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		<title>New Catalyst For Ethanol Made From Biomass</title>
		<link>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/biofuels/new-catalyst-for-ethanol-made-from-biomass/</link>
		<comments>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/biofuels/new-catalyst-for-ethanol-made-from-biomass/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:44:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Biofuels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a-new-catalyst]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[catalysts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[isobutene]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[mixed]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alternativeenergyhub.com/uncategorized/new-catalyst-for-ethanol-made-from-biomass/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Share Researchers potentially find a renewable path to fuel additives, rubber and solvents The right balance of zinc and zirconium oxides in this catalyst (purple block) converts ethanol to isobutene with low amounts of unwanted byproducts such as acetone and ethylene. RICHLAND, Wash. – Researchers in the Pacific Northwest have developed a new catalyst material that could replace chemicals currently derived from petroleum and be the basis for more environmentally friendly products including octane-boosting gas and fuel additives, bio-based rubber for tires and a safer solvent for the chemicals industry. To make sustainable biofuels , producers want to ferment ethanol from nonfood plant matter such as cornstalks and weeds. Currently, so-called bio-ethanol&#8217;s main values are as a non-polluting replacement for octane-boosting fuel additives to prevent engine knocking and as a renewable replacement for a certain percentage of gasoline. To turn bio-ethanol into other useful products, researchers at the Department of Energy&#8217;s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and at Washington State University have developed a new catalyst material that will convert it into a chemical called isobutene. And it can do so in one production step, which can reduce costs. Reported by researchers in the Institute for Integrated Catalysis at PNNL and in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at WSU, the findings appeared July 21 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. &#8220;Isobutene is a versatile chemical that could expand the applications for sustainably produced bio-ethanol,&#8221; said chemical engineer Yong Wang, who has a joint appointment at PNNL in Richland, Wash. and at WSU in Pullman, Wash., and leads research efforts at both institutions. In addition, this catalyst requires the presence of water, allowing producers to use dilute and cheaper bio-ethanol rather than having to purify it first, potentially keeping costs lower and production times faster. No Z-Z-Z for the Weary An important key to unlocking renewables to replace fossil fuel products is the catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that promotes chemical reactions of interest. The catalytic converter in a car, for example, speeds up chemical reactions that break down polluting gases, cleaning up a vehicle&#8217;s exhaust. The PNNL and WSU researchers were trying to make hydrogen fuel from ethanol. To improve on a conventional catalyst, they had taken zinc oxide and zirconium oxide and combined both into a new material called a mixed oxide &#8212; the zinc and the zirconium atoms woven through a crystal of oxygen atoms. Testing the mixed oxide out, PNNL postdoctoral researcher Junming Sun saw not only hydrogen, but &#8212; unexpectedly &#8212; quite a bit of isobutene (EYE-SO-BEW-TEEN). Hydrogen is great, but isobutene is better. Chemists can make tire rubber from it or a safer solvent that can replace toxic ones for cleaning or industrial uses. Isobutene can also be readily turned into jet fuel and gasoline additives that up the octane &#8212; that value listed on gas pumps that prevents an engine from knocking &#8212; such as ETBE. Sun Shines No one had ever seen a catalyst create isobutene from ethanol in a one-step chemical reaction before, so the researchers realized such a catalyst could be important in reducing the cost of biofuels and renewable chemicals. Investigating the catalyst in greater depth, the researchers examined what happened when they used different amounts of zinc and zirconium. They showed that a catalyst made from just zinc oxide converted the ethanol mostly to acetone, an ingredient in nail polish remover. If the catalyst only contained zirconium oxide, it converted ethanol mostly to ethylene, a chemical made by plants that ripens fruit. But the isobutene? That only arose in useful amounts when the catalyst contained both zinc and zirconium. And &#8220;useful amounts&#8221; means &#8220;a lot.&#8221; With a 1:10 ratio of zinc to zirconium, the mixed oxide catalyst could turn more than 83 percent of the ethanol into isobutene. &#8220;We consistently got 83 percent yield with improved catalyst life,&#8221; said Wang. &#8220;We were happy to see that very high yield.