Chemical Engineering November 2016 - 9

Tin-based catalyst for
photodecomposition
D
aylight-driven photocatalysts have attracted
much attention in the context of " green " technology
for reducing pollutants. Although a number
of active materials have been reported and their
applications are rapidly increasing, many are discovered
after enormous experimental efforts. Now, Isao Tanaka
and colleagues at Kyoto University (Kyoto; www.kyoto-u.
ac.jp), in collaboration with the Tokyo Institute of Technology
(TiTech) and the Nagoya Institute of Technology
(NiTech), have discovered a new photocatalyst system by
using a highly efficient screening system based on theoretical
calculations. The " discovered " catalyst - Sn(II)based
oxides, -SnMoO4 - was subsequently synthesized
and shown to have the predicted photocatalytic
activity. This catalyst was found after a " rational search "
of 3,483 known and hypothetical compounds with various
compositions and structures over the whole range of
pseudo-binary systems, SnO-MOq/2 , where M = Ti, Zr
and Hf (with q = 4); M = V, Nb and Ta (with q = 5); and M
= Cr, Mo and W (with q = 6). Screening was performed
using thermodynamic stability, band gap, and band-edge
positions by density-functional-theory calculations, which
identified -SnMoO4 as a potential target. Then, a lowtemperature
route was used to successfully synthesize
the novel crystal, which was confirmed by X-ray powder
diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy.
The -SnMoO4 catalyst has been shown to be active
for the photocatalytic decomposition of a methylene
blue solution under daylight irradiation, and its activity is
comparable to a known photocatalyst, -SnWO4.
Making bio-oils via
solvent liquefaction
A
t a pilot plant near Ames, Iowa, a team of researchers
from Iowa State University (Ames;
www.iastate.edu) and Chevron Corp. (San
Ramon, Calif.; www.chevron.com) has validated
the production of bio-oil via a new process technology
called solvent liquefaction. Developed by Chevron, solvent
liquefaction involves a proprietary solvent that is
mixed with solid biomass, such as woodchips. At moderate
temperatures and pressures, the mixture is processed
into a slurry that is extruded into a heated reactor. The
reactor operates in two distinct segments: an upper section
where gases and vapors are handled, and a lower
section for liquids and small amounts of solids. An array
of filters and separation units serve to recover bio-oil and
biochar, as well as the solvent, which is recycled back
into the process. According to the team, the resulting
bio-oil is low in oxygen, making it more stable than other
bio-oils. The pilot plant processes about one pound of
biomass each hour, and typically runs for 15-18-h shifts.
The project is supported by a four-year, $35-million
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The collaboration began in 2013 when Chevron moved
its $1.4-million Small Continuous Liquefaction Unit from
Houston to the research farm near Ames.
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Chemical Engineering November 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering November 2016
