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CONTROL OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EMISSIONS FROM THE COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS MAY BECOME NECESSARY TO MINIMIZE GLOBAL WARMING PRODUCED BY THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT. SEPARATION OF CO2 FROM FLUE GASES WILL INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY AND LOWER THE COST OF PROCESSES TO FIX CO2 CHEMICALLY OR OTHERWISE PREVENT ITS DISCHARGE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. SUCH A CO2 TRANSPORT SYSTEM MUST OPERATE AT HIGH EFFICIENCY TO M ...

COMPUTERS USING LIGHT BEAMS INSTEAD OF WIRES ARE THE FASTEST KNOWN TYPE OF COMPUTER. MANY OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF OPTICAL COMPUTES SUCH AS THE OPTICAL SWITCHES THAT ARE ITS FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS ARE FABRICATED FROM THIRD ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICAL (NLO) MATERIALS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BEST CURRENTLY AVAILABLE THIRD ORDER MATERIALS HAVE NLO EFFECTS THAT ARE TWO TO FOUR ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE SMAL ...

THE CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER BY HEAVY METALS, RADIONUCLIDES, AND ORGANICS IS A SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO REMOVE ALL OF THE MATERIAL FROM THE SOIL BY CONVENTIONAL PUMP-AND-TREAT TECHNIQUES. IN SUCH CASES, THE RESIDUAL MATERIAL MUST BE CONTAINED TO PREVENT FURTHER MIGRATION. AN IDEAL SOLUTION WOULD BE A PERMEABLE BARRIER THAT IS READILY INSTALLED A ...

Hydrogenolysis is an energy efficient, zero emission method for the detoxification of hazardous chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) wastes. In CHC hydrogenolysis, the chlorinated hydrocarbon is reacted with hydrogen to produce a hydrocarbon and an inorganic acid (HC1). In the Phase I project, TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), demonstrated a new type of catalyst with high activity for hydrodechlorination of al ...

COAL-FIRED GASIFIER COMBINED CYCLES (GCC) HAVE BOTH HIGH EFFICIENCY AND VERY LOW EMISSIONS. A CRITICAL NEED FOR GCCS IS A METHOD OF REMOVING THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) PRODUCED FROM THE SULFUR IN THE COAL FROM THE HOT GASES. THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON HOT GAS CLEAN-UP SYSTEMS, FOCUSED ON THE USE OF A ZINC OXIDE BASED SORBENT (E.G., ZINC TITANATE). UNFORTUNATELY, CURRENT SORBENTS CAN B ...

The combustion of fossil fuels, particularly coal, introduces large quantities of arsenic into the environment, much of which reaches natural waters. Acute arsenic poisoning results from ingestion of only 100 mg of the element, while chronic poisoning occurs with the continued ingestion of smaller amounts. Processes developed for arsenic removal from drinking water are appropriate for small volu ...

Coal fired Gasifer Combined Cycles (GCC) have both high efficiency and very low emissions. A critical need for GCCs is a method of removing the H2S produced from the sulfur in the coal from the hot gases. There has been extensive research on hot gas clean-up systems, focused on the use of a zinc oxide based sorbent (e.g., zinc titanate). Unfortunately, current sorbents are relatively expensive, ...

HEAVY OILS, INCLUDING RESIDUES FROM CRUDE OIL DISTILLATION (RESIDS), REPRESENT AN ABUNDANT ENERGY RESOURCE THAT IS NOT FULLY UTILIZED. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT IF ONLY 20% OF THESE CRUDES COULD BE RECOVERED, THEY WOULD PRODUCE 1.27 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS. USE OF HEAVY OILS REQUIRES CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION FOR REMOVAL OF SULFUR AND NITROGEN, AND TO LOWER THE BOILIN ...

ENDOHEDRAL METALLOFULLERENES (CLOSED SHELL CARBON MOLECULES CONTAINING ONE OR MORE METAL ATOMS WITHIN THE CAGE) HAVE BEEN SYNTHESIZED BY THE GRAPHITE ARC PROCESS FOR OVER A YEAR. WHILE THERE IS SPECULATION THEY ARE HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS AND HAVE UNIQUE ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES, THERE IS LITTLE DATA ON THEIR CHEMICAL OR ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE FACT THAT THE C ...

AMMONIA SYNTHESIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST ENERGY INTENSIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. FOR A TYPICAL SINGLE TRAIN AMMONIA SYNTHESIS PLANT, THE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR AMMONIA PRODUCTION ARE 29 GJ/TON NH3. ONE OF THE MORE ENERGY INTENSIVE STEPS INVOLVED IN PURIFYING THE SYNGAS STREAM IS REMOVAL OF CO2 FROM THE STEAM REFORMED METHANE GAS STREAM. THE CURRENT CO2 REMOVAL TECHNOLOGIES C ...