&#8221; Reactionary Insight The researchers analyzed the chemistry to figure out what was happening. In the single metal oxides experiments, the zinc oxide created acetone while the zirconium oxide created ethylene. The easiest way to get to isobutene from there, theoretically speaking, is to convert acetone into isobutene, which zirconium oxide is normally capable of. And the road from ethanol to isobutene could only be as productive as Sun found if zirconium oxide didn&#8217;t get side-tracked turning ethanol into ethylene along the way. Something about the mixed oxide, then, prevented zirconium oxide from turning ethanol into the undesired ethylene. The team reasoned the isobutene probably arose from zinc oxide turning ethanol into acetone, then zirconium oxide &#8212; influenced by the nearby zinc oxide &#8212; turning acetone into isobutene. At the same time, the zinc oxide&#8217;s influence prevented the ethanol-to-ethylene conversion by zirconium oxide. Although that&#8217;s two reaction steps for the catalyst, it&#8217;s only one for the chemists, since they only had to put the catalyst in with ethanol and water once. To get an idea of how close the reactions had to happen to each other for isobutene to show up, the team combined powdered zinc oxide and powdered zirconium oxide. This differed from the mixed oxide in that the zinc and zirconium atoms were not incorporated into the same catalyst particles. These mixed powders turned ethanol primarily into acetone and ethylene, with some amounts of other molecules and less than 3 percent isobutene, indicating the magic of the catalyst came from the microstructure of the mixed oxide material. Balancing Act So, the researchers explored the microstructure using instruments and expertise at EMSL, DOE&#8217;s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory on the PNNL campus. Using high-powered tools called transmission electron microscopes, the team saw that the mixed oxide catalyst was made up of nanometer-sized crystalline particles. A closer look at the best-performing catalysts revealed zinc oxide distributed evenly over regions of zirconium oxide. The worst performing catalyst &#8212; with a 1:1 zinc to zirconium ratio &#8212; revealed regions of zinc oxide and regions of zirconium oxide. This suggested to the team that the two metals had to be close to each other to quickly flip the acetone into isobutene. Experimental results from other analytical methods indicated that the team could optimize the type of chemical reactions that lead to isobutene and also prevent the catalyst from deactivating at the same time. The elegant balance of acidic and basic sites on the mixed oxides significantly reduced carbon from building up and gunking up the catalysts, which cuts their lifespan. Future work will look into optimizations to further improve the yield and catalyst life. Wang and colleagues would also like to see if they can combine this isobutene catalyst with other catalysts to produce different chemicals in one-pot reactions. Mary Beckman, PNNL, (509) 375-3688 If you want to know more about biofuels , you may click on the resources to lead you to more information. You may also use the search box to further lead you to other articles. If you want to contribute to this website, we would love to hear your suggestions! It would be great to have you share your thoughts about biofuels . Feel free to send an email to us. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Researchers  a  to  rubber  The  of  zirconium  this  block)  to  low  unwanted  as  ethylene.    the  have  new  that  chemicals  from  be  for  friendly  octane-boosting  fuel  rubber  and  solvent  chemicals  make  ,  to  from  matter  cornstalks  Currently,  main  as  replacement  fuel  prevent  and  renewable  a  of  turn  other  researchers  Department  Pacific  Laboratory  Washington  have  new  that  it  chemical  And  do  one  which  costs.  researchers  Institute  Catalysis  and  Gene  Voiland  Chemical  Bioengineering  the  July  the  the  Society.  a  that  the  sustainably  said  Yong  has  appointment  in  and  in  and  efforts  institutions.  this  the  water,  to  and  rather  to  first,  costs  production  No  the  important  unlocking  replace  products  catalyst.  is  that  reactions  The  in  for  up  that  polluting  up  exhaust.  and  were  make  from  improve  conventional  had  oxide  oxide  both  new  a  &#8212;  and  atoms  a  oxygen  the  out,  researcher  saw  hydrogen,  unexpectedly  a  isobutene  is  isobutene  Chemists  tire  it  safer  can  ones  or  Isobutene  be  into  and  that  octane  value  gas  prevents  from  such  Sun  one  seen  create  ethanol  one-step  before,  researchers  a  be  reducing  of  renewable  the  greater  researchers  happened  used  of  zirconium.  that  made  zinc  the  to  ingredient  polish  the  contained  it  mostly  a  by  ripens  the  only  useful  the  both  zirconium.  amounts&#8221;  lot.&#8221;  1:10  zinc  the  catalyst  more  percent  ethanol  &#8220;We  83  with  life,&#8221;  &#8220;We  to  very  Reactionary  researchers  chemistry  out  happening.  