"To see a world in a grain of sand" -- William Blake - Auguries of Innocence
This blog focuses on the technology of desulfurization, but in the Web-enabled world we live in, everything connects to everything else. That’s why the work of the IPCC-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (http://www.ipcc.ch/) is worth a look.
As described in the Wikipedia article, the IPCC’s work centers around achieving consensus on global policies that will (we hope) avert the looming disastrous effects of global warming.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change )
You, as a technologist, may not be interested in policy, but policy does tend to influence the direction of current research. So I invite you to glance at some of the reports available on their site.
In particular, browse the following …
IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios
Chapter 5: Emission Scenarios
5.5.2. Sulfur
source: http://www.grida.no/publications/other/ipcc_sr/?src=/climate/ipcc/emission/126.htm
Forward thinking oil majors like ChevronTexaco and Saudi Aramco recognize that it is in their best long-term interest to support the efforts of the IPCC. Scientists from these organizations participate with hundreds of others in several workgroups to produce science-based policy that will, if implemented, benefit the entire planet.
Have you ever spent several hours trying to locate an article recommended by a colleague? We can help reduce your stress level. Contact us at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Why Do I … Search LexisNexis
Oil majors like ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, and Saudi Aramco, subscribe to lots of commercial online information sources, including LexisNexis. Why? One … the oil business requires a broad range of talent, including technical, legal, accounting, recruiting, security, oil trading, human resources, and public relations. LexisNexis makes it easy for people in all these areas to stay on top of the news that helps them do their job.
Oil majors can afford to pay for site licenses for their employees. Smaller companies and independents have to be more selective.
OK, fine … but why should you, a desulfurization expert, care about news? Because searching for desulfurization on a news database helps you follow developments in desulfurization technology that you can then research in more technically oriented sources.
If your company provides access to LexisNexis, either directly through a site license or indirectly through its corporate library, take advantage of it. If your company does not provide access, LexisNexis offers a pay-as-you-go option ... visit http://web.lexis.com/xchange/ccsubs/cc_prods.asp
Wondering which online sources to subscribe to? We can help. Post your question to this blog, or send an email to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com.
Oil majors can afford to pay for site licenses for their employees. Smaller companies and independents have to be more selective.
OK, fine … but why should you, a desulfurization expert, care about news? Because searching for desulfurization on a news database helps you follow developments in desulfurization technology that you can then research in more technically oriented sources.
If your company provides access to LexisNexis, either directly through a site license or indirectly through its corporate library, take advantage of it. If your company does not provide access, LexisNexis offers a pay-as-you-go option ... visit http://web.lexis.com/xchange/ccsubs/cc_prods.asp
Wondering which online sources to subscribe to? We can help. Post your question to this blog, or send an email to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com.
Friday, October 23, 2009
How Do I … search LexisNexis?
This How Do I tip begins with a Why Do I prelude. Googling and Yahooing is second nature to online searchers. But vast as is the ocean of information available via the search engines, there are worlds of information beyond that ocean’s shores. To access this extraGoogle world, you need to visit gatekeepers like LexisNexis.
The barrier separating LexisNexis et al from Google-land is cost. You have to pay to play.
However, you can glimpse the world beyond Google at no charge. I discovered this by accident. While researching something else, I ran across the following …
“Freebies: Yes, you can get something for nothing at LexisNexis, but it takes a bit of doing. LexisNexis has a Pay-as-You-Go page, where you can set up an account with a credit card, and then buy individual articles and other information at a few bucks a pop. It's a convenient, useful and not very well-known way of accessing their content. If you sign-up, you can then search their content at no charge, and get bits and pieces of information back for free...you only pay if you then go ahead and access the full article. It's well worth the hassle.”
“LexisNexis PAY as you go: http://web.lexis.com/xchange/ccsubs/cc_prods.asp “
source: http://xooxleanswers.com/lexisnexis.aspx
Have a HowDoI?” … send it to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com … we will send you tips on how to find the information you need ... Free service!
The barrier separating LexisNexis et al from Google-land is cost. You have to pay to play.
However, you can glimpse the world beyond Google at no charge. I discovered this by accident. While researching something else, I ran across the following …
“Freebies: Yes, you can get something for nothing at LexisNexis, but it takes a bit of doing. LexisNexis has a Pay-as-You-Go page, where you can set up an account with a credit card, and then buy individual articles and other information at a few bucks a pop. It's a convenient, useful and not very well-known way of accessing their content. If you sign-up, you can then search their content at no charge, and get bits and pieces of information back for free...you only pay if you then go ahead and access the full article. It's well worth the hassle.”
“LexisNexis PAY as you go: http://web.lexis.com/xchange/ccsubs/cc_prods.asp “
source: http://xooxleanswers.com/lexisnexis.aspx
Have a HowDoI?” … send it to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com … we will send you tips on how to find the information you need ... Free service!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Time Saver Tip: How do I … ?
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. (Douglas Adams, 1952 - 2001)
Saving time is a big deal. Today’s tip … how to keep up with current developments in desulfurization technology and still have time to do your job.
First, a strategy review … there are several distinct phases in the quest for perfect desulfurization information…
• Basic research
• Applied research
• Bench scale tests
• Pilot scale tests
• Commercialization
• Optimization
If you are engaged in desulfurization research at the pilot scale, commercialization or optimization stage, this time saver tip is for you.
