Ceramic membranes are rapidly emerging as a new technology in membrane separations. however, commercially-available devices have high costs relative to polymeric membranes, typically five to ten times higher. the technology to be developed employs a unique approach to ceramic membrane module design.… More

Novel molecular sieve membranes will be developed in thin film form. the membrane materials will include silica, alumina, titania, zirconia, and mixtures of these oxides. the technical approach entails the preparation and deposition of ultrafine sol particles onto a porous substrate, followed by… More

Ceramic membranes rapidly are emerging as a new technology in membrane separations. however, commercially available devices have high costs relative to polymeric membranes, typically 5 to 10 times higher. the technology to be developed in this project employs a unique approach to ceramic membrane… More

Doe is sponsoring research on the development of ceramic membranes for high temperature gas separations associated with coal conversion processes. for such membranes to be ofcommercial utility, they must be incorporated into a suitable low cost membrane module. such modular assemblies are not… More

Advanced coal utilization and conversion processes under development by the u.s. department of energy require cleanup of gas streams following gasification or combustion of coal. for example, it is desirable to remove gaseous and particulate contaminants from these gas streams at high temperature… More

Airborne particulates from atmospheric coal-fired combustors pose both environmental and human health problems. of notable concern iare particulates of less thanten microns in diameter which can remain in the respiratory tract if inhaled. while conventional pollution control devices such as fabric… More

A number of environmental and human health problems have been associated with the presence of nitrogen oxides (nox) formed during the atmospheric combustion of coal. nox compounds have been linked to deforestation and vegetation damage as well as ozone formation. recent amendments to theclean air… More

Microporous silica-zirconia membranes that exhibit efficientseparation for low molecular weight (

Efforts to mitigate damage to lakes, forests, and other ecosystems from acid rain have been focused on control technologies for so2 emmissions. the combustion of coal for power generation has been associated with approximately 80% of all so2 emissions. while flue gas desulfurization (fgd)… More

Substantial and increasing amounts of waste lubricating oil are improperly discarded every year in the u.s. in addition to the harmful effects of this practice on the environment, unreclaimed lubricating oils represent the loss of a recoverable resoource. while current state-of-the-art re-refining… More

Advanced coal utilization and conversion processes for power generation such as integrated gasification combined cycle (igcc) offer many significant advantages over direct coal-fired plants. some of these advantages include higher cycle efficiency and the ability to attain more stringent… More

A well-established process within the corn processing industry is the production of fuel ethanol through fermentation of sugars. in addition to the product ethanol, these facilities produce a large volume of an aqueous, biomass-containing stream, known as stillage, which must be processed to recover… More

Numerous industrial plants are sources of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (voc) which are emitted into the air, sometimes in high flows of offgas. some of the offgas streams may also contain fine particulate matter from 10 microns to the submicron size range. the voc may condense on… More

Diesel engines play an important role in the united states economy for power generation and transportation. however, nox and soot emissions from both stationary and mobile diesel engines are a major contributor to air pollution. many engine modifications and exhaust-after-treatment devices have been… More

The selective permeation of gases through thin films of carbon-60 (buckminsterfullerene) has been suggested as a possible application of this novel form of carbon. indeed, substantial differences have been demonstrated in the rates of desorption of gases from crystalline powders of c-60 and c-70. … More

One class of wastewaters, metastable oil/water emulsions, encompasses waste streams for which a need exists for more cost-effective treatment, and for which the flows on a national scale are large. current treatment technologies for metastable oil/water emulsions are often ineffective and… More

The development of specifically engineered polymers and appropriate module designs in the past decade has made possible the commercialization of gas separation membrane technology for several industrial applications. since currently available membranes and modules are based upon use of organic… More

Billions of gallons of oily wastewaters are generated daily by a variety of industrial sources. A large fraction of these are oil/water emulsions for which current treatment technologies are often costly and ineffective. Although such emulsions can be separated using crossflow filtration… More

Vapor permeation with highly permeable and organic-selective membranes is becoming an increasingly popular technique for preventing VOC emissions that are generated by a variety of stationary sources, including solvent and surface coating operations, gasoline storage operations, and printing… More