single  experiments,  oxide  while  oxide  The  to  isobutene  theoretically  to  into  zirconium  normally  And  from  isobutene  be  as  if  didn&#8217;t  turning  ethylene  way.  the  then,  oxide  ethanol  undesired  team  isobutene  from  turning  acetone,  oxide  by  zinc  turning  isobutene.  same  zinc  prevented  conversion  oxide.  two  for  it&#8217;s  for  since  had  the  with  water  get  of  the  to  each  isobutene  up,  combined  oxide  zirconium  differed  mixed  that  and  were  into  catalyst  mixed  ethanol  acetone  with  of  and  3  indicating  of  came  microstructure  mixed  Balancing  the  the  instruments  at  Environmental  Laboratory  PNNL  high-powered  transmission  the  that  oxide  made  nanometer-sized  A  at  catalysts  oxide  over  zirconium  worst  &#8212;  1:1  zirconium  revealed  zinc  regions  oxide.  to  that  metals  be  each  quickly  acetone  Experimental  other  indicated  team  the  chemical  lead  and  the  deactivating  same  elegant  acidic  sites  mixed  reduced  building  gunking  catalysts,  their  work  into  further  yield  life.  colleagues  like  if  combine  catalyst  catalysts  different  one-pot  Beckman,  375-3688  want  more  ,  click  resources  you  information.  also  search  further  to  If  to  this  would  hear  It  great  you  thoughts  .  to  email  </p>
<p>Read  the  />
<a  title="New  Ethanol  Biomass">New  Ethanol  Biomass</a></p>
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		<title>Company Working To Develop Solar Energy Windows</title>
		<link>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/solar/company-working-to-develop-solar-energy-windows/</link>
		<comments>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/solar/company-working-to-develop-solar-energy-windows/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:48:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Solar]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alternativeenergyhub.com/uncategorized/company-working-to-develop-solar-energy-windows/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SolarWindow(TM) technologies which enable see-thru windows to generate electricity by 'spraying' their glass surfaces with New Energy's electricity-generating coatings. These solar coatings are less than 1/10th the thickness of 'thin' films and make use of the world's smallest functional solar cells, shown to successfully produce electricity in a published peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy of the American Institute of Physics.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ which  windows  electricity  their  with  electricity-generating  solar  less  the  &#8216;thin&#8217;  make  the  functional  shown  produce  a  study  Journal  and  of  Institute  more  target="_blank"  Working  Solar  Working  Solar ]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Best Green Car of 2011: Chevrolet Volt</title>
		<link>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/transportation/best-green-car-of-2011-chevrolet-volt/</link>
		<comments>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/transportation/best-green-car-of-2011-chevrolet-volt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:25:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alternativeenergyhub.com/uncategorized/best-green-car-of-2011-chevrolet-volt/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The 2011 Chevrolet Volt became the first electric car to be chosen as the Green Car of the Year 2011. Chevrolet Volt received this honor at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which is held every year by the Green Car Journal. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car was chosen as the electric car of Posted in: Electric Cars , Industry , Transportation ]]></description>
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<p>  Chevrolet  the  car  chosen  Green  the  Chevrolet  this  the  Auto  is  year  Green  The  Volt  was  the  of  Electric  Industry  </p>
<p><img  the  />
<a  title="Best  of  Volt">Best  of  Volt</a></p>
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		<title>Power-generating clothes</title>
		<link>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/alternative-energy/power-generating-clothes/</link>
		<comments>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/alternative-energy/power-generating-clothes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:54:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[alternative energy]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alternativeenergyhub.com/?p=185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ This post is brought to you by ? Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM ? ? "Love your work. Change your world." Out and about and need to charge up your iPod? Just plug it into your...shirt? Could happen, if this new technology has anything to say about it. Someday, your shirt might be able to power your iPod just by doing the normal stuff expected of a shirt. Scientists have developed a way to generate electricity by jostling fabric with tiny wires woven inside, raising the prospect of textiles that produce power simply by being stretched, rustled or ruffled by a breeze. The research, described in the new edition of the journal Nature, combines the precision of nanotechnology with the elegant principle known as the piezoelectric effect, in which electricity is generated when pressure is applied to certain materials. -- ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ post  to  ?  ~  TM  &#8220;Love  Change  Out  and  charge  iPod?  it  Could  this  has  say  Someday,  might  to  iPod  doing  stuff  a  have  way  electricity  fabric  wires  raising  of  produce  by  rustled  by  The  in  edition  journal  the  nanotechnology  elegant  as  effect,  electricity  when  applied  materials.  rest  />