Pick out a handful of journals that you can scan for new desulfurization developments. The three I recommend are …
• PTQ – Petroleum Technology Quarterly(http://www.eptq.com/)
• Hydrocarbon Processing (http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/)
• Hydrocarbon Engineering (http://www.energyglobal.com/magazines/latestissue/hydrocarbon-engineering.aspx)
Each of the three covers petroleum refining applications including those specifically concerned with desulfurization. Peruse the table of contents of each issue and you will stay on top of new developments in your field.
When you find an article of particular interest, you can Google® or Yahoo!® or search your favorite online source for more information on the specifics covered by that article.
Have a “How Do I … “ question? Post it as a comment to this blog, or send it as an email to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com. We will do our best to answer the HowDoI … This is a free service … no strings.
Saving time is a big deal. Today’s tip … how to keep up with current developments in desulfurization technology and still have time to do your job.
First, a strategy review … there are several distinct phases in the quest for perfect desulfurization information…
• Basic research
• Applied research
• Bench scale tests
• Pilot scale tests
• Commercialization
• Optimization
If you are engaged in desulfurization research at the pilot scale, commercialization or optimization stage, this time saver tip is for you.
Pick out a handful of journals that you can scan for new desulfurization developments. The three I recommend are …
• PTQ – Petroleum Technology Quarterly(http://www.eptq.com/)
• Hydrocarbon Processing (http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/)
• Hydrocarbon Engineering (http://www.energyglobal.com/magazines/latestissue/hydrocarbon-engineering.aspx)
Each of the three covers petroleum refining applications including those specifically concerned with desulfurization. Peruse the table of contents of each issue and you will stay on top of new developments in your field.
When you find an article of particular interest, you can Google® or Yahoo!® or search your favorite online source for more information on the specifics covered by that article.
Have a “How Do I … “ question? Post it as a comment to this blog, or send it as an email to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com. We will do our best to answer the HowDoI … This is a free service … no strings.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
SRI International
SRI International produces valuable research in a broad range of areas, including the field of desulfurization. To quote from the SRI web …
“SRI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute conducting client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, foundations, and other organizations. SRI also brings its innovations to the marketplace by licensing its intellectual property and creating new ventures.
“For more than 60 years, since our beginnings when we were called Stanford Research Institute, our strengths have been our staff's world-leading expertise and passion for working with clients on important challenges. SRI is well known for its legacy of innovations in communications and networks, computing, economic development and science and technology policy, education, energy and the environment, engineering systems, pharmaceuticals and health sciences, homeland security and national defense, materials and structures, and robotics.
“Independent from Stanford University since 1970, SRI is a nonprofit scientific research institute formed under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and incorporated in the State of California. Get quick answers about SRI here. Also request or download our corporate overview brochures (Acrobat PDF) to get a look at who we are and how we meet important client needs. “
source: http://www.sri.com/about/
Here is an example of the results of SRI’s desulfurization research, quoting again from the SRI web …
Low Sulfur Gasoline
The Separation Science research team at SRI has developed a cost-effective process for making low-sulfur gasoline (<40 ppm). The S-containing compounds are absorbed from gasoline, using specific zeolites, which are regenerated through a displacement cycle with ammonia.
Advantage
SRI's process is much less expensive than existing methods for reducing sulfur. Because the process also avoids hydrotreating, octane-enhancing components in gasoline are not destroyed.
Opportunity
With the U.S. government mandating significantly lower legal sulfur levels in gasoline, there is a growing need for a less costly and less complex process for sulfur reduction. SRI's technology presents a strong licensing avenue for a petroleum or engineering company, including the opportunity for working in partnership with SRI during the project's development and marketing.
source: http://www.sri.com/psd/technologies/lowsulfur.html
Are you wondering which of the technology “think tanks” to use? We can help. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
“SRI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute conducting client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, foundations, and other organizations. SRI also brings its innovations to the marketplace by licensing its intellectual property and creating new ventures.
“For more than 60 years, since our beginnings when we were called Stanford Research Institute, our strengths have been our staff's world-leading expertise and passion for working with clients on important challenges. SRI is well known for its legacy of innovations in communications and networks, computing, economic development and science and technology policy, education, energy and the environment, engineering systems, pharmaceuticals and health sciences, homeland security and national defense, materials and structures, and robotics.
“Independent from Stanford University since 1970, SRI is a nonprofit scientific research institute formed under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and incorporated in the State of California. Get quick answers about SRI here. Also request or download our corporate overview brochures (Acrobat PDF) to get a look at who we are and how we meet important client needs. “
source: http://www.sri.com/about/
Here is an example of the results of SRI’s desulfurization research, quoting again from the SRI web …
Low Sulfur Gasoline
The Separation Science research team at SRI has developed a cost-effective process for making low-sulfur gasoline (<40 ppm). The S-containing compounds are absorbed from gasoline, using specific zeolites, which are regenerated through a displacement cycle with ammonia.
Advantage
SRI's process is much less expensive than existing methods for reducing sulfur. Because the process also avoids hydrotreating, octane-enhancing components in gasoline are not destroyed.
Opportunity
With the U.S. government mandating significantly lower legal sulfur levels in gasoline, there is a growing need for a less costly and less complex process for sulfur reduction. SRI's technology presents a strong licensing avenue for a petroleum or engineering company, including the opportunity for working in partnership with SRI during the project's development and marketing.
source: http://www.sri.com/psd/technologies/lowsulfur.html
Are you wondering which of the technology “think tanks” to use? We can help. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Q&A on PTQ (Petroleum Technology Quarterly)
PTQ (Petroleum Technology Quarterly / http://www.eptq.com/) is a source of superior technical articles on all aspects of petroleum refining. It also has great Q&A functionality (http://www.eptq.com/qanda.aspx?intContentID=38)
For example, a Q&A search on “sulphur” produced a number of interactive responses, including the following exchange …
Q & A > Search Results : sulphur
Q & A > Question Details
In DHDT unit suppose benzene converted to cyclohexane and then cyclohexane converted to normal hexane. What is the mechanism of this reaction? How is aromatic converted to cyclohexane then how cyclohexane ring broken and converted to n-hexane?
