Today's KNOWLEDGE Share "Gevo's breakthrough in Ethanol to Olefin process

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

U.S. GRANTS GEVO A PATENT FOR BREAKTHROUGH ETHANOL-TO-OLEFIN PROCESS

Gevo, Inc. is proud to announce the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted to Gevo, a patent for its ethanol to olefins (“ETO”) process. This patent further cements Gevo’s position as a leader in intellectual property (“IP”) surrounding bio-based renewable fuel and chemical production from alcohols.

+

Gevo has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 12,043,587 B2 covering the ETO process. This patent protects the process of using certain proprietary catalyst combinations for converting ethanol into olefins. This process is designed to give best-in-class cost and yields of olefins from ethanol, with improved energy efficiency, which is intended to help to reduce the cost of biofuels and biochemicals.

Olefins with three or four carbon atoms are key building blocks to produce fuels or chemicals. Existing technology makes ethylene, a 2-carbon olefin, from ethanol, and then additional steps are needed to produce the larger and more useful olefins, such as three or four carbon olefins (e.g., propylene and butenes). This patent protects Gevo’s ETO process, which makes three and/or four carbon olefins in addition to ethylene from ethanol in a single step with a high degree of selectivity and control, which is critical for success. The ETO process is expected to reduce energy and capital cost because of the fewer unit operations involved; and reduce complexity of the process design. The ETO process technology can be optimized to produce fuels and/or chemicals, the latter of which has been licensed to LG Chem, Ltd. (“LG Chem”) under the previously disclosed joint development agreement. Together Gevo and LG Chem are working to scale up the process for chemicals.

“We’ve been pursuing simplified alcohol to olefin technology since 2007, understanding that low cost, robust processes to make the right olefins is the critical step to make jet fuel, gasoline, and plastics. It’s our mission to make the transition practical from fossil-based to renewable fuels and chemicals,” says Dr. Pat Gruber, CEO of Gevo. “Key to making the transition are low-cost, drop-in products. The ETO process technology covered by this patent is expected to be a step-change improvement in capital cost and energy efficiency to produce biofuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”), or chemicals, such as propylene, from ethanol.”

source:Gevo,Inc

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Weld-line weakness

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Enhance your understanding of polymer behavior and their impact on end-use performance with this comparison of two polymers exhibiting distinct rheological characteristics.

Due to differences in molecular structure, these polymers diverge in their non-Newtonian behaviors, particularly in terms of viscosity.

The polymer associated with the red curve shows a significantly wider molecular weight distribution, leading to the absence of a Newtonian plateau in typical measurement windows.

This plateau is shifted out of view and could be observed at very low shear rates.

Interestingly, these polymers have identical viscosities at molding rates but display drastically different Melt Index values, which is a low shear-rate single-point viscosity measure.

In injection molding, the weld-line strength is critical.

The polymer represented by the red curve exhibits longer re-entanglement times, resulting in inherently weaker weld-lines.

In contrast, the blue curve's Newtonian plateau signifies fewer components with long relaxation times, enabling rapid inter-diffusion of polymer chains at weld interfaces.

To effectively identify weld-line weaknesses, conduct creep or fatigue tests, as they are more revealing than classical tensile tests.

Research shows that moderate re-entanglement can recover adequate stress at break in standard tensile testing.

source:Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Improved process should accelerate tire recycling

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Improved process should accelerate tire recycling

Evonik wants to help make rubber materials from scrap tires easier to re-use in the manufacture of new automobile tires. So far, the suitability of recycled rubber has been very limited because its chemical structure hampers interaction with new tire materials. A team of researchers at Evonik has now made a key step forward with a process that could make it possible to use up to four times as much recycled rubber in new tires as in the past. “That brings us much closer to the key targets of sustainability and resource efficiency in this sector,” says Christian Mani, Project Manager Circularity at Evonik.

