Spring Into Action … Add Value to Your Journal Subscriptions

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” -- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)
A recent edition of Hydrocarbon Engineering (http://www.palladian-publications.com/) included the following article.

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Slimming Down Sulfur: Part Three
Alan Kramer, Albemarle, USA, explores the rare earth free solutions to FCC sulfur problems. The final installment of this three part article focuses specifically on fuel sulfur reduction, with a particular examination of the problems caused by gasoline range sulfur.
Source: http://www.energyglobal.com/magazines/issue.aspx?seo=hydrocarbon-engineering&month=12&year=2011
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The article inspired me to post two tips on how to maximize the cost of a subscription to this or any other journal.

1. Google® the author
2. ScienceDirect  the affiliation (If we can turn Google into a verb, we can do the same with ScienceDirect)

Everybody knows how to Google®.  My job is to show you how to do so more effectively.

When you Google® Alan Kramer, for instance, you get over 18 million hits.

Google® Alan Kramer Albemarle, however, and you get something in the range of 6 million hits.  That’s still more than you would want to scroll through, but you can use the same concept to refine your search string even more.  Add sulfur to the search string …

Alan Kramer Albemarle sulfur
… and you now have only about one million hits.

As good as Googling is, you need to add ScienceDirecting to your tool kit.  Which leads us to Tip Number 2 …

When you visit ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), consider clicking the Advanced Search link.

Here’s an example of how this strategy can make your day a little easier.

Type Albemarle in the search box, then click the Search button.  The result is over 3000 hits.  Very few of them will be useful if you are interested in Albemarle the corporation.

Return to the Advanced Search page.  Type Albemarle again.  This time, restrict the search to Affiliations, illustrated below.

You’ve now narrowed the field to about 500 hits.  Each article has been authored by someone affiliated with Albemarle, the corporation.

Push the envelope further by ANDing the above with desulfurization.  You now have just 6 hits, including the following …

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Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, Volume 162, 2006, Pages 143-150
Scientific Bases for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts
Preparation of monolithic catalysts for hydrodesulfurizationJ. Tsoua, J. Carneiroa, A.F. Pérez-Cadenasa, S. Eijsboutsb, M. Makkeea, J.A. Moulijna
a Reactor & Catalysis Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL D
b Albemarle Catalysts, Research Centre, P.O. box 37650, 1030 BE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
AbstractThe aim of this research project is the design and synthesis of optimal monolithic reaxctors and its use in deep desulfurization. In order to do so, stateof-of-the-art HDS compared to the monolithic catalysts. These monolithic catalysts were prepared from cordierite and coated first with two layers of α-Al₂O₃ followed by one layer of γ-Al₂O₃. The coated monoliths were then impregnated with NiMo solutions (optimized for the powder catalysts) and some parameters were optimized (such as impregnation time and drying procedure). Finally, monolithic catalysts with the same characteristics as powder catalysts were obtained.
source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167299106809018
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So, as interesting as is the Slimming Down Sulfur article, by using it as a springboard we have added value to it with a  minimum of effort on our part.

Try out this approach the next time you read a thought-provoking article.

Speaking of which, the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)  is a quick way to add value to your online searching.  Add the blog to your toolbox.