Answers (excerpt)
19/08/2009 A: kavirayani R Murthy, paramount Limited , krmurthy_ipcl@yahoo.com
The catalyst used for the processes like Reforming and Hydrodesulphurization reactions are of bifunctional type. Bifunctional means there are two functions incorporated in to the same catalyst. The cooperation between the acid and metal functions is important requisite for the process to proceed as well as for better performance of the catalyst. In Reforming catalyst, metal function is performed by metals like platinum or platinum-rhenium whereas in the case of hydrodesulphurization catalyst this metal function is performed by metals like Nickel or Cobolt.
Metal function derived from the active metal present on the surface of the catalyst mostly performs hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions
Acid function derived from the catalyst supports like Gama alumina, eta alumina, zeolites and other catalyst supports having strong acid sites mostly performs acid related reactions like dehydrocyclization, dehydroisomerization, hydrocracking etc. These strong acid sites present in the catalyst support produces positively charged protons in the presence of moisture. These protons on migration to the carbon portion of the organic molecule will produce positively charged carbonium ions. This imbalance of charge helps in conducting various acid controlled reactions.
For example, in dehydrocyclization reaction normal hexane gets converted to cyclohexane by closing the ring due to the presence of strong acid sites in the support The cyclohexane thus formed on the acidic support, when comes in contact with active surface platinum atoms present in the metal portion of the catalyst gets converted to benzene by taking out the hydrogen from the molecule. Because of this excellent cooperation between these two functions, these catalysts are called bifunctional catalysts.
Like dehydrocyclization reaction, another important reaction is dehydroisomerization; this once again exhibits excellent cooperation between the acid and metal functions. In dehydroisomerization reaction say methyl cyclopentane gets converted to Benzene, Here the acid in support breaks the cyclopentane (the five member ring naphthene) and reforms into a six carbon ring naphthene like cyclohexane, the cyclohexanes thus formed gets dehydrogenated on the metal portion of the catalyst to form benzene.
Thus saturated paraffins may get converted to rings or saturated rings may get cracked and gets converted to normal paraffins like cyclohexanes in this case.
Are your people underutilizing the expensive site licenses to information products like ScienceDirect and EbscoHost? We can train them to be more effective searchers. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
For example, a Q&A search on “sulphur” produced a number of interactive responses, including the following exchange …
Q & A > Search Results : sulphur
Q & A > Question Details
In DHDT unit suppose benzene converted to cyclohexane and then cyclohexane converted to normal hexane. What is the mechanism of this reaction? How is aromatic converted to cyclohexane then how cyclohexane ring broken and converted to n-hexane?
Answers (excerpt)
19/08/2009 A: kavirayani R Murthy, paramount Limited , krmurthy_ipcl@yahoo.com
The catalyst used for the processes like Reforming and Hydrodesulphurization reactions are of bifunctional type. Bifunctional means there are two functions incorporated in to the same catalyst. The cooperation between the acid and metal functions is important requisite for the process to proceed as well as for better performance of the catalyst. In Reforming catalyst, metal function is performed by metals like platinum or platinum-rhenium whereas in the case of hydrodesulphurization catalyst this metal function is performed by metals like Nickel or Cobolt.
Metal function derived from the active metal present on the surface of the catalyst mostly performs hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions
Acid function derived from the catalyst supports like Gama alumina, eta alumina, zeolites and other catalyst supports having strong acid sites mostly performs acid related reactions like dehydrocyclization, dehydroisomerization, hydrocracking etc. These strong acid sites present in the catalyst support produces positively charged protons in the presence of moisture. These protons on migration to the carbon portion of the organic molecule will produce positively charged carbonium ions. This imbalance of charge helps in conducting various acid controlled reactions.
For example, in dehydrocyclization reaction normal hexane gets converted to cyclohexane by closing the ring due to the presence of strong acid sites in the support The cyclohexane thus formed on the acidic support, when comes in contact with active surface platinum atoms present in the metal portion of the catalyst gets converted to benzene by taking out the hydrogen from the molecule. Because of this excellent cooperation between these two functions, these catalysts are called bifunctional catalysts.
Like dehydrocyclization reaction, another important reaction is dehydroisomerization; this once again exhibits excellent cooperation between the acid and metal functions. In dehydroisomerization reaction say methyl cyclopentane gets converted to Benzene, Here the acid in support breaks the cyclopentane (the five member ring naphthene) and reforms into a six carbon ring naphthene like cyclohexane, the cyclohexanes thus formed gets dehydrogenated on the metal portion of the catalyst to form benzene.
Thus saturated paraffins may get converted to rings or saturated rings may get cracked and gets converted to normal paraffins like cyclohexanes in this case.
Are your people underutilizing the expensive site licenses to information products like ScienceDirect and EbscoHost? We can train them to be more effective searchers. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Technology Alerts
One of the best things you can do for your colleagues is to produce a periodic technology alert that you send to a small but highly targeted group within your organization.
As a library researcher for Aramco Services, which serves its parent Saudi Aramco, I produced a weekly technology alert that focused on areas of interest to engineers and scientists within the Saudi Aramco enterprise. The Desulfurization blog you are reading now is a modified version of the original concept.