New tire rubber is normally produced by vulcanization of raw rubber, sulfur, and other components. When heat and pressure are applied, the sulfur forms bonds with the long carbon chains in the rubber, resulting in a robust, three-dimensional network. That is also the structure of ground tire rubber from end-of-life-tires. However, since the material has already been vulcanized, its properties differ from those of non-vulcanized rubber. Currently, trade associations in the tire recycling sector therefore set an admixture of about 5 percent ground tire rubber from end-of-life-tires as the upper limit.

Consequently, only small amounts of recycled rubber powder are re-used in the manufacture of new automobile tires at present. The majority of the recycled rubber is used, for example, in the production of protective elements for playgrounds and running tracks. In addition, many end-of-life-tires still undergo thermal reprocessing as fuels for energy generation. However, Mani is sure: “Rubber is far too valuable a raw material to be used only once in tires. We want to incorporate it into a circular system.”

He and his team of researchers have now succeeded in reversing the vulcanization of rubber to a large extent. “By adding a special formulation containing vinyl silanes, the firm bonds in the recycled rubber can be split. We cleave the sulfur bridges in the rubber, yet leave as many of the long carbon chains as possible untouched,

The research team has already used these vinyl silanes successfully for devulcanization. In trials, the proportion of recyclate in the rubber blend could be increased to up to 20 percent—compared with the technical threshold of around 5 percent outlined above.

The sustainability benefits of a circular solution of this type would be tremendous: Globally, there are more than 1.3 billion passenger cars. More than 2,000 new tires are produced every minute. There is no sign that demand will end—because even electric and hydrogen-powered automobiles will use rubber tires in the future. Annual global sales of tires for passenger cars amount to over €100 billion.

source:Evonik

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Wetting agents vs Dispersants

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

What are the differences between wetting agents and dispersants?

Several types of additives can be used in the dispersion process in which solid particles, like pigments and fillers, are distributed and stabilised in a liquid.

Often two categories of additives, wetting agent (EU) and dispersants (EU), are mentioned in one breath. However, the two materials differ strongly with respect to the role they play in the system and with respect to chemical composition and morphology of the molecules they are composed of.

Functionality

It is important to have a clear view on what each raw material that is used in a paint or ink should do. The job a raw material, like an additive, must do in a system is called functionality.

Wetting agents:

Wetting is the first step in the dispersion process. The air that surrounds the solid particles in an agglomerate must be substituted by liquid. Wetting will take place when the surface tension of the liquid is low compared to the surface energy of the solid particles. Wetting will not occur when the surface tension of the liquid is too high. In that case, the surface tension of the liquid can be lowered by adding a wetting agent. A wetting agent does its job because the molecules adsorb and orient on the liquid-air interface.

Dispersants:

Solid particles attract each other. For this reason, energy is needed to separate the particles from each other in the second step of the dispersion process. Also, solid particles must be stabilised after they have been separated from each other. The particles will move to each other and glue together again when particle-particle repulsion is insufficient. The spontaneous process of gluing together solid particles in a liquid is called flocculation. The functionality of a dispersant is to prevent flocculation. Dispersants do their job because the molecules adsorb on the solid-liquid interface and assure repulsion between the particles.

Repulsion can result from two mechanisms that may either be used separately or in combination:

Electrostatic stabilisation: all particles carry a charge of the same sign.

Steric stabilisation: all particles are covered with tails dissolving in the liquid that surrounds the particles.

Source:essar.com

Drinking water pressure pipes made from chemically recycled plastic installed in Vienna, Austria

Borealis is pleased to announce the success of a value chain collaboration to develop a chemically recycled drinking water pressure pipe. Around 660 meters of polyethylene PE100-RC (crack resistant) drinking water pressure pipes based on Borealis’ transformational Borcycle™ C technology platform are being laid in Vienna, marking a significant step forward on the path to a circular economy. The installation is the result of a pilot project to help Wiener Wasser (the Vienna Water Department), increase the sustainability of its operations.