50269-98-I Novel Low-Cost Zeolite Ceramic Membrane Module--CeraMem Corporation, 12 Clematis Avenue, Waltham, MA 02154-7011; (781) 899-4495 Dr. Richard J. Higgins, Principal Investigator Dr. Robert L. Goldsmith, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82548 Amount: $75,000 The unique material… More

50176-98-I A Photocatalytic Ti02 Anode and Membrane Reactor for the Enhanced Destruction of Chloro-Organic Compounds in Water--CeraMem Corporation, 12 Clematis Avenue, , Waltham, MA 02154-7011; (781) 899-4495 Dr. Kenneth E. Fickie, Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Goldsmith, Business Official DOE… More

50532-98-I Synthesis of Mesoporous Tin Oxide for Chemical Gas Sensors--CeraMem Corporation, 12 Clematis Avenue, Waltham, MA 02154-7011; (781) 899-4495 Dr. Bruce A. Bishop, Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Goldsmith, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82549 Amount: $75,000 Chemical gas… More

Not Available The need for technologies to reduce the cost and time of getting civil and commercial space missions from the drawing board to orbit is driving research efforts towards lighter, cheaper and smaller satellites. As a result of this demand, technologies such as microfabrication… More

Not Available Today, overall network performance and guaranteed end-to-end QoS delivery are affected adversely by lack of interoperability. Moreover, the networking challenges of the Web era demand a new generation of management systems featuring tighter linkage among user-, network- and… More

Not Available Traditionally, simulations have handled the modeling of the synthetic natural environment (SNE) internally, creating closed, stovepipe environments. While this was sufficient for stand-alone systems, it is not sufficient to support today's distributed simulation environments. Systems,… More

Not Available Modern low probability of intercept (LPI) radars utilize large time-bandwidth product pulse compression waveforms, such as linear or non-linear frequency modulation (FM) and binary- or multi-phase coded signals, in order to reduce the peak transmitted power. These radars, example of… More

65890 The Department of Energy has and is adding to a large stockpile of mixed low level waste. Incineration is a very good process for reducing the volume of waste for subsequent disposal but emissions regulations for incinerators are becoming increasingly stringent, making incineration more… More

65531 Hydrogen is highly valued for its use in the production of clean petroleum-derived fuels and as a clean-burning fuel itself. However, technologies for the separation and production of hydrogen are currently inefficient and costly. This project will develop a low-cost, ceramic-supported,… More

65012 Many basic chemicals used as feedstock for the chemical and petrochemical industries, such as ethylene, propylene and xylene, are derived from the refining of petroleum. However, there is a recognized need to decrease domestic dependence on imported petroleum and to shift dependence to the… More

65184 Coal gasification technology could provide synthesis gas as an alternative to natural gas, but the economics are not attractive. Although current coal gasification processes are non-catalytic, the development of catalytic coal gasification processes could significantly improve gasification… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need for a non-vacuum deposition approach for contact layers in CdTe solar cells. While sputtering is at present successfully employed, the objective of this project is the development of a nanoparticle ink that could be… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks the development of highly selective, energy efficient H2 separation technologies. The research addresses the development of low cost, high-performance zeolite membrane modules for high-temperature H2 separation from CO and/or light… More

60817 In the past few decades, Fischer-Tropsch technology has emerged in the United States as a leading technology for natural gas processing. However, because roughly 60 percent of proven natural gas reserves in the world are categorized as remote or stranded gas, there is need for… More

60028 The world supply of light crudes and those having only minor concentrations of sulfur and contaminant metals is quickly decreasing, and the refining of heavier crudes produces ¿bottom of the barrel¿ residual oils. These oils are unsuitable for conventional processing techniques such as… More

60028 The world supply of light crudes and those having only minor concentrations of sulfur and contaminant metals is quickly decreasing, and the refining of heavier crudes produces ¿bottom of the barrel¿ residual oils. These oils are unsuitable for conventional processing techniques such as… More

