India unveils first CNG bus covering 1,000 kilometers on a single fueling

In a major step towards making India a natural gas-based economy and making CNG as the eco-friendly option for long distance transport in the country, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, unveiled India’s first long distance CNG bus. Fitted with composite CNG cylinders, it can travel around 1,000 kilometers on a single fill. The project has been executed by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) and has been achieved through pioneering design of Type IV Composite Cylinders in buses, replacing traditional very heavy Type-I Carbon Steel cylinders.

According to Pradhan, these CNG buses are being run on a pilot test, but soon they will be scaled on commercial basis. “Delhi has witnessed revolution in shift towards cleaner, gas based fuels. Over 500 CNG stations are operating in Delhi NCR today and about 1.2 million piped natural gas connections have been provided. Long haul CNG buses originating from Delhi to other locations will further drive this shift towards cleaner gas based fuels. This will improve overall ease of living of people by mitigating the problem of air pollution, ensuring a cleaner environment and reducing waiting time at CNG stations,” he said.

He also expressed that the Government wants to have “green corridors” around the national capital, with natural gas buses operating from Delhi to Chandigarh, Dehradun, Agra and Jaipur, and it is committed to promote the gas-based economy. In this regard $100 billion investment is being made in the energy infrastructure. He further said that the Government wants to begin door-to-door delivery of CNG and LNG, as is being done for diesel by mobile dispenser. The Minister added that LNG will also be added as the transportation fuel.

Moreover, Pradhan informed that a pilot project of hydrogen-blended CNG is already running in the city, and it will soon be scaled up. He said that the Government is promoting the waste-to-wealth efforts, and all sources of energy will be used to bring down India’s oil import dependency and make environment better.

Mahindra & Mahindra and Agility Fuel Solutions of the United States have partnered with IGL for this project, involving the introduction of the new concept of Type IV composite cylinders, which are 70% lighter than the Type – I (all steel) cylinders (currently being used in India). The main advantage of these cylinders is that due to its lighter weight, the number of cylinders can be increased in the vehicle thus creating more storage capacity on-board.

The buses, which used to carry only 80-100 kg of CNG with steel cylinders, can carry now 225-275 kg of CNG with the new composite cylinders, translating into a wider driving range. In addition, with more capacity of CNG in one vehicle, it is likely that there shall be reduction in queues at the CNG stations as these buses will not have to come frequently to refuel.

IGL has procured five Mahindra’s Type IV buses, which will be deliver to Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) on lease basis after the launch.

Source: Government of India

Covestro Offers Tear-resistant Polycarbonate Films for Breast Implant Packaging

Covestro has announced that it is particularly focused on premium packaging materials for high value medical devices that meet increased requirements for mechanical protection, sterilization and dimensional stability. Breast implants are sensitive products that should arrive undamaged at the treating doctor or hospital after manufacture, sterilization and transport. Covestro's Makrofol® MA507 polycarbonate film is well suitable for their packaging because it is highly transparent and allows the physician to reliably visually inspect the implant before unpacking it.

It also provides stable protection for the valuable medical device. The comparable product Makrofol® MA336 offers the same advantages, but also features a laminating film on it. Both films are characterized by high tear and impact resistance. They can be easily thermoformed and are fully compatible with the demanding autoclave sterilization process, where they need to withstand temperatures of up to 163 degrees Celsius. Both materials meet the ISO 9001:2015 quality management standard and two ASTM standard specifications for implantable breast prosthesis certification. Source: Covestro

SGL Carbon & Hyundai Extend Agreement for Fuel Cell Component Used in Automotive

SGL Carbon and the Hyundai Motor Group have announced an agreement on an early extension to the existing supply agreement for fuel cell components. The long-term agreement provides now for a substantial ramp-up of current production and delivery volumes of gas diffusion layers for the NEXO fuel cell car to support Hyundai’s objectives in the area of fuel cell drives. The investment required to fulfill this contract will not increase the overall capital expenditure budget of SGL Carbon in the next two years, as the company has reprioritized its investment projects.

Greenest Energy Technology

“The extension of the partnership with Hyundai is perfectly aligned to our strategic direction. Intelligent solutions in the area of sustainable energy are one of the key growth drivers for our company,” explains Dr. Michael Majerus, Spokesman of the Board of Management of SGL Carbon. “Whether used in a drive system in vehicles or as a stationary power supply, the fuel cell is one of the greenest energy technologies around. The market for fuel cells thus offers enormous potential for us.”

Expanding Fuel Cell Component Business

In the medium-term, SGL Carbon plans to more than quintuple its business with fuel cell components to annual sales of approximately 100 million euro. The company supplies around 200 customers around the world with gas diffusion layers for use in fuel cells. As a result of the growing demand, the company has gradually stepped up production capacity at its plant in Meitingen. 

Thanks to its technological expertise and experience, SGL Carbon can manufacture high-quality components for fuel cells on an industrial scale. To further advance the accelerated commercialization, the business with gas diffusion layers (GDL) will be transferred from the central R&D department Central Innovation to the business unit Graphite Materials & Systems (GMS) already in the fourth quarter 2019.

Clean Hydrogen-based Technology

Powered by hydrogen, the fuel cell is one of the cleanest technologies of the future. Hydrogen can be produced in a climate-neutral way using surplus energy from renewable sources. The only waste product after the reaction is water, which can be discharged in the form of water vapor. In the transport sector, the fuel cell offers greater range and a shorter refueling time than battery-powered drive systems. 