In the Alert, I provided a few sentences that described the content of each article profiled within the alert. I also invited those who received the alert to contact me by return email if they wanted the full text of any of the items in the Alert.
Designing the Alert in this way provided several benefits …
1) It saved valuable time on the part of the engineers and scientists.
2) It saved money. Because I spent my time searching, they spent their time doing the work for which they were paid the big bucks. This resulted in strategic cost savings for the Saudi Aramco enterprise.
3) It enabled compliance with copyright. Because I was not mounting the full text of copyright protected articles on the Intranet, we did not have to spend large amounts of money on licensing fees. At the same time, as participants in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system, we were able to provide a single copy of an article to a specific individual. In addition, as participants in the Copyright Clearance Center, we demonstrated a good faith effort to comply with copyright.
4) The feedback which resulted from requests for articles guided me in the production of future editions of the Alert.
Here is an example of the type of article I might have profiled …
Microbiology 154 (2008), 2169-2183
Review
Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels
Ghasemali Mohebali1 and Andrew S. Ball2
1 Department of Petroleum Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran, Iran
2 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
Correspondence: Ghasemali Mohebali (mohebaligh@ripi.ir)
The world is on the road to zero-sulfur fuel., Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is the most common technology used by refineries to remove sulfur from intermediate streams. HDS has several disadvantages, however.
• HDS is energy intensive
• HDS is costly to install and to operate
• HDS does not work well on refractory organosulfur compounds.
Recent research focuses on the development of alternative technologies. One possible approach is biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS). BDS can be operated in conditions that require less energy and hydrogen. BDS operates at ambient temperature and pressure with high selectivity, resulting in decreased energy costs, low emission, and no generation of undesirable side products.
This review examines the developments in the understanding of bacteria in BDS processes, assesses the technical viability of this technology and examines its future challenges.
View the full text of this article at …
http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/154/8/2169
We can help you set up a Technology Alert custom made for your target audience. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
As a library researcher for Aramco Services, which serves its parent Saudi Aramco, I produced a weekly technology alert that focused on areas of interest to engineers and scientists within the Saudi Aramco enterprise. The Desulfurization blog you are reading now is a modified version of the original concept.
In the Alert, I provided a few sentences that described the content of each article profiled within the alert. I also invited those who received the alert to contact me by return email if they wanted the full text of any of the items in the Alert.
Designing the Alert in this way provided several benefits …
1) It saved valuable time on the part of the engineers and scientists.
2) It saved money. Because I spent my time searching, they spent their time doing the work for which they were paid the big bucks. This resulted in strategic cost savings for the Saudi Aramco enterprise.
3) It enabled compliance with copyright. Because I was not mounting the full text of copyright protected articles on the Intranet, we did not have to spend large amounts of money on licensing fees. At the same time, as participants in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system, we were able to provide a single copy of an article to a specific individual. In addition, as participants in the Copyright Clearance Center, we demonstrated a good faith effort to comply with copyright.
4) The feedback which resulted from requests for articles guided me in the production of future editions of the Alert.
Here is an example of the type of article I might have profiled …
Microbiology 154 (2008), 2169-2183
Review
Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels
Ghasemali Mohebali1 and Andrew S. Ball2
1 Department of Petroleum Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran, Iran
2 School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
Correspondence: Ghasemali Mohebali (mohebaligh@ripi.ir)
The world is on the road to zero-sulfur fuel., Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is the most common technology used by refineries to remove sulfur from intermediate streams. HDS has several disadvantages, however.
• HDS is energy intensive
• HDS is costly to install and to operate
• HDS does not work well on refractory organosulfur compounds.
Recent research focuses on the development of alternative technologies. One possible approach is biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS). BDS can be operated in conditions that require less energy and hydrogen. BDS operates at ambient temperature and pressure with high selectivity, resulting in decreased energy costs, low emission, and no generation of undesirable side products.
This review examines the developments in the understanding of bacteria in BDS processes, assesses the technical viability of this technology and examines its future challenges.
View the full text of this article at …
http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/154/8/2169
We can help you set up a Technology Alert custom made for your target audience. Contact research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for details.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Search tip: Core Documents
I am not a desulfurization expert. You are. But I am good at finding things. I’m probably better at finding things than you are. I should be … I have been finding useful information for people like you for over 30 years. I believe that it makes sense for you to spend your valuable time doing what you are good at and for people like me to support your work by doing what I am good at … finding you the articles and papers you need to continue your research.
However, management often takes a different view, and expects you to do your own online searching.
If you find yourself in the position of having to do the job of library researcher in addition to the job you were hired to do, you need to follow this blog.
It is a blog focused on desulfurization, but it also focuses on search technjques I have accumulated over the course of my career in library research. You can pick up some tips and tricks that you may not have thought of … and thereby increase the effectiveness of your online searching.
Today’s search tip … Core Documents.
I have a folder on my hard drive named “Core Documents.” Within that folder are subfolders labeled according to technical topic. In my Desulfurization subfolder, some of the core documents are …
A Literature Review on Cold Cracking of Petroleum Crude Oil (2006)
Bacterial Degradation of Aromatic Compunds (2009)
Basic research needs-Catalysis for energy (2007)
Bibliometric Analysis for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Office of Research and Development's Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) (2009)
Motor Gasolines Technical Review (2008)
Frontiers in Catalysis-Advanced Synthesis, Characterization, Modeling (2009)
Overview of FCC Gasoline Post-Treating Technologies (2008)
Petroleum biotechnology-Technology trends for the future (2009)
Toward the computational design of solid catalysts (2009)
I review these core documents whenever I am asked to find information on a particular topic. They provide key words, names of significant researchers in the field, and a context within which to organize the key concepts of the technology in question.