60817 In the past few decades, Fischer-Tropsch technology has emerged in the United States as a leading technology for natural gas processing. However, because roughly 60 percent of proven natural gas reserves in the world are categorized as remote or stranded gas, there is need for… More

65012 Many basic chemicals that are used as feedstock for the chemical and petrochemical industries, such as acetylene and ethylene, are derived from the refining of petroleum. However, in order to decrease domestic dependence on imported petroleum and to increase utilization of the… More

70685 To strengthen U.S. energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Policy Act in 1992 to accelerate the use of alternative, renewable fuels in the transportation sector. In 1998, the Act was amended to specifically include biodiesel fuel as… More

65012 Many basic chemicals that are used as feedstock for the chemical and petrochemical industries, such as acetylene and ethylene, are derived from the refining of petroleum. However, in order to decrease domestic dependence on imported petroleum and to increase utilization of the… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is focused on the development of highly stable and sensitive metal oxide semiconductor sensors for high-temperature applications. Currently available semiconductor sensors are typically restricted to the 200 C to 500 C range in order to have… More

65531 Catalytic gasification of coal, when coupled with newly developed molten carbonate fuel cell technology, can provide electrical power generation with very high efficiency and extremely low emissions levels. However, the commercialization of catalytic coal gasification will require the… More

65531 Catalytic gasification of coal, when coupled with newly developed molten carbonate fuel cell technology, can provide electrical power generation with very high efficiency and extremely low emissions levels. However, the commercialization of catalytic coal gasification will require the… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is aimed at making Photovoltaic (PV) solar electric power more affordable to our nation and to the world. The technology in this program, represents a new process for the manufacturing of cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar cells. In this process… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is aimed at making Photovoltaic (PV) solar electric power more affordable to our nation and to the world. The technology in this program, represents a new process for the manufacturing of cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar cells. In this process… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a low-temperature, atmospheric-pressure deposition process for metal chalcogenide nanomaterials in electronics. This process will use a hybrid ink containing CdSe nanoparticles mixed with a reactive dispersant in a… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop Pd-based sensors that are durable and exhibit stable response to hydrogen gas. These sensors will be fabricated using microstructurally stabilized Pd films. The morphological stability mandated by the novel composite film… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project examines the feasibility of using gestural interface technology and interactive robotics to facilitate receptive and expressive language development of children with severe and/or multiple disabilities. Developed by AnthroTronix, Inc.,… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This SBIR Phase I project addresses the need for low-temperature, large-area deposition routes to CdZnTe electronic materials for use in flat panel x-ray image detectors. According to the research plan, a novel ink composition will be formulated to allow growth… More

72104S03-I Demand for high-purity hydrogen is on the increase, and supplying this commodity from advanced gasification processes is a necessary intermediate step to a hydrogen-based energy economy. Inorganic membranes that operate in excess of 800¿C and are manufacturable, economic, robust, and… More

73123S03-I Recent advances in Fisher-Tropsch technology have increased opportunities to indirectly produce relatively clean chemicals and fuels from domestic coal and natural gas. However, at the present time, chemicals and fuels derived from the refining of crude oil remain more cost effective. … More

72310S03-I Propylene oxide is a valuable commodity chemical intermediate that is used for the production of urethane polyether polyols, propylene glycol, glycol ethers, allyl alcohols, and isopropanolamines. The worldwide production capacity of propylene oxide exceeds 8 billion lbm per year, and… More

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The sugar industry produces over 100 million tons of sugar each year. This large industry has been intrigued by the use of membranes to enhance the efficiency of production for many decades but membranes that have the correct combination of performance and cost have not yet… More

72215S03-I Demand for ethanol as an oxygenated additive for gasoline is expected to grow substantially over the next few years. Most ethanol is produced via fermentation of sugars derived from corn and is comparatively expensive, in large part due to the high capital and energy costs for… More

A number of very high-volume liquid chemicals form azeotropes with water and can be dehydrated to required purity levels only through the use of entrainers or drying agents. The handling and disposal of these additional chemicals present significant environmental risks. Recently, membrane… More