<a  title="Power-generating ]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>US government missing the boat on alternative energy</title>
		<link>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/alternative-energy/us-government-missing-the-boat-on-alternative-energy/</link>
		<comments>http://alternativeenergyhub.com/alternative-energy/us-government-missing-the-boat-on-alternative-energy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:15:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alternativeenergyhub.com/?p=186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ This post is brought to you by ? Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM ? ? "Love your work. Change your world." The idea that there is incredible potential behind the green economy of the future is exciting and hopeful. But the question today still remains, how much potential is there? Part of the answer depends on the choices governments make in supporting, for example, alternative energy. Currently in the US, that's been lacking. Here's a good article on the issue in BusinessaWeek. Referring to a recent study that projected that "the green economy could produce as many as 40 million jobs and $4.53 trillion in annual revenue by 2030," the article suggests... Despite the undeniable green momentum, a $4 trillion-plus U.S. green economy is far from likely—even in 22 years—because there simply is no "aggressive, sustained" federal policy. The federal government has failed to create and adequately fund the programs that would make the U.S. a world leader. And that's what the government should be trying to do, for reasons that go far beyond rising carbon levels. The U.S. risks falling way behind other countries in the development of green technologies. On its current course, this country could trade oil dependence for reliance on alternative energy products built by other nations already far ahead of it. It goes on to talk about the positive developments on state and local level, as well as from the private sector. But... Silicon Valley didn't become a global tech leader thanks to private equity alone. From the funding of the Arpanet, the granddaddy of the Internet, to research and development tax credits, the federal government helped the technology industry grow. The green economy envisioned by the ASES report will never be realized unless the government takes a similar approach. Despite condemning "America's addiction to oil" and promoting the importance of alternative energies in his State of the Union addresses, President Bush has consistently failed to follow through on his promises to fund for alternative energy research. He's generous with the green rhetoric, just not with actual greenbacks. "Every robust energy technology has existed because of government support and tax subsidies," says Joel Makower, editor of GreenBiz.com. "But there hasn't been the appetite [in Washington] to do that for clean energies." And if the federal government doesn't get its act together? It's not over, but the federal government needs to take meaningful action, matching the bottom-up efforts of state and local governments, activists, and venture capitalists. If it doesn't, it won't just mean jobs lost. Even worse, today's dependence on foreign oil will transform into tomorrow's dependence on foreign alternative energy technologies. -- ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ post  to  ?  ~  TM  &#8220;Love  Change  The  there  potential  green  the  exciting  But  today  how  is  of  depends  choices  in  example,  Currently  US,  lacking.  good  the  BusinessaWeek.  a  that  &#8220;the  could  many  million  $4.53  annual  2030,&#8221;  suggests&#8230;  undeniable  a  U.S.  is  likelyeven  yearsbecause  is  sustained&#8221;  The  has  create  fund  that  the  world  that&#8217;s  government  trying  for  go  rising  The  falling  other  the  green  its  this  trade  for  alternative  built  nations  ahead  It  to  the  on  local  well  the  But&#8230;  didn&#8217;t  global  thanks  equity  the  the  granddaddy  Internet,  and  credits,  government  technology  The  envisioned  ASES  never  unless  takes  approach.  &#8220;America&#8217;s  oil&#8221;  the  alternative  his  the  President  consistently  follow  his  fund  energy  generous  green  not  greenbacks.  energy  existed  government  tax  Joel  of  there  the  Washington]  that  energies.&#8221;  the  doesn&#8217;t  act  not  the  needs  meaningful  the  of  local  and  If  it  mean  Even  dependence  oil  into  on  energy  </p>
<p>Original  target="_blank"  government  boat  energy">US  the  alternative ]]></content:encoded>
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