Most of these core documents are the accidental result of searches on other topics. When I find one that may be of future interest, I download it and save it in the appropriate folder.
This saves a huge amount of time whenever I am asked to research a particular topic. You are an expert in your field, but as the focus shifts to related, but less familiar fields, you can get a leg up by finding and perusing a relevant review in that field.
Comments? Let me know at research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
However, management often takes a different view, and expects you to do your own online searching.
If you find yourself in the position of having to do the job of library researcher in addition to the job you were hired to do, you need to follow this blog.
It is a blog focused on desulfurization, but it also focuses on search technjques I have accumulated over the course of my career in library research. You can pick up some tips and tricks that you may not have thought of … and thereby increase the effectiveness of your online searching.
Today’s search tip … Core Documents.
I have a folder on my hard drive named “Core Documents.” Within that folder are subfolders labeled according to technical topic. In my Desulfurization subfolder, some of the core documents are …
A Literature Review on Cold Cracking of Petroleum Crude Oil (2006)
Bacterial Degradation of Aromatic Compunds (2009)
Basic research needs-Catalysis for energy (2007)
Bibliometric Analysis for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Office of Research and Development's Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) (2009)
Motor Gasolines Technical Review (2008)
Frontiers in Catalysis-Advanced Synthesis, Characterization, Modeling (2009)
Overview of FCC Gasoline Post-Treating Technologies (2008)
Petroleum biotechnology-Technology trends for the future (2009)
Toward the computational design of solid catalysts (2009)
I review these core documents whenever I am asked to find information on a particular topic. They provide key words, names of significant researchers in the field, and a context within which to organize the key concepts of the technology in question.
Most of these core documents are the accidental result of searches on other topics. When I find one that may be of future interest, I download it and save it in the appropriate folder.
This saves a huge amount of time whenever I am asked to research a particular topic. You are an expert in your field, but as the focus shifts to related, but less familiar fields, you can get a leg up by finding and perusing a relevant review in that field.
Comments? Let me know at research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Key
Key words are so important to effective searching that I keep a key word list that I use to jump start a research request. Here a small sample from the list ...
Proteomics
Metabolomics
Integrated membrane process for treating desulfurization effluent
sulphur-resistant noble metal hydrotreating catalyst
aromatic heterocyclic sulfur
nanocrystalline metal oxides
Dibenzothiophene
dimethyldibenzothiophene
“ionic liquids” +diesel
“oxidative desulfurization”
nanoclusters +HDS
chalcogels
“Adsorptive desulfurization”
“extractive desulfurization”
“π-complexation”
desulfurization +"room temperature"
zeolite desulfurization 2009
ConocoPhillips SZorb
Nanostructured Catalytic Membranes
Nanoporous Catalytic Membranes
“heterogeneous catalysis” +desulfurization
Surface and interfacial dynamics
surface molecular dynamics
vibrational energy transfer
interface nonlinear optical spectroscopy
ultrafast interface spectroscopy
surface vibrational spectroscopy
nanoparticle spectroscopy
photopolymer kinetics
organic optical materials
SARS – Selective Absorption for Removal of Sulfur
bacteria dibenzothiophene 2009
4S pathway
biodesulfurization
With each successful search I perform, I note and record new key words to add to my list.
Have you ever wondered how find the time to do everything you need to do? We can help. Remember, our research supports your research. Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more details.
Proteomics
Metabolomics
Integrated membrane process for treating desulfurization effluent
sulphur-resistant noble metal hydrotreating catalyst
aromatic heterocyclic sulfur
nanocrystalline metal oxides
Dibenzothiophene
dimethyldibenzothiophene
“ionic liquids” +diesel
“oxidative desulfurization”
nanoclusters +HDS
chalcogels
“Adsorptive desulfurization”
“extractive desulfurization”
“π-complexation”
desulfurization +"room temperature"
zeolite desulfurization 2009
ConocoPhillips SZorb
Nanostructured Catalytic Membranes
Nanoporous Catalytic Membranes
“heterogeneous catalysis” +desulfurization
Surface and interfacial dynamics
surface molecular dynamics
vibrational energy transfer
interface nonlinear optical spectroscopy
ultrafast interface spectroscopy
surface vibrational spectroscopy
nanoparticle spectroscopy
photopolymer kinetics
organic optical materials
SARS – Selective Absorption for Removal of Sulfur
bacteria dibenzothiophene 2009
4S pathway
biodesulfurization
With each successful search I perform, I note and record new key words to add to my list.
Have you ever wondered how find the time to do everything you need to do? We can help. Remember, our research supports your research. Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more details.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Microbial Biodesulfurization Of Dibenzo-Thiophene In Egyptian Petroleum Crude Oil
MEOR - Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery - is a hot topic in desulfurization. We ran across the following article in a recent search ...
Microbial Biodesulfurization Of Dibenzo-Thiophene In Egyptian Petroleum Crude Oil (2009)
Biodesulfurization has been studied as an alternative to HDS for removal of organic sulfur from fuels. The use of hydrocarbon degradation pathways that attacked DBT was unsuccessful because these systems relied on the oxidation and mineralization of the carbon skeleton instead of sulfur removal. Therefore, it significantly reduced the fuel value of the desulfurized end product. More recently, bacteria that desulfurize DBT and a variety of other organic sulfur compounds typically found in petroleum oils via a sulfur selective oxidative pathway that does not remove carbon have been isolated. This pathway involves the sequentional oxidation of the sulfur moiety followed by cleavage of the carbon sulfur bonds (Monticello et al., 1985; Grossman, 1996).
