Emerging technologies for the conversion of residues

“Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge.” -- Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

The Encyclopaedia of Hydrocarbons (http://www.treccani.it/Portale/sito/altre_aree/Tecnologia_e_Scienze_applicate/enciclopedia/inglese/indice_opera.html) restores one’s faith in the Web’s potential.

The introduction page describes the Encyclopaedia thusly …

“During the XXth century, hydrocarbons have been by far the world’s most important energy resource, and such they are likely to remain in the next decades. They have acted as a propeller of economic progress, a crucial factor in social organization, a raw material of strategic consequence: alliances, conflicts, security policies and geopolitical matters closely intertwined with the destinies of hydrocarbons.
“No other economic sector can boast a comparable degree of complexity and uncertainty or can play a role as substantial as hydrocarbons at international level. Knowing the world of hydrocarbons, its history, technical features and prospects gives us an indispensable key to understanding the present international systems and their possible future developments.
“Eni’s Encyclopaedia of Hydrocarbons aims at providing the reader, whether or not an expert in this field, with a clear and detailed vision of this sector. To this end, it deals with the historical events and their consequences, the scientific knowledge, the elements and the relationships which build the value chain of the oil and gas industry, the state of the art and the foreseeable technological improvements, and the economic and legal elements that may influence its prospects.
“You can navigate the Encyclopaedia in pdf-format: choose from the index below the titles you are interested in, and then click on the paragraphs which appear on the screen to open each file”
Source: (http://www.treccani.it/Portale/sito/altre_aree/Tecnologia_e_Scienze_applicate/enciclopedia/inglese/indice_opera.html)
I was astonished to find that it is offered to the world at no charge to the viewer. In fact, you can download large chunks of it in PDF format. Take a look at the following, for example …

Emerging technologies for the conversion of residues
source: http://77.238.3.64/export/sites/default/Portale/sito/altre_aree/scienze_della_terra/enciclopedia/inglese/inglese_vol_3/137-160_ing.pdf

This particular section deals with technologies being developed to bring heavy crudes of all kinds to market. Getting rid of the sulfur from oil sands and oil shales products is a big deal, of course. It describes the complexity of the various processes in detail, but in prose that is understandable. It is so well written that it can interest both the layman and the expert.

I recommend that you bookmark the site for future reference.

Also recommended … follow the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/) … and urge your colleagues to do the same.