt catalyst,
they can diffuse across the surface to the
In 2 O 3 and form water, " explains Northwestern
professor Justin Notestein. " For
our tandem catalyst, we need to combust
the H atoms very quickly, so that the oxygen
isn't available to oxidize the propane
or propylene on the Pt surface, " he says.
" Not only can you run oxidative dehydrogenation
at lower temperatures without
hitting thermodynamic limits, but
continuous reheating is not required, as in
conventional PDH, " Notestein comments,
and the tandem catalyst design stabilizes
the platinum against sintering, lengthening
catalyst lifetime and eliminating the need
for regeneration. The work was funded by
the National Science Foundation Center
for Innovative and Strategic Transformations
of Alkane Resources (CISTAR).
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2021
http://www.phytonics.tech http://www.kit http://www.american http://www.resourcescorp.com http://www.perstorp http://www.north http://www.western.edu http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering May 2021