This study aims to isolate, purify and identify some microorganisms that have the ability to degrade DBT and fossil fuelbiodesulfurization (sulfur removal) without concomitant metabolism of hydrocarbon value of the fuel. In this study we describe of the microbial desulfurization of DBT by two yeast isolates under the best culture conditions and its application. The possibility of using these isolates for application was discussed.
Source:
http://egyptseb.org/journal/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=downloadFile&JAS_File_id=194
Follow this blog for desulfurization alerts and tips on how to make your own searches more effective. Let us know what particular aspect of desulfurization interests you by emailing us at:
research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
Microbial Biodesulfurization Of Dibenzo-Thiophene In Egyptian Petroleum Crude Oil (2009)
Biodesulfurization has been studied as an alternative to HDS for removal of organic sulfur from fuels. The use of hydrocarbon degradation pathways that attacked DBT was unsuccessful because these systems relied on the oxidation and mineralization of the carbon skeleton instead of sulfur removal. Therefore, it significantly reduced the fuel value of the desulfurized end product. More recently, bacteria that desulfurize DBT and a variety of other organic sulfur compounds typically found in petroleum oils via a sulfur selective oxidative pathway that does not remove carbon have been isolated. This pathway involves the sequentional oxidation of the sulfur moiety followed by cleavage of the carbon sulfur bonds (Monticello et al., 1985; Grossman, 1996).
This study aims to isolate, purify and identify some microorganisms that have the ability to degrade DBT and fossil fuelbiodesulfurization (sulfur removal) without concomitant metabolism of hydrocarbon value of the fuel. In this study we describe of the microbial desulfurization of DBT by two yeast isolates under the best culture conditions and its application. The possibility of using these isolates for application was discussed.
Source:
http://egyptseb.org/journal/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=downloadFile&JAS_File_id=194
Follow this blog for desulfurization alerts and tips on how to make your own searches more effective. Let us know what particular aspect of desulfurization interests you by emailing us at:
research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A kinetic study on biodesulfurization of di-benzothiophene in a downflow jet loop
Iran gets a lot of bad press in the U.S., but some interesting research is coming out of that country. Example …
A kinetic study on biodesulfurization of di-benzothiophene in a downflow jet loop (Iran)(2008)
19th World Petroleum Conference, Spain 2008
Forum 09: Latest advances and novel processes for deep desulfurization
From the Introduction
"Some organic sulfur compounds can only be eliminated by biological methods. Microbial desulfurization may be carried out both aerobically and anaerobically. In this study, anaerobic bacteria have been applied. In the presence of either hydrogen or nitrogen gases the sulfur organic compounds are reduced by the anaerobic bacteria. The products of reactions are H2S gas and organic compounds free from sulfur. One of the advantages of anerobic desulfurization is that no loss in the amount of oil is encountered by application of such processes. In addition, these reactions are more compatible with conventional hydrodesulfurization process applied in industry.
"In this study desulfurization of DBT (di-benzothiophene) by D. desulfuricans in an anaerobic jar without injection of hydrogen has been investigated. In addition, such a process has been conducted in a DJR (down flow jet loop bioreactor) system, with the injection of hydrogen.
"The results obtained from this study have been compared with those determined under different reaction methods."
View the full text of this paper at …
http://www.kgu.or.kr/download.php?tb=bbs_017&fn=5abe291428ef97a6efb630b92856c468.pdf&rn=509.pdf
If you like this blog, let me know at ...
research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
A kinetic study on biodesulfurization of di-benzothiophene in a downflow jet loop (Iran)(2008)
19th World Petroleum Conference, Spain 2008
Forum 09: Latest advances and novel processes for deep desulfurization
From the Introduction
"Some organic sulfur compounds can only be eliminated by biological methods. Microbial desulfurization may be carried out both aerobically and anaerobically. In this study, anaerobic bacteria have been applied. In the presence of either hydrogen or nitrogen gases the sulfur organic compounds are reduced by the anaerobic bacteria. The products of reactions are H2S gas and organic compounds free from sulfur. One of the advantages of anerobic desulfurization is that no loss in the amount of oil is encountered by application of such processes. In addition, these reactions are more compatible with conventional hydrodesulfurization process applied in industry.
"In this study desulfurization of DBT (di-benzothiophene) by D. desulfuricans in an anaerobic jar without injection of hydrogen has been investigated. In addition, such a process has been conducted in a DJR (down flow jet loop bioreactor) system, with the injection of hydrogen.
"The results obtained from this study have been compared with those determined under different reaction methods."
View the full text of this paper at …
http://www.kgu.or.kr/download.php?tb=bbs_017&fn=5abe291428ef97a6efb630b92856c468.pdf&rn=509.pdf
If you like this blog, let me know at ...
research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Wikipedia Revisited
Skepticism abounds regarding the reliability of the information available on Wikipedia. Still, we have found it to be a useful resource. Take, for example, the case of MEOR - Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery.
If you are an expert in the field, the table listing the major ventures working MEOR can be useful.
If you are new to the field, the survey of areas of application, problems to be addressed, advantages and disadvantages, etc., can be helpful.
Here are some excerpts from the Wikipedia article on MEOR …
Ventures working in MEOR (Private sector)
Rawwater Engineering Company Ltd
Oppenheimer Biotechnology, Inc.
Titan Oil Recovery, Inc.
Yara International ASA
Circle T Sales and Service Inc.
GloriOil Ltd.