73013S03-I During the past two decades, as imported oil gradually has become more expensive, considerable research and development efforts have been directed toward the economic production of liquid fuels and chemicals from domestic coal and natural gas supplies. This project will develop a novel… More

73123 In an effort to increase U.S. energy security, there has been considerable investment during the past two decades in research and development efforts directed toward the economic production of liquid fuels and chemicals from domestic coal and natural gas supplies. Although the worldwide… More

72215-Demand for ethanol as a transportation fuel has been growing substantially and this growth is anticipated to continue. Most ethanol is produced via fermentation of sugars derived from corn and is comparatively expensive, in large part due to the high capital and energy costs for fermentation… More

The sugar and grain processing industries produce tens of billions of dollars worth of product each year. These industries have used membrane technology for some applications but membrane durability limits their widespread utilization. At present, there are no commercial cost-effective membranes… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop new processing approaches for fabrication of mixed proton-electron conducting membranes that will be used in the future for economical production of high-purity hydrogen derived from biomass and coal. The objective of this… More

76229-There is an ever-increasing demand for high-purity hydrogen, and its production from advanced fossil-fuel-based gasification processes will be required as a transitory phase to a hydrogen-based energy economy. Inorganic membranes that operate at approximately 800¿C and that are… More

Improved low-flow (50,000 gallons per day) sanitary wastewater treatment systems are needed. CeraMem Corporation¿s proposed approach includes a membrane bioreactor (MBR) using fully proven biological processes for biological oxygen demand oxidation and (optionally) for nutrient removal (i.e.,… More

75494-Practical methods for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration from fossil-fuel-fired electric production plants must be developed to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. For emerging advanced gasification technologies that co-produce electricity and hydrogen, there is a need… More

76219-In order to minimize our dependence on foreign fossil fuels and improve our environment, the DOE has embarked on the development of hydrogen-based power production. As part of this development, it will be necessary to separate hydrogen from the synthesis gas derived from coal gasification, an… More

78089S Nitrogen and oxygen are respectively the number one- and number three-highest volume chemicals manufactured by the chemical industry. It has been estimated that even moderate improvements in air separation capabilities would save 0.36 quads of energy annually in the U.S. For air separation… More

78490S Dehydration of azeotropic or thermally labile solutions is a common operation in industrial chemical manufacture, but is achieved only through very energy-intensive separation processes. Energy-efficient hydrophilic pervaporation membranes have begun to penetrate these applications, but more… More

79392S The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol is not yet economically competitive with the conversion of cornstarch to ethanol. The economics of lignocellulosic conversion could be improved if a wider range of high-value-added products could be produced by processing separate… More

The development of processes to convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol and other chemicals is being enthusiastically pursued by the federal government as well as by private organizations. However, before these processes can be made cost effective, new materials are needed that are resistant… More

Domestic ethanol production has grown substantially over the last 30 years due to a growth in national energy security concerns, more stringent Federal standards for vehicle emissions, and government agricultural incentives. The recently signed Federal energy legislation requires an increase in… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibilty of a novel approach to the fabrication of ceramic membranes that could result in an 80% reduction in membrane fabrication costs. Membrane filtration is becoming an important aspect in the removal of particulates… More

Production of ethanol derived from starch crops and biomass is forecast to grow considerably in the next decade. There exist opportunities for significant reductions in ethanol production costs and associated energy usage via employment of innovative process operations. Many of these processes… More

"Honey bee pollination is estimated to contribute over $14 billion annually to agricultural production. Honey bee pollination services in the larger ecosystem are also of vital importance. However, apiculture in the United States is threatened, especially by infestations of exotic parasitic mites.… More

The current and future rapid growth of the fuel ethanol industry presents many opportunities for the development and integration of cost-saving and energy-saving innovations. Much of the energy consumption in industrial ethanol production is related to the processes used to extract and concentrate… More

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to develop a novel approach for fabrication of ceramic membranes that would provide a significant reduction in fabrication costs. Membrane filtration is becoming an important process for drinking water treatment. Much of this… More