The groundbreaking initiative is the outcome of an all-Austrian partnership between Borealis, Pipelife, a solution brand of wienerberger, and Wiener Wasser—a collaboration carried out in the spirit of EverMinds™, Borealis’ platform to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.

Creating drinking water pressure pipes from recycled plastic posed a significant challenge due to the high purity and quality requirements of materials used in sensitive and demanding applications. The breakthrough was made possible by Borcycle C technology, with which polyolefin-based waste is chemically recycled into new, virgin-quality plastics that are capable of meeting stringent performance standards. Mechanically recycled polyethylene and polypropylene do not yet meet the standards required for pressure pipe applications.

The specific grade, BorSafe™ Bc HE3490-LS-H-90, contains over 90% chemically recycled content, based on a mass balance allocation. This enabled the project partners to avoid a lengthy revalidation and reapproval process. The integrity of the approach is verified by ISCC PLUS certification (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification), which covers the entire supply chain, from raw material to final product, guaranteeing compliance with strict sustainability standards.

“This is an excellent example of how our infrastructure pipe solutions are enabling life’s essentials,” states John Webster, Borealis Global Commercial Director Infrastructure. “We have a long track record of providing innovative and advanced pipe solutions for the global infrastructure industry. In expanding our offering to include more sustainable solutions, we’re pleased to continue this legacy.”

The project also leverages the considerable experience of Pipelife, an international manufacturer of piping solutions, which is part of wienerberger, one of the leading providers of innovative, ecological solutions for the entire building envelope in the areas of new buildings and renovations, as well as infrastructure in water and energy management. As manufacturers of the PE100-RC drinking water pressure pipes, Pipelife benefitted from the fact that Borcycle C grades are a drop-in solution, processable on existing equipment.

source:Borealis

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:TORLON (PAI)

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

TORLON:

Torlon® polyamide-imide (PAI) is the highest performing, melt-processable thermoplastic. The amorphous polymer has exceptional resistance to wear, creep and chemicals and performs well under severe service conditions up to 260°C (500°F). Torlon® PAI also has superior electrical and structural characteristics at high temperatures, an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion, and exceptional dimensional stability. Typical applications include non-lubricating bearings, seals, valves, compressors, and piston parts, bearing cages, bushings, and thrust washers.

Why Torlon® PAI?

Unsurpassed wear resistance in dry and lubricated environments

Maintains strength and stiffness up to 260°C (500°F)  

Very low-temperature toughness and impact strength

Excellent resistance to wear and creep under load

Resistant to most chemicals, including strong acids and most organics 

Excellent compressive strength and extremely low CLTE

Low flammability and smoke generation

Market Applications:

Parts made from Torlon® PAI polymers perform under conditions generally considered too severe for thermoplastics.

Typical applications include aircraft hardware and fasteners,

 automotive transmission and powertrain components, and oil & gas exploration and recovery equipment. The material’s excellent electrical insulating properties have made it a common choice for semiconductor fabrication and testing as well as electrical and electronic components.

Amide-imide (AI) powders are widely used in high-performance, non-stick, and corrosion-resistant coatings for a variety of other demanding industrial uses. 

source:syensqo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Packing Phase

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Understanding Shrinkage in Injection Molding: The Role of the Packing Phase

In injection molding, shrinkage is fundamentally linked to thermal expansion.

However, this relationship can become complex, especially when we factor in the "Packing Phase."

During this phase, we apply significant pressure to the molten material, allowing us to inject more grams of material into a predefined mold volume, assuming we disregard mold deformation for now.

As a result, the final shrinkage can vary widely—ranging from high shrinkage, dictated by the room pressure PvT curve (in cases where no packing is applied), to even negative shrinkage in situations of overpacking.

While the basic principles of shrinkage are driven by Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), the reality is much more nuanced.

For instance, with glass-filled polymers, increased packing pressure can influence the anisotropy-driven warpage of the material; it may even suppress warpage without affecting the CTE anisotropy itself.

source:Vito leo