StatoilHydro ASA
Environmental BioTechnologies, Inc.
ONGC-IRS
Rogaland Research
COREC
CIPR
"Several decades of research and successful applications support the claims of MEOR as a mature technology. Despite those facts, disagreement still exists. Successful stories are specific for each MEOR field application, and published information regarding supportive economical advantages is however inexistent. Despite this, there is consensus considering MEOR one of the cheapest existing EOR methods.
“MEOR advantages
“• Injected microbes and nutrients are cheap; easy to handle in the field and independent of oil prices. • Economically attractive for mature oil fields before abandonment. • Increases oil production. • Existing facilities require slight modifications. • Easy application. • Less expensive set up. • Low energy input requirement for microbes to produce MEOR agents. • More efficient than other EOR methods when applied to carbonate oil reservoirs. • Microbial activity increases with microbial growth. This is opposite to the case of other EOR additives in time and distance. • Cellular products are biodegradable and therefore can be considered environmentally friendly.
“MEOR disadvantages
“• The oxygen deployed in aerobic MEOR can act as corrosive agent on non-resistant topside equipment and down-hole piping
“• Anaerobic MEOR requires large amounts of sugar limiting its applicability in offshore platforms due to logistical problems
“• Exogenous microbes require facilities for their cultivation.
“• Indigenous microbes need a standardized framework for evaluating microbial activity, e.g. specialized coring and sampling techniques.
"• Microbial growth is favoured when: layer permeability is greater than 50 md; reservoir temperature is inferior to 80 0C, salinity is below 150 g/L and reservoir depth is less than 2400m.”
View the complete article at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbial_enhanced_oil_recovery
Our research supports your research ... visit us at:
www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
If you are an expert in the field, the table listing the major ventures working MEOR can be useful.
If you are new to the field, the survey of areas of application, problems to be addressed, advantages and disadvantages, etc., can be helpful.
Here are some excerpts from the Wikipedia article on MEOR …
Ventures working in MEOR (Private sector)
Rawwater Engineering Company Ltd
Oppenheimer Biotechnology, Inc.
Titan Oil Recovery, Inc.
Yara International ASA
Circle T Sales and Service Inc.
GloriOil Ltd.
StatoilHydro ASA
Environmental BioTechnologies, Inc.
ONGC-IRS
Rogaland Research
COREC
CIPR
"Several decades of research and successful applications support the claims of MEOR as a mature technology. Despite those facts, disagreement still exists. Successful stories are specific for each MEOR field application, and published information regarding supportive economical advantages is however inexistent. Despite this, there is consensus considering MEOR one of the cheapest existing EOR methods.
“MEOR advantages
“• Injected microbes and nutrients are cheap; easy to handle in the field and independent of oil prices. • Economically attractive for mature oil fields before abandonment. • Increases oil production. • Existing facilities require slight modifications. • Easy application. • Less expensive set up. • Low energy input requirement for microbes to produce MEOR agents. • More efficient than other EOR methods when applied to carbonate oil reservoirs. • Microbial activity increases with microbial growth. This is opposite to the case of other EOR additives in time and distance. • Cellular products are biodegradable and therefore can be considered environmentally friendly.
“MEOR disadvantages
“• The oxygen deployed in aerobic MEOR can act as corrosive agent on non-resistant topside equipment and down-hole piping
“• Anaerobic MEOR requires large amounts of sugar limiting its applicability in offshore platforms due to logistical problems
“• Exogenous microbes require facilities for their cultivation.
“• Indigenous microbes need a standardized framework for evaluating microbial activity, e.g. specialized coring and sampling techniques.
"• Microbial growth is favoured when: layer permeability is greater than 50 md; reservoir temperature is inferior to 80 0C, salinity is below 150 g/L and reservoir depth is less than 2400m.”
View the complete article at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbial_enhanced_oil_recovery
Our research supports your research ... visit us at:
www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com
Friday, October 2, 2009
Energy & Environmental Science
We have run across desulfurization items authored or co-authored by Chunshan Song in the past, so when the following article turned up in our search results, we took a closer look. Here is the cite, with brief description extracted from the article.
Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 878-882
Nanoporous molecular basket sorbent for NO2 and SO2 capture based on a polyethylene glycol-loaded mesoporous molecular sieve
Xiaoxing Wang, Xiaoliang Ma, Shuqi Zhao, Bei Wang and Chunshan Song *
Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program, EMS Energy Institute, Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 209 Academic Projects Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: csong@psu.edu ; Fax: +1 814 865 3573; Tel: +1 814 863 4466
“Removal of environmentally harmful NO2 and SO2 from various gas streams is important for the protection of human health and the environment, for CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) and for energy-efficient fuel cell applications. Although there are commercial technologies such as flue gas desulphurization (FGD) for SO2 removal and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for NO2 removal, alternative and more environmentally benign methods based on solid sorbents with better energy efficiency and easier handling are highly desirable. The present work aims at a new approach based on a polymer-based solid sorbent for removing toxic NO2 and SO2 at room temperature under atmospheric pressure without using catalyst and without involving chemical reactions. We have developed a novel type of nano-porous molecular basket sorbent (MBS) based on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-loaded mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15 for removing more than 99% of NO2 and SO2 from gas streams at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The spent sorbent can be regenerated easily and completely by heating to 100 °C. With this new approach, the present study may open a new window for developing environmentally-friendly high-performance solid sorbents for SO2 and NO2 removal from various gas streams.
“Acknowledgements
“This work is supported in part by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Grant #N00014-08-1-0123, and by the US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory through DOE Grant DE-FC26-08NT0004396. We wish to thank Donald Hoffman and John Heinzel of US ONR and Wayne Surdoval and Travis Schultz of US DOE for their support and encouragement.”