Source: SGL Carbon

Researchers Convert Forestry Biomass into High-value Chemicals

A research team, jointly led by Professor Ji Wook Jang, Professor Yong Hwan Kim, and Professor Sang Hoon Joo in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has unveiled a novel biomass conversion technology that can turn forestry biomass residues (i.e., sawdust from timber logging) into higher value fuels and chemicals. 

Researchers Introduce Fusion Catalytic System

In the study, the joint research team has introduced a fusion catalytic system that can selectively convert lignin, which forms the chief constituent of wood wastes, into higher value chemicals via solar energy.

Lignin, after Cellulose, is the second most abundant renewable biopolymer found in nature and is usually discarded as waste in the pulp and paper industry in very large amounts. Unlike Cellulose, the structure of lignin is extremely complex and lacks steric regularity. Such traits make lignin hard to break down and even harder to convert into something valuable. 

Biocatalysts, such as enzymes, are often involved in lignin degradation, thus careful quantification of the input material (i.e., hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) is important for the activation of catalysts. At present, the process of extracting lignin from biomass is handled via Anthraquinone Process. However, due to high-pressure hydrogen condition and precious metal catalysts, this was not suitable for use with enzymes.

The research team solved this issue via the development of a compartmented photo-electro-biochemical system for unassisted, selective, and stable lignin valorization. The main advantage of this system is that it involves three catalytic systems (a photocatalyst for photovoltage generation, an electrocatalyst for H2O2 production, and a biocatalyst for lignin valorization) that are integrated for selective lignin dimer valorization upon irradiation with sunlight without the need for electrical energy or additional chemicals.

System Designing

• In designing the system, the research team placed polymer electrolyte membranes as separators between cells to protect the biocatalyst from detrimental conditions generated during the reaction, thus preserved its stability and activity.
• Their results show that the photo-electro-biochemical system can catalyze lignin dimer cleavage with a 93.7% conversion efficiency and 98.7% selectivity, which far surpasses those of single-compartment (37.3% and 34.8%) and two-compartment (25.0%, 48.1%) systems.
• The system was further applied for sustainable polymer synthesis using a lignin monomer, coniferyl alcohol, with a 73.3% yield and 98.3% of conversion efficiency; however, the polymer yields of the single-compartment and the two-compartment systems were only ca. 0% and 8.6%, respectively.

“This unassisted selective lignin valorization technology could convert waste lignin to value-added aromatics and polymer without the need for any additional energy and chemicals,” says Professor Ji Wook Jang. “This could possibly overcome the problems associated with current biomass upgradation, such as its low-cost effectiveness and limited processing technology.”

“This research is significant as it presents new possibilities for converting biomass such as waste wood into aromatic petrochemicals in an environmentally friendly way,” says Professor Yong Hwan Kim. “We believe that the development and scaling-up of this technology will be a milestone for the replacement of petrochemicals with biochemicals.”

Source: UNIST

Covestro’s CO2-based Plastics Production Method Among Finalist at Award Ceremony

A team of Covestro and RWTH Aachen has developed a new method for the use of carbon dioxide as a raw material, which ranks among the year’s best innovations in Germany. The new technologies make CO2 usable in plastics production and thereby reduces fossil resources like petroleum. They made it to the final round of the renowned German President's Award for Innovation in Science and Technology, which was presented in Berlin by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

Using CO2 for Resource Conservation and Circular Economy

According to team spokesperson Gürtler, using CO2 contributes to resource conservation by partially replacing the conventional raw material oil as the sole source of carbon. At the same time, it also makes it possible to produce more recyclable plastics whose components could be recycled more easily. In addition, the circular economy will benefit from the reuse of carbon dioxide. 

“We also see considerable potential for value creation by using CO2,” stressed Gürtler, who is responsible for developing new methods and products at Covestro.

“With the new platform technology, CO2 can be used to develop a wide range of high-quality plastics,” explained Berit Stange. She is responsible for the circular economy in a leading position at Covestro and supports the marketing of the new method.

Chemical precursors with CO2 (polyols) are already on the market for producing soft foams (polyurethane) for mattresses and soft furniture. The new material cardyon® is now also used for sports flooring. Further areas of application include elastic textile fibers, insulation and car interior applications.

Custom-made Catalyst

The use of CO2 was conceived in a research breakthrough. The difficulty that CO2 has in forming chemical bonds was a great challenge that was overcome. The solution was essentially found in a custom-made catalyst. It controls the chemical reaction so that it is environmentally friendly, economical and efficient.

This breakthrough was achieved by experts from Covestro and the CAT Catalytic Center, a research institute jointly operated by the company and the RWTH Aachen. Experts had been searching for such a catalyst for decades.

Covestro Among the Three Finalists

“Team CO2”, which made it among the three finalists and presented its innovation on stage in Berlin, consists of Dr. Christoph Gürtler and Dr. Berit Stange from Covestro, as well as Professor Walter Leitner, who teaches and performs research at RWTH Aachen and the Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion. The trio played a major role in the development and market launch of this innovative method. The German President’s Prize (or “Deutscher Zukunftspreis”) is handed out annually for outstanding achievements in technology and natural science that lead to market-ready products.

Avoiding Crude Oil as Central Resource

“We are very happy that we made it to the final round. The idea behind CO2 innovation fits in perfectly with the times Fossil sources, such as crude oil can no longer be the industry’s central resource if the world is heading towards a future that is low in greenhouse gases," said Covestro CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann. 

“The award has encouraged us to continue working intensively on developing innovative solutions for greater sustainability in many areas. Together with partners from the business and scientific community, we will continue to forge ahead with the development of alternative resources, such as CO2. As a chemicals and research location, Germany can make a name for itself in this field,” adds Steilemann.

Source: Covestro