View more details at …
http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayHTMLArticleforfree.cfm?JournalCode=EE&Year=2009&ManuscriptID=b906476a&Iss=8
Remember, the first person to turn to when you are pressed for time is your corporate librarian. If your company does not employ a librarian, think of us, Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC (www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com)
Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 878-882
Nanoporous molecular basket sorbent for NO2 and SO2 capture based on a polyethylene glycol-loaded mesoporous molecular sieve
Xiaoxing Wang, Xiaoliang Ma, Shuqi Zhao, Bei Wang and Chunshan Song *
Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program, EMS Energy Institute, Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 209 Academic Projects Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: csong@psu.edu ; Fax: +1 814 865 3573; Tel: +1 814 863 4466
“Removal of environmentally harmful NO2 and SO2 from various gas streams is important for the protection of human health and the environment, for CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) and for energy-efficient fuel cell applications. Although there are commercial technologies such as flue gas desulphurization (FGD) for SO2 removal and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for NO2 removal, alternative and more environmentally benign methods based on solid sorbents with better energy efficiency and easier handling are highly desirable. The present work aims at a new approach based on a polymer-based solid sorbent for removing toxic NO2 and SO2 at room temperature under atmospheric pressure without using catalyst and without involving chemical reactions. We have developed a novel type of nano-porous molecular basket sorbent (MBS) based on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-loaded mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15 for removing more than 99% of NO2 and SO2 from gas streams at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The spent sorbent can be regenerated easily and completely by heating to 100 °C. With this new approach, the present study may open a new window for developing environmentally-friendly high-performance solid sorbents for SO2 and NO2 removal from various gas streams.
“Acknowledgements
“This work is supported in part by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Grant #N00014-08-1-0123, and by the US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory through DOE Grant DE-FC26-08NT0004396. We wish to thank Donald Hoffman and John Heinzel of US ONR and Wayne Surdoval and Travis Schultz of US DOE for their support and encouragement.”
View more details at …
http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayHTMLArticleforfree.cfm?JournalCode=EE&Year=2009&ManuscriptID=b906476a&Iss=8
Remember, the first person to turn to when you are pressed for time is your corporate librarian. If your company does not employ a librarian, think of us, Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC (www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com)
China Desulphurization Industry Report
The China Desulphurization Industry Report, 2008-2009 published by Research In China in July 2009, may be worth the $1700-$2700 USD price tag, for several reasons. One of them is the list of “Key Desulphurization Companies in China.” Here is a sample from that list …
• Beijing Guodian Longyuan Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd
• WuHan KaiDi Electric Power Environmental Co., Ltd
• Beijing Bootes Electric Power Science & Technology Co., Ltd
• Fujian Longking Co., Ltd
• CPI Yuanda Environmental-Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Insigma Technology Co., Ltd
• Development of Desulphurization
• Tongfang Environment Co., Ltd
• Shandong SanRong Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Zhejiang Tiandi Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Jiangsu Suyuan Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
View a description of the contents of the report at …
http://www.researchinchina.com/Htmls/Report/2009/5734.html
Have you ever tried to find an article that a colleague recommends, only to spend two hours Googling® with no results? That’s the kind of thing we can help you find. Visit our Web at www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more information.
• Beijing Guodian Longyuan Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd
• WuHan KaiDi Electric Power Environmental Co., Ltd
• Beijing Bootes Electric Power Science & Technology Co., Ltd
• Fujian Longking Co., Ltd
• CPI Yuanda Environmental-Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Insigma Technology Co., Ltd
• Development of Desulphurization
• Tongfang Environment Co., Ltd
• Shandong SanRong Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Zhejiang Tiandi Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
• Jiangsu Suyuan Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd
View a description of the contents of the report at …
http://www.researchinchina.com/Htmls/Report/2009/5734.html
Have you ever tried to find an article that a colleague recommends, only to spend two hours Googling® with no results? That’s the kind of thing we can help you find. Visit our Web at www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more information.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Search tip: LinkedIn
One purpose of this blog is to help you search more effectively. Today's search tip: a quick way to search for a LinkedIn profile without taking the time to sign in to LinkedIn.
When you read an article by a desulfurization expert and you would like to contact the author for more information, the first step, of course, is to see if there is contact information within the article.
Occasionally, contact information is absent. In that case, you need to do a little research to find a way to contact the author.
Here is a search tip … if you Google® using LinkedIn as a keyword, followed by the author’s name, you will be able to determine quickly if the author has a LinkedIn profile, which gets you a step closer to contact information.
For example, if you did not have contact information for me, you could use the following search string …
Linkedin “jean steinhardt”
The result would be …
Jean Steinhardt - LinkedInView Jean Steinhardt's professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like Jean Steinhardt ...
www.linkedin.com/pub/jean-steinhardt/12/421/870
When you read an article by a desulfurization expert and you would like to contact the author for more information, the first step, of course, is to see if there is contact information within the article.
Occasionally, contact information is absent. In that case, you need to do a little research to find a way to contact the author.
Here is a search tip … if you Google® using LinkedIn as a keyword, followed by the author’s name, you will be able to determine quickly if the author has a LinkedIn profile, which gets you a step closer to contact information.
For example, if you did not have contact information for me, you could use the following search string …
Linkedin “jean steinhardt”
The result would be …
Jean Steinhardt - LinkedInView Jean Steinhardt's professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like Jean Steinhardt ...
www.linkedin.com/pub/jean-steinhardt/12/421/870
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